Crystal and Cookie

Ingrid Klimke is a 2008 Olympic Gold medalist in Eventing.  She also competes in Grand Prix Dressage.   You can read a complete listing of her accomplishments here at her website.

I met her and spent several sporadic days with her, spending time with a friend who trains out of her barn.  I attended a jumping and dressage demonstration at an open training day at her farm.  I also watched her show over several days on 2 different weekends.

The positive lessons I take away from Germany, I soaked up from Ingrid Klimke.

1 – Treat People with Respect and Loyalty.

On Ingrid’s website, she lists her long time groom, Carmen, as “the heart and soul of her stable”.  When I spoke with her and told her how much I looked up to her, she responded it wasn’t just her.   She has a fantastic support team, enabling her to do what she does.  Ingrid realizes it doesn’t take any of her shine away, to acknowledge her team’s vital role in her success.  In fact, it does the opposite.   It makes Ingrid’s glow just that more blinding.

When I observed her at her farm, it was un-scheduled.  I was hacking out my friend’s horse.  Ingrid, in no way, was expected to entertain or even speak to me.  It was a completely natural environment.  The first day I met her, she greeted me with a hug and welcomed me to her barn.  Every single day I saw her, she had a smile on her face.  Her assistants smile and giggle.

2 – Lead By Example

Ingrid taught, and participated on her own set of horses, in a round-about jump lesson.   The best way I learn is by visual imitation.

Ingrid just had schooled 3 sets of horses and taught 4 riders.  Could she have zipped out of there as soon as she flew over the last fence?

Of course.  No one would have batted an eye.

When the lessons were over, the whole group, including Ingrid herself, took down all the poles and jump standards together.  This small act erases any lines of class or social difference between trainer and rider, rider and groom or Accomplished Olympian and Some-American-Chick-Hanging-Out.

3 – Being Successful Doesn’t Mean Having to Make a Choice

I am sure Ingrid’s life resembles a duck.  Calm on the surface, paddling like hell underneath.  I am sure her life is not as fairytale as I hope it to be.  However, she is an icon of a woman who is managing to balance both a successful horse career and a child, Greta.  Greta is a fixture at the farm, riding her pony behind her mother.  A memory stamped into my brain is Ingrid cantering one of her stallions, with her Mini-Me, Greta, cantering her own pony behind her.   Another time, mother and daughter went trail riding together.

Bareback.

Greta on her pony.  Ingrid on her 2008 Olympic Horse.

Does it get any better than that?

4 – Don’t Give Away Points / Start with Step One.

In dressage, everyone likes the tricks.  Most lower level tests will put you to sleep.  Everyone wants to pirouette, half pass, do the tempi’s.

I watched Ingrid school the halt on every age and every level horse she sat on.  She has eyes on the ground to help her correct the horse on the leg(s) not square.  She pats and praises.  In the warm up at the show, she practices this halt on even her seasoned Grand Prix horse.  What I love about this, and what Ingrid made me realize is to make the most simple, first move… perfect.   The first and last halts count for 2 boxes of every level, every test of Dressage.

I shot several sets of pictures of Ingrid at shows and at home.  I have gorgeous, beautiful pictures of extensions, tempis, piaffe and passage.  I chose to print out (and blow up) a picture of her practicing her halt in the warm up of a show, because it reminds me it’s not the tricks which win, it’s the attention to details.

She was kind enough to sign the picture for me.

5 – You Never Know When Your Actions Can Change Someone’s Day, Mood or Life.

Although Ingrid had no idea, my first visit to her farm, I was terribly homesick.  She let me sit on a young horse to walk out, while she attended to her daughter.  This small act of kindness brightened my day and spirits.  The mare was the first horse I sat on in Germany.

Another memory I will keep is getting to ride in the ring with a group of fun people, including Ingrid, Greta and my friend Eiren.  We each had our concentration on our own ride, but still walked together during breaks, chatting, laughing….

I went to Ingrid’s farm on my last day in Germany to tell her good-bye and to express what an inspiration she is to me.  I told her I wasn’t sure about continuing on in horses, and she responded by saying there would always be weak or bad times.  She told me she has good, loyal people around her, and it enables her to be successful.  She gave me a wink and let me sit on one of her horses, to end my trip to Germany on a high note.

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I am not a person easily star struck.  I have met great riders, watched great performances, and been around great horses.  However, my limited time with Ingrid influenced positively more of my spirit and philosophy on riding and horses than any other experience I have had.

When I flew home, I sat beside a man whose 12 year old daughter was taking dressage lessons.  He said his daughter looked up to Anky.

I responded “Eh, she’s alright.” 

“But my role model is Ingrid Klimke”.