Leida Collins-Strijk on Don Tignanello and Michael Klimke on Djamba Djokiba in awards ceremony at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival. © 2016 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com
By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
WELLINGTON, Florida, Jan. 31, 2016–Competition between Leida Collins-Strijk of the Netherlands and Michael Klimke of Germany as young adults in Europe has become intense 20 years later at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival.
Leida is now 45 years old and with three children and Michael a year older with two children that neither had back when they were riding at shows in Germany and Holland.
Although Leida competed on the winer-long Global circuit at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in 2014 and Michael last year they did not compete against each other until this year–and the competition at Small Tour has been intense.
Michael was first to claim success by winning the circuit-opening CDI Prix St. Georges on Djamba Djokiba, his nine-year-old Westfalen gelding.
Leida and Don Tignanello, an 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by she and her husband as well as his father, Michael Collins, an international businessman who owns a Wellington dressage center, was third.
Suzan Pape of Great Britain on Harmony's Don Noblesse topped them both in the Intermediate 1 with Leida and Don Tignanello second and Michael and Djamba Djokiba third.
Leida Collins-Strijk on Don Tignanello competing in Florida. © 2016 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com
The Dutch pair won the Intermediate Freestyle with the German duo second.
At the second Global CDI, the World Cup at the end of January, victory clearly went to Leida and Don Tignanello, winning the Prix St. Georges, Intermediate 1 and Intermediate Freestyle with Michael on Djamba Djokiba second in all three classes.
"Leida is an elegant rider and I like to watch her ride," Michael laughed.
"I could be a gentleman and say, ‘ladies first,' but I'm competing to win."
Told how seriously Michael takes the competition between the two Leida quickly responded, "Me, too."
As Michael walked by after the awards ceremony, he laughed and said, "next time…"
"That's what you said last time," Leida shot back.
Both are thinking about moving their horses up to Grand Prix at national that would raise the competition stakes.
Michael Klimke and Djamba Djokiba competing in Florida. © 2016 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com
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