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The storied eventing career of SAP Hale Bob OLD (Helikon xx – Goldige, by Noble Champion) came to a formal close at CHIO Aachen as Ingrid Klimke celebrated the two-time Aachen 4*-S winner (2017, 2019) in a ceremony following conclusion of the eventing competition Saturday afternoon.
The achievements earned by “Bobby” and Ingrid during their time together are numerous: four individual podium finishes at Aachen, a team Olympic medal (silver – 2016), a WEG individual medal (bronze – 2018), and four European Championships medals (2015, 2017, 2019, 2021) decorate their trophy cabinet, to name just a few.
SAP Hale Bob OLD began his international eventing career in 2010, having come to Ingrid’s stable as a five-year-old having formerly done a bit of show jumping. It was a task of development, both physically and from a partnership standpoint, for Ingrid and Bobby — Ingrid even admits initially considering selling him on as a horse for someone else. In the end, it was fortuitous that she stuck it out, and a lesson for all of us who find ourselves feeling frustrated in our own development process!
Ingrid Klimke and SAP Hale Bob OLD take Aachen. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
You can read much, much more about Bobby and his incredible career in Tilly’s tribute published when Ingrid originally retired the gelding from competition following an injury picked up in 2022. We’re sure he enjoyed his last hurrah at the place where he saw so much success — though he may have been wondering why on earth he was kept from jumping the cross country jumps in the arena!
Happy well-earned retirement, Bobby, and thanks for the multitude of memories.
You can see some more highlights (you can turn closed captioning/subtitles on) below:
