Ingrid Klimke and Tabasco TSF at Aachen. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Marilyn Little has just confirmed that Tabasco TSF, a 13-year-old Trakehner gelding formerly ridden by Ingrid Klimke, has been purchased for her to ride by a group of Americans called Team Tabasco. The horse, who is currently ranked 11th in the FEI World Eventing Horse Rankings List, arrived at Marilyn’s summer base in the Netherlands last week. According to Karen O’Connor, Marilyn has known “Tabby” for a long time and has always loved the horse. Marilyn and Tabasco TSF are entered in the CCI2* at Blair Castle International Horse Trials, which will be held next weekend in Perthshire, Scotland.
Ingrid has campaigned Tabasco TSF since 2009, racking up numerous top placings since then. This year, the pair won the CIC2* at Sahrendorf, the CICO3* at Houghton Hall and the CIC3* at Marbach. They looked fantastic in the dressage and show jumping at Aachen, and sat in second place going into cross country before picking up two stops on course. Ingrid retired Tabasco TSF on cross country in his first four-star at Luhmühlen earlier this year, but the horse is a seasoned three-star campaigner that is a critical addition to Marilyn’s upper-level string.
Tabasco TSF joins Marilyn’s other top mounts RF Smoke on the Water, with whom she placed eighth in the Saumur CCI3* in May, and RF Demeter, who place seventh in the Luhmühlen CCI4* earlier this year. Marilyn has been based in Europe all summer competing against the best riders in the sport and will contest the Pau CCI4* with RF Demeter in October. Karen confirmed that Marilyn and Tabasco TSF will tackle the Schenefeld CIC3* in Germany next month and finish out the season with a CCI3* to be determined. Many thanks to the EN reader who tipped us about the story this morning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKU9orRlVbM
Ingrid Klimke and Tabasco TSF at Houghton Hall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWTTI2ZetcQ
Ingrid Klimke’s helmet cam from Marbach
