DressageDaily: Ingrid Klimke, Rising Star in the Firmament

Tuesday November 26, 2002

Ingrid Klimke, Rising Star in the Firmament

Last year this reporter predicted the rising trend Ingrid Klimke would set on the dressage scene with her bay gelding Nector van het Carelshof and the actual proof has finally come. Aboard her Belgian warmblood Nector, Ingrid Klimke dominated the World Cup qualifier of Berlin and the CDI Stuttgart and won considerable purses with a quadruple victory.

At the CDI-W Berlin, Klimke scored 73.48% in the Grand Prix for Freestyle, beating Swiss Christian Pläge aboard Regent (72.76%). The highly sensitive Nector van het Carelshof (by Randel Z) shows world class quality but was sometimes too tense in his test, making a few mistakes in the transitions. In third position were the Dutch Marlies van Baalen aboard America's top stallion Idocus (by Equador). Van Baalen is performing stronger every show and with 72.48% she is finally connecting with the European top five scorers.

In the Berlin Grand Prix Kur to Music, Klimke reigned supreme scoring 78.36% and leaving second placed Swedish Jan Brink far behind her. Brink, who is also setting an upward scoring trend with his liver chestnut stallion Bjorsells Briar, was good for 74.26%. Gina Capellmann Lutkemeier and her delightful Amando came in third with 74.19%.

At the German Masters in Stuttgart, November 22 - 24, 2002, judges were very critical of all performances and the winning scores were lowered to just low 70 percentages. Klimke won the blue ribbon in the Grand Prix with 72.72%, putting Hubertus Schmidt and Wansuele Suerte in second place (69.24%). Third position went to the upcoming combination Nadine Capellmann with her Holsteiner beauty Cockney. This dynamic duo gathered 69.16 %.

The Grand Prix Freestyle in Stuttgart was endowed with a 5,000 € purse and Ingrid Klimke claimed her fourth victory in two weeks. Her 12-year old Nector stretched his limits to a 79.40% and set a new personal record. Schmidt and Capellmann distributed the same two places between them, just like in the Grand Prix, but this time with scores of 75.18% and 72.98%.

Despite her recent dressage successes, Klimke still vows for eventing. "I love dressage, but my heart lays with eventing," she said in the press conference. Nector van het Carelshof, who is owned by the Australian Christine Doan, was discovered by Doan in Belgium at her former trainer's stables. Nector made his first ever impressive achievement by becoming the Regional Dressage Champion Fourth Level in Belgium under Herman Nyssen.

by Astrid Appels
Images copyrighted: Jacques Toffi - Arnd Bronkhorst: www.arnd.nl