PARTNER PFERD 2026: Steve Guerdat in a League of His Own in the Championat of the City of Leipzig

Leipzig – Saturday afternoon at PARTNER PFERD 2026 delivered top-class sport with the Championat der Stadt Leipzig, the highlight class of the day presented by Sparkasse Leipzig and the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe Sachsen. The 1.55m jump-off class saw an exceptionally strong field, with no fewer than 17 combinations qualifying for the deciding round. Ultimately, it was Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat who set the benchmark with a performance that proved untouchable.

Third to go in the jump-off, Guerdat produced a lightning-fast yet controlled round aboard Is-Minka (by Mylord Carthago), stopping the clock at a time none of the following riders could match. Germany’s Gerrit Nieberg had to settle for second place with IB Queen (by Quasimodo Z), while Belgium’s Rik Hemeryck completed the podium in third with Navarro van het Eelshof.

Asked in the post-competition press conference whether the long wait after his round had made him nervous, Guerdat smiled and admitted it had not. On the contrary, he revealed that he had not expected to be quite that fast. The reason lies in a challenging past year for the Swiss rider, who had been sidelined by serious back problems and underwent surgery twice. “That makes today’s outcome even more satisfying,” Guerdat commented. “I am incredibly happy with how everything came together.”

Nieberg, who had watched Guerdat’s jump-off round on the warm-up arena screen, already sensed how difficult it would be to beat the Swiss time. “I realised pretty quickly that catching him would be almost impossible,” he explained. “I thought second place might be achievable if everything went to plan.” And so it proved: despite a clear round, Nieberg finished more than two seconds behind the winner. His partner IB Queen had been placed at his disposal by the mare’s owner specifically for Leipzig – a decision that paid off handsomely.

Third-placed Rik Hemeryck was nonetheless highly satisfied with his result. Riding his 13-year-old gelding Navarro van het Eelshof (by Jappelloup vh Dauwhof), the Belgian slightly missed one turn in the jump-off but still delivered a faultless performance. Fourth place went to France’s Simon Delestre with Golden Boy DK (by Diamant de Semilly), followed in fifth by the winner of Friday’s World Cup qualifier, Jur Vrieling, aboard Iron Wish RW. Sixth place was claimed by Ireland’s Denis Lynch with Chicago.

Leipzig and PARTNER PFERD: a Successful Partnership

Beyond the sporting excellence on display, the atmosphere at PARTNER PFERD 2026 once again highlighted the strength of the partnership between the City of Leipzig and the event itself. Leipzig’s mayor responsible for financial affairs, Torsten Bonew, expressed his satisfaction with the packed stands and vibrant crowd, underlining the event’s importance for Leipzig as a tourist destination.

Event organiser Volker Wulff of EN GARDE Marketing also emphasised the value of long-term cooperation: “We have continuously developed this tournament over the years and have always received the support we needed from the City of Leipzig. At the first edition in 1998, we welcomed around 3,000 spectators. Last year, there were more than 78,000 – that speaks for itself.”

After 28 editions of the event, many riders associate personal memories with PARTNER PFERD, including Steve Guerdat himself. One anecdote raised a smile among journalists: at one of his earliest appearances in Leipzig, Guerdat won a car as first prize. “The only problem was,” Wulff recalled with a grin, “Steve was just 17 years old at the time – and didn’t even have a driving licence yet.”

Young Talents Take Centre Stage

Earlier in the day, attention had turned to the future of the sport with the second qualifier of the Theurer Trucks 2GO Youngster Tour for seven- and eight-year-old horses. Local hero Marvin Jüngel once again proved unbeatable among the seven-year-olds, repeating his Thursday victory with Odesza HX (by Kempinski), ridden for Richard Vogel and David Will.

In the eight-year-old category, Hungary’s Tamás Mráz took top honours with Neorado T (by Eldorado vd Zeshoek), setting the stage for an exciting final on Sunday.

A Thrilling Final Day Ahead

Sunday marks the final day of PARTNER PFERD 2026 and promises further high-level sport. The programme includes the finals of the EN GARDE Amateur Trophy, the decisive final of the Youngster Tour, crucial points on the line in the FEI Driving World Cup™, and, as the undisputed highlight of the weekend, the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ presented by Sparkasse. Here, the world’s top riders will battle for valuable qualification points towards the World Cup Final in Fort Worth, Texas.

Source: PARTNER PFERD 2026 press release

Link to all results:
https://www.longinestiming.com/equestrian/2026/partner-pferd-leipzig-leipzig

Photo credits:
Eine Klasse für sich im Championat der Stadt Leipzig: Steve Guerdat (SUI) und Is-Minka.
Photo: Sportfotos-Lafrentz.de

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