The Les Étoiles de Pau CCI**** came to a conclusion on Sunday afternoon in France as 19 combinations went forward to contest Jean-Philippe Desmaret’s challenging show jumping track. The United States closed out the competition by securing two spots within the top 10.

Germany’s Ingrid Klimke earned her first four-star victory, producing a 4-fault effort with Horseware Hale Bob in the show jumping and finishing on an overall score of 44.1. Compatriot Andreas Dibowski with FRH Butts Avedon finished in second place on 54.3, with Arnaud Boiteau and Quoriano ‘ENE HN’ of France finishing third on a score of 56.8.

Leading the way for the U.S. riders was Erin Sylvester (Unionville, Pa.) with her own and Jill Tallman’s No Boundaries, finishing in sixth place on 72.9 penalties. By collecting just 4 faults on Sunday, the pair continued their ascent up the leaderboard that saw them start the weekend in 30th place after the dressage and rise 23 places after a clear jumping effort on the cross-country and finally climb up another spot in the show jumping.

Land Rover USEF Competition Grant recipients Lauren Kieffer (Ocala, Fla.) and Team Rebecca LLC’s Veronica lowered three rails in the show jumping to add 12 penalties to their overall score, finishing on 83.4 in ninth place.

Rounding out the U.S. effort was Sharon White (Summit Point, W.V.) on her own and Richard Weber’s Wundermaske, finishing in 19th place on a score of 128.3 after collecting 16 jumping faults on Sunday.

But at the end of it all, the beaming smile said it all. Klimke of Germany, one of the most popular and talented riders in eventing, finally secured her first CCI**** victory, at Les Etoiles de Pau (France), the first leg of the FEI Classics™ 2014/15.

Klimke has won six team gold medals at Olympic, World and European level, and now she looks to have found the complete event horse in Horseware Hale Bob, a 10-year-old Oldenburger by Helikon.

The show jumping course at Pau is always challenging, and this year was no exception, but the influence of yesterday’s cross-country time meant that scores were spread out and so riders had some leeway for error.

When, to great disappointment, Joseph Murphy’s (Ireland) Electric Cruise was eliminated at the final Horse Inspection, Andreas Dibowski (Germany) and FRH Butts Avedon moved up into the runner-up spot. Their two fences down did not affect their placing, and meant that Klimke was handed a three-fence advantage, but the spring-heeled Horseware Hale Bob only hit one rail, on the triple bar.

There were only three clear rounds from the 19 finishers, and Arnaud Boiteau (France) with Quoriano ENE HN and New Zealander Jonelle Price on the pretty grey mare Faerie Dianimo produced two of them, moving up into third and fourth places respectively.

 Murphy had some compensation with fifth place, despite three rails down, on a keen-looking Sportsfield Othello. Sylvester made the long journey across the Atlantic worthwhile with sixth place on No Boundaries and Canada’s Kathryn Robinson secured her first CCI**** completion in style with seventh place on Let It Bee.

Nicola Wilson finished eighth and best of the British contingent on One Two Many, a good round just marred by the pair’s misjudgement coming into the double, when they had both parts down.

“This was a pure show jumping course and you needed an adjustable horse for the varying distances, which wasn’t easy the day after a 12-minute cross-country course,” said Klimke. “Often the jumping phase is my biggest fear, but this time I had no worries because I knew my horse is a great jumper.”

Klimke was clearly thrilled with her first CCI**** win: “Let’s drink to that!” she said. “I have loved my visit to Pau—it’s a wonderful event with a wonderful crowd.”

About The Winner

Klimke, 46, is the daughter of the late, legendary Dr Reiner Klimke, an Olympic gold medalist and one of the most decorated dressage riders in history.

Klimke’s “day job” is producing dressage horses, as is that of her brother, Michael, but she is best known as a key member of Germany’s extraordinarily successful eventing team since 2000.

Riding Sleep Late, Klimke won team and individual bronze medals at the FEI European Championships at Blenheim (England) in 2005 and team gold at the FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen (Germany) in 2006. With FRH Butts Abraxxas, she won team gold at the 2011 FEI European Championships in Luhmuhlen (Germany) and both the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic Games.

Riding FRH Escada JS, Klimke won team gold and individual silver at last year’s FEI European Championships in Malmo (Sweden) and team gold at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy (France).

Until now, her best CCI**** results were second on Sleep Late at Badminton in 2006. Klimke lives in Munster, is married to Andreas and has two daughters, Greta and Philippa.

Final results

1. Ingrid Klimke/Horseware Hale Bob (GER) 39.3 + 0.8 + 4 = 44.1

2. Andreas Dibowski/FRH Butts Avedon (GER) 40.7 + 5.6 + 8 = 54.3

3. Arnaud Boiteau/Quoriano ENE HN (FRA) 52.8 + 4.0 + 0 = 56.8

4. Jonelle Price/Faerie Dianimo (NZL) 48.3 + 11.2 + 0 = 59.5

5. Joseph Murphy/Sportsfield Othello (IRL) 53.8 + 2.4 + 12 = 68.2

6. Erin Sylvester/No Boundaries (USA) 59.3 + 9.6 + 4 = 72.9

7. Kathryn Robinson/Let It Bee (CAN) 50.5 + 18.4 + 8 = 76.9

8. Nicola Wilson/One Two Many (GBR) 41.2 + 11.6 + 8 = 80.8

9. Lauren Kieffer/Veronica (USA) 44.2 + 27.2 + 12 = 83.4

10. Kevin McNab/Fernhill Quality Street (AUS) 58.0 + 19.2 + 12 = 89.2

See the full scores on the Pau website.