Congratulations to Johan Heins, 64 years today! Dutch rider Johan Heins began his career as pupil and rider at the Alwin Schockemöhle stable. Later Heins worked with Leon Melchior. On Seven Valleys Heins won the gold medal at the European Championships both in the individual and the team competition in Vienna 1977. At World Championships [...]
Remembering his birthday, July 29 1938, today we present one the great German riders and personalities, Fritz Ligges. The career of Fritz Ligges (29 July 1938 in Asseln – 21 May 1996 in Herbern) began with eventing. At the Olympic Games in Tokyo 1964 he won individual bronze and team bronze in the eventing on [...]
Happy Birthday to Hans Günter Winkler, 85 years old today! In the 1950′s and 1960′s Winkler was one of Germany’s most popular athletes. He is the only show jumper to win 5 Olympic gold medals and 7 total Olympic medals, and the only equestrian in any discipline to compete and win medals in 6 different [...]
Olympic gold medalist 1972, World Champion 1974 and European Champion 1971 Hartwig Steenken was born on this day 68 years ago. This great rider and great person, popular and loved by everybody, died only 36 years old after a car accident. His memory forever tied with his wonder mare Simona.
Happy Birthday to Neal Shapiro, 66 years today! US rider Neal Shapiro won the CHIO Aachen Grand Prix twice. First in 1966 on Jacks or Better, and then in 1971 on the 7 year old Sloopy (victory tied with Marcel Rozier on Sans Souci). A year later, at the Olympics in Munich 1972, he won [...]
Pierre Jonquères d’Oriola, one of the greatest show jumping legends, died at the age of 91 years in his home in Corneilla-del-Vercol (Pyrénées-Orientales). d’Oriola won more than 300 international victories, participated at five Olympic games winning the individual gold in Helsinki 1952 and in Tokyo 1964. With his perfect and elegant riding style he was [...]
Pat Smythe on Mr Pollard – CHIO Aachen 1959.
Video clip (45 sec) with Raimondo d’Inzeo, Piero d’Inzeo and Hans Günter Winkler at CHIO Aachen in 1955.
CHIO Aachen 2011 has now begun in the equestrian Mecca in Aachener Soers. The finest arena in the world is getting bigger and better year by year. Here is how it looked back in 1971 when my dad rode in the European Championships (the Swedish show jumping team consisted of Åke Hultberg, Gerhard Wilhelmsson and [...]
David Broome on Mr Softee at the Olympics in Mexico City 1968 over an oxer that seems incredibly wide.
