Germany Repeats Victory in Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup CDIO3* at 2022 AGDF

Wellington, FL – The tenth week of the 2022 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival held a full schedule of top events, including the Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup CDIO3*, which saw the team from Germany – consisting of Michael Klimke, Christoph Koschel, Lars Ligus, and Frederic Wandres – rise to the top after two days of competition.
 
Germany took the win with a final team score of 433.337%, while the team from USA were just behind in 432.265% for silver. Canada won the bronze medal with 409.091%.
Leading the team as a rider as well as the chef d’equipe, Michael Klimke piloted Harmony’s Sanrino RHP, a 13-year-old Oldenburg stallion by San Remo OLD owned by Harmony Amateur Sports Foundation to scores of 72.652% in the Grand Prix CDIO3* and 70.755% in the Grand Prix Special CDIO3* (both scores including the +1.5% for competing in the large tour classes).
 
He noted, “Last year it was a really big surprise, and it motivated us for this year. We all had a top day yesterday, and today it got very close again, a little bit like last year where Christoph had to ride to a certain point to win. It was a lot of fun to ride here again with these colleagues. We are very happy that we won, and a big thank you to Thomas [Baur] and Monica [Fitzgerald] and all of the organization team.”
 
Koschel, like last year, was unaware of what he needed to score in order to propel Germany to the top spot on the podium. He pointed out an expensive mistake in the half-pass.
 
“I knew that my score would drop a lot,” he acknowledged. “I was aware that there was no mistake allowed in the canter, so I tried to do my best there. It worked out.”
    
Frederic Wandres and his small tour mount, the eight-year-old Hanoverian gelding Dolciario by Danciano 2 that he owns with Hof Kasselmann, gave a fantastic performance in their first Intermediate 1 test with a top score of 73.176%. They received a 72.030% in the Prix St. Georges. Wandres compared the talented youngster to his Nations Cup mount from 2021, Quizmaster, who started out at AGDF and went on to win at small tour in Aachen, Germany.
 
Wandres was also proud to have the German flag raised for the second year in a row. “Winning the Nations Cup for the second time here is really something super,” he related.
Ligus was competing not only in his first Senior Nations Cup, but in his first CDI and small tour competition. He and Soccer City, a 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Sir Donnerhall I owned by Katherine Kuss, scored 65.706% in the Intermediate 1 and 71.530% in the Prix St. Georges.
 
“I only rode this horse four times before I got here,” he said. “I have to say a huge thank you to the owner Katie Kuss. Yesterday it was very good with no mistakes, and I was very happy about that. Today he got a little tired, and I don’t know him that much to go through all of this. I’m very happy to have that experience and that opportunity, that I can ride here and also win here in the Nations Cup for Germany.”
Press Release CDIO3* at 2022 AGDF
Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Photo ©susanjstickle.com – Germany captured the Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup CDIO3*, with USA for silver and Canada taking bronze, pictured with judge at C Michael Osinski and Tuny Page of Stillpoint Farm.