Richard Vogel and his charismatic stallion United Touch S dazzled Sunday at the Stuttgart German Masters, clinching victory in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup qualifier with a jump-off performance that electrified the home crowd and stopped the timers 3 seconds sooner than his nearest rival. The pair’s seamless performance marked their second triumph in as many weeks, following a spectacular win in Lyon.  

Course designer Christa Jung set a formidable challenge, presenting 40 of the world’s top athletes with a track that demanded precision, power and speed. With a tight time allowed of 75 seconds, clear rounds were rare. Only three riders—Vogel, Denis Lynch of Ireland and Kevin Staut of France—managed faultless performances, advancing to the jump-off. 

The technicality of the course tested even the most seasoned riders. 

“It was more challenging than expected,” Vogel said. “It rode more difficult than it walked. It was very technical, and the triple combination—two verticals followed by an oxer—was especially challenging.”

Stuttgart is a special venue for Vogel, who also claimed victory with United Touch S here in 2022 during his Longines FEI Jumping World Cup debut. This year, the duo once again rose to the occasion. Their jump-off round showcased daring lines, sharp turns and immaculate timing, thrilling the capacity crowd. 

Their time of 41.39 seconds put them well clear of second-place finishers Lynch and Brooklyn Heights, who went first in the jump-off and jumped clear in a time of 44.37 seconds. Staut and Dialou Blue PS had a rail to take third place.

Watch their winning jump-off, courtesy of FEI.tv:

“Stuttgart is kind of my home show,” Vogel said. “A lot of my family and good friends were here, as well as the owner and breeder of ‘United,’ Julius-Peter Sinnack. It was very emotional to have all those people supporting us. When we entered the arena, United and I had a lot of people behind our backs. Their cheering gave us wings. For sure the goal was to repeat our win here, and luck was on our side.”

Vogel’s Stuttgart success aboard Sinnack’s 12-year-old Westphalian stallion (Untouched—Touch Of Class, Lux) catapulted him to second place in the provisional Western European League standings with 42 points, bolstering his confidence ahead of the final. 

“Together with my team, I’ll make a good plan for the coming months and ensure United stays in top form,” said Vogel.

The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Western European League heads next to Madrid on Dec. 1. 

See complete results here.