Bettina Overesch-Böker-Hoy

Bettina Overesch-Böker-Hoy was a West German three-day eventer who participated at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, and later at the 1996 Atlanta and 2004 Athens Games, representing re-unified Germany. In 1984, she won team bronze and placed 14th individually. At Atlanta she was ninth with the team.

Overesch-Böker-Hoy was a tragic figure at the 2004 Olympics after mistakenly doing a warm-up before starting the jumping element of the competition. She went on to win the individual, and helped Germany win the team competition, but after repeated protests that she had crossed the start line twice, she received penalty points. Consequently, the team was re-classified fourth and Overesch-Böker-Hoy ninth individually. In addition, her horse tested positive, but the doping allegation was subsequently dropped because the association doctors were involved in the medication.

At the World Championships, Overesch-Böker-Hoy won team gold in 2006, and team bronze in 1994. She also won the individual gold medal at the 1997 Europeans, as well as a team bronze in 2005 and an individual bronze in 2007. Domestically, she won four national gold, and three bronze medals.

Overesch-Böker-Hoy was a horse trainer who, along with her husband Andrew Hoy, farmed the country estate of Britain’s HRH Princess Anne for 12 years before moving to Warendorf, Germany, in 2009. In 2017, she was named chief eventing coach of the Netherlands.