Station: [8] Hall of Fame
M: He competed in the Olympic Games six times, winning six gold and two bronze medals. He was a six-time world champion – both with the team and as an individual. He was an eleven-time European champion, and won the German championship multiple times...
F: In short: Reiner Klimke is the world’s most successful male dressage rider to date! It goes without saying that he deserves a place in our Hall of Fame. He started his training at the Westphalian Riding and Driving School in Münster, where Klimke also met Ruth, who later became his wife. She is another passionate rider and his leading supporter.
M: His greatest sporting success was probably his victory at the 1984 Olympic Games in L. A.. Klimke later described it as the "greatest moment of his life". He rode a Westphalian gelding called Ahlerich, one of the most successful dressage horses of all time. We have Reiner Klimke's gold medal on show in our Hall of Fame display case.
F: Like father, like daughter!?
M: As far as success is concerned, Ingrid Klimke almost her father’s equal. She’s one of the most successful event riders in the world, winning both Olympic silver and gold with the team. Her gold medal from the 2008 Olympic Games is on display here in the Horse Museum. If you’d like to join Ingrid Klimke in the saddle on a ride over an eventing course, watch the video clip included in your audio guide. But hold on tight! It’s a breath-taking ride, at speeds of up to 40 kilometres or 24 miles an hour.
F: Like mother, like daughter!?
M: The next generation is already writing the next chapter in the Klimke family’s success story. Like her mother, Greta Busacker competes in eventing and has already celebrated her first successes. But the Klimkes are known on the international equestrian scene for more than just riding. The name Klimke also stands for the highest standards in horse training.
© Heinz Memmer
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© Jacques Toffi/imago-images