Ingrid Klimke and Asha P
“It’s my third win at the Mondial du Lion and the happiness is still the same!" said Ingrid Klimke after taking the 7-Year-Old Championship at the FEI WBFSH World Breeding Eventing Championships for Young Horses
The double Olympic and double World Championship team gold medallist knows that bringing on young horses is key to a successful career and she has always loved the journey "I love more and more bringing young horses to top level and winning here is really important. My mare is really good and I believe she will easily rise to 3-Star level. I have no doubt she will step into Hale Bob’s shoes”
In second place after the dressage, Asha P moved into pole position during the cross country when Michael Jung and Choclat fell on the challenging course set by Pierre Michelet. Ingrid cruised around the cross-country track well inside the time-allowed of 9’14” but had only 0.3 of a lead over Britain’s Nicola Wilson and JL Dublin, who posted the second-quickest cross-country time, going into the final phase.
Tom Jackson and Capels Hollow Drift
However, a fence down yesterday saw this pair drop to fifth and it was another British rider, Tom Jackson riding the Irish-bred Capels Hollow Drift who slotted into runner-up spot. A clear round from Tom moved him from third place after the cross country to take second place on the impressive grey horse, bred in County Clare by Jeanette Glynn but produced by Britain's Georgie Strang and taken over earlier this year by Tom. The pair finished on their dressage score of 27.8 penalties to complete 2.5 penalties behind the winners
"I'm delighted for his owners and beyond excited to see what he can achieve in the future!' said the 25 year old, after a great result from his first completion at Le Lion d'Angers
Astier is happy! A podium finish for France with Astier Nicolas and Babylon de Gamma
Third place went to Astier Nicolas from France with the French bred Babylon de Gamma, finishing on the same score of 29.4 as Belgium’s Karin Donckers and Leipheimer van’t Verhah who finished fourth - watch the top three jump in the final phase in the video below
Australia’s Andrew Hoy (above) made a big jump up the leader board from 37th after dressage into 17th place, meaning that he was still in the money on another of his new French horses, Bloom Des Hauts Crets.
It has been a very good year for Andrew's new team of horses and he, along with the riders of many of the talented horses we saw this year's Championships, must be looking forward to the new season and Tokyo down the track ........
