Klimke clinches overnight lead

Germany’s Ingrid Klimke has taken the overnight lead at the 2006 Badminton Horse Trials (4-7 May). Klimke and Sleep Late produced a smooth, correct test, pushing morning leaders Ruth Edge and Two Thyme into second place. Terry Boon remains in third position but Pascal Leroy from France has inched into fourth place, as day one draws to a close.

Pippa Funnell was the first of this afternoon’s riders to threaten this morning’s top ten. But a tense test from the relatively inexperienced Ensign has left them in thirteenth position overnight. Lucy Kemplay and Karl d’Cymbeline enjoyed a good start to their debut Badminton, scoring an impressive 51.5% and 11th position. But by 3:15 pm Ingrid Klimke had sailed into the lead, her score of 40.4 proving untouchable.

Although Klimke and Sleep Late were bronze medallists in the European Championships in Germany 2005, the pair has never competed at Badminton. “I went to watch in 1995,” Klimke explained, “But at the time I thought I would never manage it.” She maintains that it was German team coach Christopher Bartle who encouraged German competitors to attempt Badminton. “Usually German riders like watching Badminton but they’re not keen on riding it,” she explained, “But now they’re thinking ‘let’s go for it!’”

Several of today’s riders will be riding another test tomorrow. Lucy Wiegersma, Francis Whittington, Matthew Wright, Nick Gauntlett, Daisy Dick and William Fox-Pitt are all British riders competing on two horses. But the rest of today’s competitors can now focus their attentions on the cross-country course. Ingrid Klimke is confident that the Lake complex is likely to cause a few problems: “I think the water will definitely be a sharp turn,” she maintains.

Ruth Edge agrees; “It is the first time horses will see the immense crowds.” According to Edge the course poses plenty of questions; “It’s only Thursday,” she said in explanation of her calm demeanour, “the jumping just doesn’t stop until you reach the Normandy Bank.” And as a member of the World Class Potential Squad, much hope has been invested in her; “it’s a great honour to be on the programme. When the time comes it would be a great honour to represent the country,” she said.

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