Luhumuhlen is a happy place for Ingrid Klimke. She took her second then-CCI4* (now CCI5*) win there in 2015, she won the FEI European Championship gold medal there last year and now it is the venue for her not only latest German National Championship win (this is her fifth, having won previously in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2009) but also where she shared a German Championship win with her daughter Greta Busacker, who became the German National Junior Champion on the same day
To add to the family feel of the winning weekend, it was also exactly 40 years after her father, Dr. Reiner Klimke who died in 1999, became the German Eventing Champion in 1960
Ingrid and SAP Asha P retained their overnight lead after cross country in the CCI4*-S at Luhmuhlen with a clear show jumping round to finish on a score of 24.9 to win both the German National Championship and the overall class
“I'm very happy. But I'm especially happy for Greta” said Ingrid “I was still thinking this morning that if one of us can do it, then I wish it to Greta, because she only had one chance as a Junior”.
18-year-old Greta went one better than her mother by finishing on her dressage score of 24.4, having led from start to finish to take the CCI2*-L German Junior National Championship
Ingrid started the CCI4* class in the lead after the dressage on her top horse, SAP Hale Bob but a dislodged frangible pin on cross country dropped them out of contention. However, the nine-year-old SAP Asha P, fourth after the dressage, stepped up to the mark with a fast and clear cross country round.
Ingrid and SAP Asha P at Le Mondial Du Lion 2018
“She is the horse of the future” said Ingrid of the 2018 7-Year-Old World Champion at Le Lion, SAP Asha P, after cross country, and the German National coach Hans Melzer agreed
“It was clear to me that SAP Asha P could become German champion” he said after the win “She is a great mare for the future, who can do everything. The dressage is getting better and better and she is fast and safe on cross country"
Ingrid also took fifth place overall on the eight-year-old Westphalian mare Equistros Siena Just Do It, having her first ever CCI4* start
“Siena will also grow into it” said Ingrid after a tough cross country that saw Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH drop out of contention, having been in second place after dressage
“It was a great challenge for the horses but she is very careful and had some luck. She jumped the hedges tremendously at the beginning, then she almost exhausted herself and had to breathe deeply between times. But she learned a lot today and just got better. She brought it home really well”
Sandra Auffarth finished in second place of the German Championship riding Viamant Du Matz (second overall) and Lets Dance (fourth overall), two horses of ‘equal quality’ says Sandra, who finished first and second at the Luhmuhlen 3* when competition in Germany re-commenced in late June
“I am grateful that Let’s Dance came along. They did their best on the weekend. I had the feeling they were having fun and enjoying it” said Sandra this weekend “And I always say that the best thing about riding is when you notice that they enjoy it as much as you do”
Sandra and Viamant du Matz were the only German combination to finish on their dressage score (26.6) and they now head to Les Etoiles de Pau CCI5*
The only other combination to finish on their dressage score was Andrew Hoy riding Paula and David Evans’ Vassily De Lassos, who placed fourth at the 2018 WEG in Tryon and has continued to impress since then. They finished in third place overall of the CCI4*-S class on a score of 28.7 and Andrew was clearly delighted
“We have had an incredible weekend at Luhmühlen, which is only possible with the support of a huge amount of people” said Andrew on social media “First of all to Vassily De Lassos, my soulmate - you are my best friend, my ‘partner in crime’ - a horse that dreams are made of”
Andrew Hoy and Vassily De Lassos jumping in the 4* at Luhmuhlen 2019
