Germany Repeats Victory in Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup CDIO3* at 2022 AGDF

The tenth week of the 2022 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival held a full schedule of top events, including the Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup CDIO3*, which saw the team from Germany – consisting of Michael Klimke, Christoph Koschel, Lars Ligus, and Frederic Wandres – rise to the top after two days of competition.

Germany took the win with a final team score of 433.337%, while the team from USA were just behind in 432.265% for silver. Canada won the bronze medal with 409.091%.

Leading the team as a rider as well as the chef d’equipe, Michael Klimke piloted Harmony’s Sanrino RHP, a 13-year-old Oldenburg stallion by San Remo OLD owned by Harmony Amateur Sports Foundation to scores of 72.652% in the Grand Prix CDIO3* and 70.755% in the Grand Prix Special CDIO3* (both scores including the +1.5% for competing in the large tour classes).

Klimke added that he was very proud of his team winning the gold medal for the second year in a row.

He noted, “Last year it was a really big surprise, and it motivated us for this year. We all had a top day yesterday, and today it got very close again, a little bit like last year where Christoph had to ride to a certain point to win. It was a lot of fun to ride here again with these colleagues. We are very happy that we won, and a big thank you to Thomas [Baur] and Monica [Fitzgerald] and all of the organization team.”

Koschel, like last year, was unaware of what he needed to score in order to propel Germany to the top spot on the podium. He pointed out an expensive mistake in the half-pass.

“I knew that my score would drop a lot,” he acknowledged. “I was aware that there was no mistake allowed in the canter, so I tried to do my best there. It worked out.”

Koschel’s score of 72.202% was enough to give Germany the win. He and Dünensee, a 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Dancier, also contributed a 72.522% in Thursday’s Grand Prix class.