Ludger Beerbaum: From the donkey to the horse

Germany is one of the countries whose hobby is beyond doubt. From equestrian photography to its participation in the world equestrian games they give account of it. This is the country that gave birth to the famous German rider Ludger Beerbaum whom we will meet today.

Germany as an equestrian country

Germany is the country with the highest number of medals in the world equestrian games. The German medal count almost doubles the number of medals the US has.

Germany has 92 Olympic gold medals and the USA has only 50 medals. USA is second in the historic medal count.

More interesting is when we compare the number of inhabitants. Germany have 83 million inhabitants versus 326 million in the USA. This indicates that Germany with a quarter of the population has obtained almost twice as many medals.

Germany is 625% more effective than the United States in Olympic equestrian sports. We could say that the Germans are 625% more fans of horses. Without a doubt, it is a curious fact …

Stallion Colestus and Ludger Beerbaum: Youngster Cup CHIO 5* Aachen 2014

Watch this video on YouTube

German representatives in our lines

Germany looks like an equine-addicted society (or equine-lover depending on who you look at it). There we found many riders, trainers and equestrian world stakeholders.

We have already dedicated several lines to Hans Heinrich Isenbart in the past. Isenbart is a renowned equestrian commentator and writer of the “Great Book of the Horse” a reference work.

Likewise, among the German riders we already dedicate some lines to Hans Günter Winkler. Winkler stood out for getting medals for him and for the German equestrian team despite an injury.

The German equestrian stands out in the world panorama and how could it be different they have a big space in our heart and our lines.

Today, as we indicated at the beginning of the article, we will talk about Ludger Beerbaum, a leading rider of modern showjumping.

Who is Ludger Beerbaum?

Ludger Beerbaum is a famous German rider, considered among the best in the world. With four Olympic medals to his credit it would be enough to be an icon in his country, but he is also the rider with the most victories in German championships.

Ludger Beerbaum family

Ludger Beerbaum is the eldest of the brothers. Monica and Ruth the little ones in the house and her brother is also a prominent jumping rider.

His father, Horst Beerbaun, was a farmer who dreamed that his son learned horsemanship and from the beginning Ludger showed great skill for horsemanship.

In his house Ludger has a beautiful family that he always has close to. Your house and the horse stable are on the same property.

He is married to the beautiful Arundell Davison. Ludger Beerbaum has 3 children, Alexander his eldest son is the product of a previous relationship and together with Arundell he has two beautiful daughters named Mathilde and Cecilia Sophie.

Beerbaum was born in the city of Detmold. Detmold is the largest city in the district of Lippe which is located in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Why is it said that Ludger Beerbaum was “from the donkey to the horse”?

A local myth says that Ludger emerged from difficult circumstances to reach the most difficult Olympic victories. This legend tells how Ludger learned to ride with a donkey because he had no more resources and it was his perseverance and talents that led him to stardom.

Nothing is further from the truth than that story, because although its history is very interesting it is also totally different. Ludger himself has been responsible for denying the myth forged around him saying:

“The donkey existed. I was in Count Metternich’s stable in Adelebsen, but I rode it less than three times. “
Ludger Beerbaum

How did Ludger Beerbaum become a rider?

His father Horst Beerbaum dreamed that his son would learn horsemanship at the local riding school, but little Ludger, aged eight, was not interested in learning. Along with this, the coach of the riding school shouted and scolded strongly the students who did not pay attention to the indications which frightened Ludger. Ludger himself admitted being “terrified” by the coach’s behavior.

Given these circumstances Ludger moved away from riding but thanks to a very close friend who met after classes in the stables began to have contact with these beautiful animals. Thus the love for horsemanship began its journey in the life of Ludger Beerbaum.

Immediately he showed an enormous talent for horsemanship and with only 18 years he reached the first place in the German youth championship.

What has been the path of Lueger Beerbaum in horse riding?

Ludger Beerbaum is an Olympic, European and German multimedallist. So we can describe its enormous trajectory and results:

Four (4) Olympic gold medals in 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000.
Four (4) medals in the world equestrian games: Gold in 1994 and 1998, silver in 1990 and bronze in 2006
Nine (9) medals in the European Equestrian Jumping Championships.
- Five (5) medals in team jump: Gold in 1997, 1999 and 2003, Silver in 2007 and Bronze in 2001
- Four (4) medals in individual jump: Gold in 1997 and 2001, Silver in 2003 and Bronze in 2007

What are the future projects of Ludger Beerbaum?

Currently Ludger Beerbaum runs a stable that bears his name as a brand “Ludger Beerbaum Stables”. There they meet different activities such as:

Training of horses and riders
Stables service for horses
World class stallions service
A marketplace for the purchase and sale of horses worldwide.

This is one of the great projects of Ludger Beerbaum that joins the development of equestrian sports in China with whom he has had numerous contacts.

Ludger Beerbaum today, tomorrow and always

He is an integral sportsman who has become a promoter of equestrian sport, a family man who enjoys past successes. Still, Ludger Beerbaum does not lean on his successes and continues to plant and harvest triumphs in the equestrian world.

Ludger Beerbaum - Zinedine - WC Geneva 2012

Watch this video on YouTube

A German icon and a sample of why the Germans are so successful in each field they decide to venture. Ludger Beerbaum is a pop-star of the German establishment.