Ingrid Klimke's Freudentänzer Sold to South Africa

Dressage

Germany

Ingrid Klimke's rising Grand Prix horse Freudentänzer has been sold into South African ownership. The 12-year old stallion will remain Germany for the time being.

Freudentänzer is a 2013 born Westfalian by Franziskus out of Romanze (by Rubinstein x Parademarsch).

Licensed Stallion

Bred by Heinrich Sauer, Freudentänzer is a half brother to the legendary Damon Hill (by Donnerhall out of Romanze), licensed stallion Wisdom (by Weltmeyer), and small tour horses Fabio (by Fashion Maker, competing under Lara Middelberg) and Dana (by Dancing Dynamite, competed with Natalie Ries).

Freudentänzer was licensed at the Westfalian Saddle Licensing in March 2016. He was originally named Formidable Star.

He did his suitability test in March 2017 and scored 7.94 points. He competed the two mandatory sport tests in Munster-Handorf in April 2017 (score 7.26) and March 2018 (score 7.70).

He has 365 offspring registered in Germany of which 9 are active in sport. He has no licensed sons so far.

Sport Career

Freudentänzer was first competed in Germany in 2017 by Anna Stryczek. In 2018 Lara Heggelmann took over the ride, whule half way through the season Andreas Müller took over the reins and rode the horse at the 2018 Oldenburg Young Horse Championships in Rastede.

The stallion then moved to Ingrid Klimke's stable for further training. The FEI noted Ingrid Klimke and Ariane Reinhart as owners of the horse in 2020 but in 2024 Vivica Mittelsten Scheid joined the owners' group.

Ingrid's daughter Greta Busacker first showed the stallion in June 2021 at M-level. In the autumn of 2021 Ingrid made her debut with him as S-level in Schenefeld. In 2022 the mother-daughter duo alternated the ride, but the horse's international show debut was with Ingrid at the CDIO Aachen at small tour level, where he finished second twice. Greta placed 17th with him at the Preis der Besten.

In 2023 Klimke moved him up to developing Grand Prix horse level and placed 8th at the 2023 Louisdor Cup Finals in Frankfurt. In 2024 she further established him at Grand Prix level with several national starts, and three international ones, each time only in the Grand Prix test. At the CDI Aachen Festival 4 Dressage they scored 70.717%, at the CDIO Rotterdam they posted 64.631, and at the CDI Kronenberg Indoor they got 67.022%.

Ingrid only rode the horse in two national shows in January and February of 2025: in Munster and Neumunster

South Africa

Freudentänzer has been sold to Samantha Foley from South Africa.

"I am over the moon and could cry I’m so happy," Foley told Eurodressage about acquiring the stallion. "I hope I do him justice! Such a dream come true. I am going to keep him with Franziska Stieglmaier," she added.

The 37-year old Foley competed internationall at small and big tour level from 2013 till 2022. Her first two international horses were Laval (by Laomedon x Rheinblick) and Chevalier (by Canaster II x Futuro). In December 2018 Foley bought Franziska Stieglmaier's 2016 Piaff Forderpreis winner Lukas (by Lagiator x Wenckstern) and spent time training in Germany with Australian Briana Burgess. The pair showed in one international Grand Prix class in Le Mans in October 2019 and scored 58.783%. After Covid Foley imported Lukas into South Africa and showed him mainly nationally and at one CDI in South Africa, in Midrand in April 2022, to 60% scores.

"Lukas and I have competed successfully in South Africa ad he has been very good for me to further my skill as a rider but he will be 20 years old this year and his career is slowing down," Sam explained. "He is very happy and we are training beautifully together but I’m excited to start my journey with Freudentänzer! Who I have nicknamed already as “Tannie.”"

Commute

Foley and Lukas in South Africa
(Photo © Tracy Robertson)

Freudentänzer is the successor to Lukas and Sam will keep him in Germany with Stieglmaier.

"She will ride and train with Freudentänzer when I’m not there then I will commute between SA to go and compete and train him in Germany with her," said Sam. "I have a string of young horses in SA, some that I’ve bred myself but I can’t leave them behind, my responsibility to all my horses is important so I will try to find the time for each in SA and Germany, eventually in the long term, bringing Freudentänzer home to SA after a few years."

Foley wants to learn from Freudentänzer, gain mileage in Europe and secretely dream of WEG.

"I want to compete him in Europe and hopefully aim to qualify for world champs next year in Aachen. Let’s see how we go, not putting pressure on mysellf or Freudentänzer because I really just want us to have a relaxed feeling and have fun," she said.