FEI Classics™: Klimke is unbeatable at Luhmühlen

By: Kate Green/FEI

Ingrid Klimke (GER) is flawless to win her second CCI4* of the FEI Classics™ 2014/2015 with a confident clear Jumping round on FRH Escada JS at Luhmühlen (GER) presented by DHL. (Eventing Photo/FEI)

Ingrid Klimke (GER) rode brilliantly to produce a clear round under huge pressure to win her home CCI4* at Luhmühlen (GER), presented by DHL, for the first time and set up an unassailable lead in the FEI Classics™ 2014/2015. 

In a thrilling finale, her flawless round on the spring-heeled 11-year-old Hannoverian mare FRH Escada JS denied New Zealander Jonelle Price her first CCI4* victory by just one-tenth of a penalty.

Klimke’s trainer, Kurt Gravemeier, had promised that he would come and help her on the final day if she was in the top three. “So I said to him, fill your car up with gas and come here!” said a smiling Klimke.

“We have trained together for so long and when he said to me: ‘You must go for it!’ I was full of confidence. I’m really thrilled with my fantastic horse. She felt so full of herself today.”

When Klimke entered the arena, she could not even afford a single time fault because Price, on her exciting Olympic prospect, the 10-year-old Dressage-bred Faerie Dianimo (by Keystone Dimaggio out of a Catherston Dazzler mare), had ridden a perfect round.

So, too, had Michael Jung (GER) and his wise 15-year-old gelding, La Biosthetique Sam FBW, third, Christopher Burton (AUS) on the rising star Graf Liberty, fourth, and Sir Mark Todd (NZL) with NZB Campino, fifth, which meant that, unusually for this level, there was no change to the top five after Cross Country.

Heiko Wahler’s Jumping course invited forward riding, but there was a tricky treble combination and the time was tight - 12 of the 25 finishers had time faults. Nicky Roncoroni (GBR), lying 17^th on Stonedge, was the first to produce a completely penalty-free round and this elevated her to 12^th place.

The young New Zealander Jesse Campbell, sixth after Cross Country on Kaapachino, had an unfortunate 21-penalty round which dropped him to 16^th place and allowed the American combination of Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen to rise a place to sixth with their clear.

World team bronze medallist Tim Lips (NED) is well known for his prowess in the Jumping ring and a clear on Bayro lifted him five places to seventh. World team gold medallists Dirk Schrade and the aptly named Hop and Skip also rose five places with a fault-free round, to eighth.

Looking towards the FEI Classics™ 2014/2015 finale at Burghley (GBR) in September, Klimke is out in front but her peers, such as second-placed Michael Jung, who has now overtaken four-times series winner William Fox-Pitt, Christopher Burton, Mark Todd and Tim and Jonelle Price, will be in fierce and fascinating competition for the other cash prizes.

Final results

1 Ingrid Klimke/FRH Escada JS (GER) 32.7 + 0 + 0 = 32.7

2 Jonelle Price/Faerie Dianimo (NZL) 32.8 + 0 + 0 = 32.8

3 Michael Jung/La Biosthetique Sam FBW (GER) 34.2 + 0 + 0 = 34.2

4 Christopher Burton/Graf Liberty (AUS) 36.4 + 0 + 0 = 36.4

5 Sir Mark Todd/NZB Campino (NZL) 36.5 + 0 + 0 = 36.5

6 Clark Montgomery/Loughan Glen (USA) 37.1 + 0.4 + 0 = 37.5

7 Tim Lips/Bayro (NED) 40.8 + 2.4 + 0 = 43.2

8 Dirk Schrade/Hop and Skip (GER) 44.4 + 0 + 0 = 44.4

9 Niklas Bschorer/Tom Tom Go 3 (GER) 40.7 + 0 + 4 = 44.7

10 Rebecca Howard/Riddle Master (CAN) 42.5 + 0 + 5 = 47.5

Full results on www.luhmuehlen.de

About the winner

Ingrid Klimke, 47, is enjoying her most successful season in a long and distinguished international career. The daughter of the late Dr Reiner Klimke, one of the most medalled Dressage riders in history, Klimke’s “day job” is producing Dressage horses but she has been a key member of the German Eventing squad since 1999.

With her first top horse, Sleep Late, she represented Germany at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games, won European team and individual bronze medals in 2005 and world team gold in 2006, and set a German record when second at Badminton in 2006.

With FRH Butts Abraxxas, she won Olympic team gold in 2008 and 2012, plus European team gold in 2011, and was fourth at Burghley in 2013. Riding FRH Escada JS, she won European team gold and individual silver medals in 2013 and world team gold in 2014.

Klimke won her first CCI4*, Pau, in 2014 and was second at Badminton this year on Horseware Hale Bob. Klimke, who is based in Munster, Germany, is married to Andreas and has two daughters, Greta and Philippa. She is in great demand as a trainer and has written books on riding.

FEI Classics™ 2014/2015 Leaderboard (after 5 out of 6 events)

1 Ingrid Klimke (GER) 42 points

2 Michael Jung (GER) 25

3 William Fox-Pitt (GBR) 23

4 Jonelle Price (NZL) 20

5 Jessica Manson (AUS) 15

6 Mark Todd (NZL) 14

7 Tim Price (NZL) 12

8 Andreas Dibowski (GER) 12

9 Megan Jones (AUS) 12

10 Jock Paget (NZL) 10

See full leaderboard here.

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