Ingrid Klimke led a German one-two at Pau CCI4* in France, beating her compatriot Andreas Dibowski into second.
Ingrid was imperious throughout on her own Horseware Hale Bob, leading the dressage on 39.3 and jumping the second-fastest clear over a tough cross-country course. Although Hale Bob booted out the triple bar showjumping, she had plenty in hand to coast to a 10pen win.
“It was a pure showjumpers’ course, with broken lines and varied distances,” said Ingrid, after just three showjumped clear over Jean Philippe Desmaret’s track. “I was relaxed because Hale Bob’s a good jumper, but you had to be precise.”
2010 Pau winner Andreas had said after his fast cross-country round that he “didn’t plan to give Ingrid any presents”, but his Hanoverian FRH Butts Avedon clipped the influential upright into the treble and then a second.
“He was affected by the atmosphere,” said Andreas, who maintained second place despite the 8pen. “I’m disappointed as he’s normally a very good jumper.”
The next three had a far tighter battle for a podium finish. While the French rider Arnaud Boiteau (Quoriano ‘ENE HN’) and Kiwi Jonelle Price (Faerie Dianimo) both showjumped clear, third-placed Joseph Murphy (Sportsfield Othello) hit three to drop to fifth.
“Faerie Dianimo is very intelligent and there’s nothing she can’t do,” said Jonelle, who moved up to fourth from 11th after phase one. “She nearly always jumps double clear and has all the talent for dressage as well — she’s really special.”
The biggest mover was Canada’s Erin Sylvester (No Boundaries) in sixth, up from 30th after dressage.
How the Brits fared
Nicola Wilson fared best of the British riders overall, taking eighth place on One Two Many (pictured right). They were fourth after a “super” dressage, but slid to 10th after a glance-off in the third water. But the showjumping caused so many problems that the pair moved up two places despite knocking two showjumps down.
Louise Harwood produced one of the rare clear rounds with Roy Baker and Emma Baker-Jones’ Whitson, who was making his debut at this level.
“His jumping has come on so much as he’s got stronger,” said Louise. “ I was disappointed with my dressage — we just didn’t produce our best in that phase — and I just missed my line into the ‘Fish’ fence across country.”
Joseph Murphy’s bad luck started earlier on in the day, when his second-placed Electric Cruise failed the final horse inspection. The Irish sport horse was the only one inside the time across country. Quoriano ‘ENE HN’ was also called into the holding box, but passed on re-inspection.
Lisa Sabbe’s GQ (Prince Of Rides) and Regis Prud Hon’s Debiut (PL) were withdrawn from the holding box.
Pau Horse Trials 2014 results
Read Horse & Hound’s full report from Pau CCI4* with detailed analysis, on sale Thursday 30 October
