Team silver also shimmers nicely.

Especially if a few weeks ago you were numb from painkillers in bed.

But Ingrid Klimke did not succeed in the direct ride from the hospital to the top podium at the European championships for eventing riders in Avenches and in the record books of her sport.

At maximum yield, she would have been only the third person to have won the individual European championship title in eventing three times in a row, and the first to do so on the same horse.

Evi Simeoni

Sports editor.

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But it turned out differently: In the end, between her, the Oldenburg gelding Hale Bob and the title, there were three surplus seconds in the area and a drop in the course. That was enough to drop out of the individual medal ranks in this close race. She finished fifth. The best German was Michael Jung (Horb) on his young horse Wild Wave in fourth - behind a completely British podium with Nicola Wilson on Dublin as European champion, Piggy March on Brookfield Innocent with silver and Sarah Bullimore on Corouet with bronze. And of course the team victory also went to the dominant women's team from the island.

“Team silver is a reason to be happy,” said the 53-year-old Klimke from Münster bravely. And otherwise: “Would have, would have, bicycle chain.” Her horse had done very well. And really: Already in the dressage on Friday, her growing connection to her 17-year-old confidante “Bobby” showed, she took the lead for the time being with a harmonious and clean performance. But because she exceeded the ideal time of 10.7 minutes by three seconds in cross-country on Saturday, which the two mastered without obstacle errors, she fell back to second place and wondered where she had lost the time. "I would have thought that I would have hit the time exactly," she said at the finish. But this was very tight. "It was like a jump," said Klimke. To make matters worse,that the ground on the racing line was slippery in places. Two riders fell on the flat. So caution was advised. You could tell that she didn't want to get angry. "The beautiful predominates," she said.

It has only been four months since Ingrid Klimke had a serious accident with a young horse in Baborowko (Poland). “It's a miracle that I survived,” the 53-year-old Münster woman told the FAZ. The horse rolled over her while standing up, a situation that could have been fatal. Her breastbone was broken and one collarbone was split inward, making her breathing difficult. After a journey to hell to Münster, she was operated on in the university clinic and was out of action for months, so that she missed the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Avenches therefore meant much more to her than just another EM.

The fastest in the area were the three-time Olympic champion Michael Jung and his only nine-year-old young horse Wild Wave. At the finish, Jung looked back overjoyed at his faultless ride. “He showed everything he can. He is fast, he is skillful in every situation, he fought great. ”The two of them also had no obstacle errors on the course. The dressage result, with which Jung struggled a little, prevented an even better placement. “I'm looking forward to the future,” said the Swabian.

The third best German was the single starter Christoph Wahler with the Holstein gray gelding Carjatan in seventh.

The third team rider, Anna Siemer from Salzhausen, finished 17th with the mare Avondale after a drop in the course. The result was deleted by Andreas Dibowski (Döhle), the substitute at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, who left too much time in cross-country would have.

He finished 22nd with Corrida. With the silver medal, national coach Hans Melzer completed his impressive collection of medals that he had collected over the last 20 years.

He stops at the end of the year.