10.01.10
German Riders Take The Lead in Eventing World Championships, Presented by Reem Acra
Lexington, Ky., Sept. 30, 2010 — Simone Deitermann and Ingrid Klimke of Germany set the standard today in the first day of dressage in the Eventing World Championships, presented by Reem Acra, at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.
Deitermann, 29, scored 36.00 penalties aboard Free Easy NRW. Klimke scored 41.30 penalties aboard FRH Butts Abraxxas. Deitermann, competing in her first World Games, is riding as an individual, while Klimke, a veteran of several previous World Games and Olympics, has put the German team in first place. Combined with Dirk Schrade’s score of 42.50 on Gadget de la Cere, Germany stands in first place (83.8), ahead of Australia (91.0), Sweden (91.7), Great Britain (93.2) and the United States (96.5).
William Fox-Pitt of Great Britain rode Cool Mountain into third place (42.00), just ahead of Schrade. Fifth-placed Paul Tapner is leading the Australian charge (43.80).
Deitermann has been studying economics and working as an accountant while preparing for these World Games. She said that she is riding as an individual, and not as a team member, because the other riders on the German squad are more experienced than she is. “I work half a day as an accountant and half a day on riding. It’s enough time to train, and it works for me,” she said.
Of her performance today, Deitermann said, “I am so very happy. He was so god. The first trot was not so good, but the rest was very good. He was a bit nervous the first time I had him in the stadium, but he has gotten better each time.”
Klimke, 42, expected her horse to score better than he did this afternoon. “He was soft in my hand and very supple. Normally he would get more marks for such a test. I would expect to be in n the 30s,” she said. But she allowed, “The atmosphere is quite something. We don’t ride much in this kind of atmosphere.”
While dressage will continue with another 39 riders, most are already looking ahead to the almost four-mile cross-country course, designed by Mike Etherington-Smith, where they’ll compete on Saturday. A crowd of 30,000 people is expected to cheer for them.
“It’s a true championship track. It’s demanding, and the terrain is tough,” said Fox-Pitt, 41, who rode Cool Mountain to win the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event here at the Kentucky Horse Park in April. “A few fences out there are going to cause problems. It has a similar feel to the spring [Rolex Kentucky], but I think that’s more of a Mike E.-S. feel. It’s warm enough here, and the terrain is tough enough that you have to be prepared to come to Kentucky. They have to be fit.”
Klimke had a similar evaluation of the course. “It is quite challenging. It’s definitely a four-star competition, but that’s why we ware here. Fence 26 will be a question. It depends on how much petrol is in the tank and how is your time, if you want to take the direct route,” she said. “I think we will see some lovely rounds, but the time will be hard to make because of the hills.”
The Eventing World Championships, presented by Reem Acra, resume on Friday at 9:00 a.m. and continue until 4:30.
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