Ingrid Klimke

Equestrian Ingrid, daughter of famous dressage rider Reiner Klimke, collected two Olympic team gold medals (2008, 2012) and one team silver (2016) from her Olympic career that went from Sydney 2000 to Rio de Janeiro in 2016. In 2000 and 2004, the team placed fourth. Individually, fifth place in 2008 was her best result.

In 2004, Klimke’s team-mate Bettina Overesch-Böker-Hoy was a tragic figure after mistakenly doing a warm-up before starting the jumping element of the competition. She went on to win the individual, and helped Germany win the team competition, but after repeated protests that she had crossed the start line twice, she received penalty points. Consequently, the team was re-classified fourth and Overesch-Böker-Hoy ninth individually. In addition, her horse tested positive, but the doping allegation was subsequently dropped because the association doctors were involved in the medication.

At World Championships, Klimke won another two team gold medals in 2006 and 2014, and an individual bronze in 2018. At the Europeans she won team gold medals in 2011, 2013, and 2019, and individual gold medals in 2017, 2019-20. In 2013, she also added an individual silver. She was awarded the Silver Bay Leaf, Germany’s highest sports award.

Klimke also won five German national titles and later became a horse trainer and horse manager. She held instructor courses in Germany and abroad, and was a speaker at seminars.