Biography

German rider Kai Ruder (47) is a farmer and professional rider from Fehmarn in Northern Germany. He last competed at Badminton in 2013 with the stallion LePrince Des Bois. Last year with Badminton entry Colani Sunrise he was a member of the German team at the WEG in Tryon and in 2017 the pair was an individual entry at the European Championships in Strzegom where they finished 6^th.

Kai comes from an equestrian family; his brother Hans is a grand prix show jumper and his father Thomas competed at the 1982 eventing World Championships at Luhmuhlen. Kai also competes in international show jumping.

In 1990 Kai was a member of the German Young Rider team that won European team silver at Championships at Rotherfield Park. In 2009 he was 10^th at Burghley, his first four-star, with the stallion Leprince des Bois, a result that earned him the 2009 HSBC FEI training bursary. That year Kai also won the seven-year-old class of the World Breeding Championships at Le Lions D’Angers with Saatens Union Charlie Weld. Kai has also been previously successful at the German Bundeschampionat (Young horse championships) winning the eventing championship in 2007 & 2008. He made his first visit to Badminton in 2010 with LePrince and the pair completed a second time the following year. In 2012 they were 8^th at Burghley.

Kai who trains with Hans Melzer, is married to Petra and the couple has two children; Liesa Marie (15) & Mathies (13). Petra competes in showjumping and the two children are now competing in eventing at one-star level and up to 1.40 in showjumping.

His former ride Leprince Des Bois – now retired and standing at stud in the UK close to Badminton at Tomlinson Equine – will be taking part in the SHB(GB) stallion parade that takes place in the main arena at the end of dressage on Friday.

Colani Sunrise is a 13-year-old German-bred Oldenburg gelding. He is by the Holstein sire Chico’s Boy (also the sire of Gemma Tattersalls ride Chico Bella P and the stallion Classic Primitive) out of Larissa by Laudatio. He was acquired as a six-year-old and has been brought through the grades by Kai. The pair represented Germany in the seven-year-old World Young Horse Championship at Le Lions in 2013 and completed their first (and as yet only) four-star at Luhmuhlen in 2016 finishing in 9^th place. Sunrise is described as a horse that ‘always wants to give his best’.