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Old and new faces – including Olympic eventer – among German team for European Dressage Championships


  • Ingrid Klimke is among the riders who will represent Germany at the European Dressage Championships (26-31 August) – as she makes her second team appearance in her second discipline.

    On 5 July the five-time Olympic eventer was named on the dressage team with 14-year-old stallion Vayron NRW, the day after the pair won the Aachen CDI4* grand prix special with 74.13%. Ingrid took the ride on Vayron in November; he was formerly campaigned by Daniel Bachmann Andersen, including at the Paris Olympics.

    The 2025 Europeans, in Crozet, France, will be Ingrid’s second team appearance at a dressage championships. She was part of the bronze medal-winning team at the 2022 World Dressage Championships with Franziskus. The pair missed out on Paris as Franziskus sustained an injury, and his retirement was announced in December.

    The German team features old and new faces; Isabell Werth and Frederic Wandres return – having represented their country at the Paris Olympics, the 2023 Europeans, and the 2022 World Championships – and Katharina Hemmer steps up to make her championship debut.

    The German team for the European Dressage Championships (in alphabetical order):

    Katharina Hemmer and 13-year-old gelding Denoix PCH
    Owners: Nancy Gooding and Hubertus Schmidt
    Breeder: Friedrich Kuhlmann
    Breeding: by Destano, out of a mare by Pik Noir

    Ingrid Klimke and 14-year-old stallion Vayron NRW
    Owner: Rudolk Spiekermann
    Breeder: Heinrich Sterthoff
    Breeding: by Vitalis, out of a mare by Gloster

    Frederic Wandres and 15-year-old gelding Bluetooth OLD
    Owner: Hof Kasselmann
    Breeder: Gestut Lewitz
    Breeding: by Bordeaux 28, out of a mare by GB Riccione

    Isabell Werth and 11-year-old mare Wendy De Fontaine
    Owners: Chateau De Fontaine and Madeleine Winter-Schulze
    Breeder: Kurt Gosmer
    Breeding: by Sezuan 2, out of a mare by Blue Hors Soprano

    Isabell’s reserve horse is Special Blend
    Owner: Helgstrand Dressage
    Breeder: Hannelore Weber
    Breeding: Sezuan 2, out of a mare by Blue Hors Hotline

    The reserve combination is:

    Matthias Alexander Rath and 12-year-old stallion Destacado FRH
    Owner: Gesutat Schafhof and Friderike Lohse
    Breeder: Henrich Giesselmann
    Breeding: By Desperados, out of a mare by Londonderry

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