Klimke triumphs at third leg of FEI World Cup™ Eventing series

Lausanne (SUI), August 13, 2012: Less than two weeks after netting Olympic team gold, Germany’s Ingrid Klimke triumphed in the third leg of the FEI World Cup™ Eventing held in Malmö, Sweden. Riding the 12-year-old Trakehner Tabasco 70, her winning mount at this year’s Luhmühlen CIC***, Klimke added just one knockdown in the Jumping to her first-phase score of 42.6.

Only Clayton Fredericks (AUS) earned a better Dressage mark from the Ground Jury of Gillian Rolton (AUS), Mercedes Campdera (MEX) and Anne-Marie Taylor (GBR), with Bendigo III recording the sole sub-40 score to lead the first phase. However the Australian’s hopes were dashed when his 13-year-old gelding picked up jumping penalties on Cross Country day.

There was compensation for Fredericks, though, in the shape of fifth and sixth places for Walterstown Don and Brookleigh respectively, while Sara Algotsson-Ostholt (SWE) and Mrs Medicott were best of the host nation in third, less than half a penalty ahead of her husband Frank (GER) and Little Paint.

Germany dominated the top 10, filling five slots, including Dirk Schrade aboard Hop And Skip who finished second 2.5 penalties adrift of Klimke. She now lies third on the overall leaderboard on 65 points behind fellow German Sandra Auffarth, who has 67 points, with only the final leg at Le Pin au Haras in France (22-26 August) to go.

The Jumping phase saw just 10 combinations leave the arena with no penalties to add after contesting Jan Dulow’s track while Rudiger Schwarz’s 25-fence Cross Country track caused a handful of problems. Of the 41 starters, 11 finished with Jumping penalties to add, one combination retired and there was one elimination for a horse fall.

Besides Fredericks, Sweden’s Hannes Melin lost his claim to equal ninth after Gaston KLG glanced off the final part of a three-part combination at 21. The seven-minute optimum was achieved by 12 starters, including the top five, but time faults were the undoing of Denmark’s Irene Mia Hastrup, lying fourth, who stopped the clock 31 seconds adrift with Odin to drop 16 places.

Event director Viveca Byhr Linden said: “The competition in Malmö has been a great success. We’ve had the best weather possible with the sun shining on riders and spectators. The beautiful course by the sea has been very appreciated by riders from 18 countries and I hope they take away many nice memories from Sweden. We hope to welcome back all of these riders in the future.”

Individual results

1. Ingrid Klimke/Tabasco 70 (GER) 42.6 + 0 + 4 = 46.6

2. Dirk Schrade/ Hop And Skip (GER) 49.1 + 0 + 0 = 49.1

3. Sara Algotsson-Ostholt/Mrs Medicott (SWE) 50.2 + 0 + 0 = 50.2

4. Frank Ostholt/Little Paint (GER) 50.4 + 0 + 0 = 50.4

5. Clayton Fredericks/Walterstown Don (AUS) 48.3 + 0 + 4 = 52.3

6. Clayton Fredericks/Brookleigh (AUS) 43.9 + 8.4 + 0 = 52.3

7. Felix Vogg/Maverick McNamara (SUI) 49.1 + 0 + 4 = 53.1

8. Marilyn Little-Meredith/RF Smoke On The Water (USA) 53.1 + 0 + 0 = 53.1

9. Ingrid Klimke/Parmenides 4 (GER) 49.3 + 0.4 + 4 = 53.7

10. Andreas Ostholt/So Is Et (GER) 51.1 + 0 + 4 = 55.1

FEI World Cup™ Eventing leaderboard (after 3 out of 4 events)

1. Felix Vogg (SUI) 68 points

2. Sandra Auffarth (GER) 67

3. Ingrid Klimke (GER) 65

4. Clayton Fredericks (AUS) 62

5. Frank Ostholt (GER) 56

6. Maksim Vakin (RUS) 41

7. Dirk Schrade (GER) 38

8. Andreas Dibowski (GER) 36

9. Sara Algotsson-Ostholt (SWE) 36

10. Ilonka Klutymans (NED) 34. —- FEI, By Aimi Clark/Image: Lotta Gyllensten