Hubertus Schmidt

Dressage rider Hubertus Schmidt won the gold medal with the German team at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Individually, he came fifth on his horse Wansuela Suerte. Schmidt was awarded the Silver Bay Leaf in 2008, Germany’s highest sports award. He was briefly national coach of Swedish dressage riders.

Schmidt came from a family with a long-standing connection to horse breeding and equestrian sports. His father received his training as a rider during his time as a soldier. The Fleyenhof, located near Etteln in Westphalia, which Hubertus Schmidt operated as a training and breeding stable, has been managed by his family since the 17th century. A stud farm has been established on the property since the 1920s and in the 1960s, the focus shifted from breeding cold-blooded (draft) horses to warmblood horses.

From 1997-2004, Schmidt was national champion of professional riders and in 2005 and 2007 won the German national dressage title. In 2005, he won the silver medal individually and the gold medal with the team at the European Championships. At the 2006 Worlds, Schmidt added another team gold medal.