Brno (CZE) 31 July - 03 August 2008

Individual Female title

Having lost the title to American Vaulter Megan Benjamin during the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Aachen (GER), Nicola Stroh (GER) and lunger Jennifer Trampler had been invincible since day 1 of the Championship. They began and effectively conquered Round 1, leading in both the compulsory and free test and then, when it came to Round 2 and the original 45 participants had been reduced to 15, they took the lead again in the technical test and confirmed their golden ambition with a faultless free test. Having won individual gold in 2004 and silver in 2002, Stroh had spent some time out of competition due to a recurring knee injury.

Waiting in the aisles and ready to pounce, Austria’s Sissi Jarz had inhabited second place from the beginning of the event. Third place, however, was hotly disputed. At the close of Round 1 it appeared as though Christine Kristofics Binder (AUT) was looking like a possible contender. However, fellow countrywoman Katharina Faltin stepped in with a convincing technical test and was sitting in third, but it took the free test to place the shine on the new bronze medallist, Germany’s Anja Barwig and lunger Alexander Hartl.

Individual male title – a new star is born  

Petr Eim, a name which at the time may not have been familiar to all, from the Czech Republic with lunger llonka Homberg and horse Appollo 306, were the new world champions. His victory was accompanied by thundering applause, cheer and sheer exaltation by both the local and international spectators.

On this occasion, Kai Vorberg (GER), two time defending world champion, as well as current European champion, would have to settle for silver. Third place went to another up and coming vaulter, Daniel Kaiser and lunger Gerhard Kluger from Germany. Just missing out on a medal, but clearly a crowd favourite, the showman from Spain Martin Ruiz Ararat had to settle for fourth.

The art of perfection

Accuracy, precision, intensity and sheer perfection rewarded the German team with gold and thus confirmed their stronghold on the world title. Indeed, since the inception of the FEI World Vaulting Championships in 1986, held every two years, Germany had won every edition except 1988, 1990 and 1994 on all three occasions won by team Switzerland. This translated into an uninterrupted winning streak since 1996. Second place went to Austria with their captivating Jaws themed performance which had fish scrambling for cover as the Great White approached and invariably took a few. Team USA captured bronze to a Pink Floyd revival.