Germany’s Michael Klimke Rides Harmony’s Diabolo to Victory in Lövsta Developing Grand Prix Future Challenge
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WELLINGTON, Florida, Jan. 26, 2020–Michael Klimke of Germany and Harmony’s Diabolo won the Lövsta Future Challenge for developing Grand Prix horses Sunday, the second qualifying competition for the final in the 12th week of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival.
Michael and the 10-year-old Hanoverian stallion (Desperados x Rousseau) scored 73.456% in the Intermediate II in the national level competition. Diabolo is owned by Harmony Sporthorses of Kiowa, Colorado for whom Michael competes their horses on both sides of the Atlantic.
“I was super happy with the piaffe/passage,” said Michael, who has been coming to Global’s winter circuit for six years. “Last year I rode Diablo in the small tour here in the CDI and won a few times, then he had kind of a break in the summer when I wasn’t showing much.”
The aim is to use Global as a springboard to campaign Diablo on the European CDI grand prix circuit when he returns to Germany in April with his string of seven horses.
“Today we had a little mistake in the pirouette which was my fault, but the special quality of this horse is that if you don’t make a mistake, he makes no mistakes,” he said. “In the test or at home he is the same: super focused. I’m so thankful to his owners Harmony’s Sporthorses for the ride on him, and I’m really looking forward to the final in week 12.
Global, Michael said, “is ideal because in three months there are seven CDIs and also national classes, so you can show a lot and train a lot of people. It’s very inspiring and we’re so thankful to the sponsors for adding the Future Challenge series. It’s such a positive team here at this show: sometimes, coming from Germany, I don’t know how everything works but you really feel really like a welcome guest–I think the Florida sun helps too.”
Lövsta Stuteri, owned by Antonia Ax:son Johnson, has been a major supporter and operator of youth dressage and jumping circuits in Sweden aimed at developing equestrian sports. Antonio also has extensive business interests in the United States, where she was born, has been a significant sponsor at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.
The Summit Farm Future Challenge Prix St. Georges was won by Canada’s Shannon Dueck riding As You Wish, her own eight-year-old Hanoverian gelding, for a score of 73.456%. Shannon, based in neighboring Loxahatchee, competed for Canada at the 1999 Pan American Games, the 2002 World Equestrian Games and the World Cup Final and open European Championships in 2003.
Kelly Layne, an Australian based in Wellington and celebrating Australia Day Sunday, placed second on Fernando with a score of 73.015% to earn a start in the season-end finale at the end of March.
Results:
Lövsta Future Challenge Int. II
| Janet Lee Foy | Cheryl Holekamp | ||||||||||||||
| Place | Score % | Nation | Athlete | Horse | E | C | |||||||||
| 1. | 73.456 | GER | Michael Klimke | Harmony’s Diabolo | 74.265 | 72.647 | |||||||||
| 2. | 65.809 | CAN | Diane Creech | Dublin L | 66.912 | 64.706 | |||||||||
| 3. | 65.074 | CAN | Mathilde Blais Tetreault | Fedor | 64.559 | 65.588 | |||||||||
| 4. | 63.530 | USA | Nancy Smith | Damon’s Design HW | 63.824 | 63.235 | |||||||||
| 5. | 62.059 | USA | Kerrigan Gluch | Mejorano HGF | 60.147 | 63.971 | |||||||||
Summit Farm Future Challenge Prix St. Georges
| Janet Lee Foy | Cheryl Holekamp | ||||||||||||||
| Place | Score % | Nation | Athlete | Horse | E | C | |||||||||
| 1. | 73.456 | CAN | Shannon Dueck | As You Wish | 75.147 | 71.765 | |||||||||
| 2. | 73.015 | AUS | Kelly Layne | Fernando | 70.735 | 75.294 | |||||||||
| 3. | 70.368 | CAN | Gloria Schriever | Hilton OC | 68.235 | 72.500 | |||||||||
| 4. | 70.000 | DEN | Signe Kirk Kristiansen | Bonderman | 67.794 | 72.206 | |||||||||
| 5. | 66.397 | CAN | Jacqueline Brooks | Te Amo Q O S | 66.029 | 66.765 |
