Ingrid Klimke has won Luhmühlen CCI4* for the first time, with just one-tenth of a penalty between her and second-placed Jonelle Price.
Held her nerve
The German rider couldn’t afford a single penalty in the showjumping, but she held her nerve to jump a perfect clear with FRH Escada JS to win the competition, much to the delight of the home crowd.
Ingrid’s trainer Kurt Gravemeier said he would come 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 the 47-year-old rider.
“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.”
Battled it out
Unusually there was no change to the top five on the leaderboard following the cross-country, with less than one fence between them all.
Jonelle – whose husband Tim Price won the event last year – was second on Faerie Dianimo. Michael Jung (La Biosthetique Sam FBW) was third, Christopher Burton (Graf Liberty) fourth and Mark Todd (NZB Campino) took fifth place.
The top two riders battled it out for the title from the off, with Ingrid in second place after the dressage on 32.7pen and Joenelle just behind her on 32.8pen.
Unassailable lead
Belgian rider Julien Despontin, who was competing in his second CCI4*, took an early lead but went on to have 22,40 time penalties on the cross-country and a further 12 penalties in the final phase.
Following her second win in the FEI Classics, Ingrid has an unassailable lead of 42 points. Michael Jung is in second place (25), William Fox-Pitt third (23) and Jonelle Price is fourth (20).
The final competition in the series is at Burghley 3-6 September.
Watch the FEI Classics series on Horse & Country TV at the following times.