Biography

It will be the sixth visit to Badminton for German five-time Olympian and reigning European Champion Ingrid Klimke (51) who last competed here in 2017. In 2015 with SAP Hale Bob OLD she was second and in 2017 the pair was 9^th. Last year they claimed the individual bronze at the World Games in Tryon and in 2017 won the European Championship in Strzegom. Last year she won the seven-year-old World Championship at Le Lions D’Angers with the mare Asha P (Askari-Heraldik) a full sister to the licensed stallion Araldik. Ingrid is currently #9 in the FEI World rider ranking.

Ingrid is a professional rider and trainer based in Munster, Germany. She was a member of the team that won silver at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, gold at the 2015 European Championships, the 2014 WEG, and the 2012 London & 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. In 2013 she won individual silver at the European Championships in Malmo. In 2014 with Badminton entry Hale Bob she won her first four-star event at Pau and in 2015 the pair was second at Badminton. In 2016 & 2018 she won the FEI two-star World Young Horse Championship at Le Lions.

Ingrid, the daughter of dressage Olympian and international trainer Reiner Klimke, was born in Münster, Westfalia. She has a Master’s degree in equestrian management and has trained and competes internationally in three Olympic disciplines of dressage, three-day eventing and showjumping (in 2016 she competed in both eventing and dressage at the Aachen CHIO). A former working student of Canadian World show jumping champion Ian Miller, in 1998 she started her own yard following the classical influences of her father. In addition to many national championships in 1991 Ingrid won her first international medal, individual and team bronze, at the European Championships at Flyinge, Sweden. She is a three-time German National eventing champion (1999, 2000 and 2001) and has competed in five consecutive Olympic Games (2000-2016) and was a member of the gold medal team in Hong Kong in 2008 and London 2012 and team silver in Rio 2016. In 2005 she won the individual bronze medal at the European championships in Blenheim and in 2006 with the British-bred Sleep Late was second at her first Badminton and won World team gold at Aachen.

In 2012 she was awarded the “Cavallo Fairness Award” presented at the Equitana and became only the second female to receive the title of ‘Riding Master’, an award given to equestrian individuals who have shown exceptional commitment and achievements in the sport.In dressage she has won the Professional Riders championships five times (1998, 1999, 2003, 2006 and 2007), was seventh in the World Cup final in 2002 and in 2006 won the World six-year-old dressage championship with the 2012 German Olympic team stallion Damon Hill, who she trained to grand prix.  She trains the German young riders, and is a lecturer on equine physiotherapy at the German Institute of Equine Osteopathy.

Ingrid trains with the former German national coach Christopher Bartle and Hans Melszer. She is married to Andreas Busacker and the pair has two children Greta (16) and Philippa (9). Her brother Michael competes in international dressage.

SAP Hale Bob OLD (the OLD suffix is a awarded to successful horses registered with the Oldenburg studbook)  is a 15-year-old Oldenburg gelding. He is by the thoroughbred Helikon, (by the famous German racehorse Konigsstuhl) who is also the sire of Sea Cookie, William Fox-Pitts winner at Pau in 2013. Hale Bob is out of Goldige by the half-bred, Noble Champion. Goldige is also the dam of Dacapo currently ridden at three-star level by Giovanni Ugolotti. Ingrid acquired Bob as a five-year-old. She describes him as ‘the best horse ever and one that most of all loves the cross country’.