On Monday 21st February 2000, Georg Wahl became 80 years old. One would say that age forces him to take it more easy, but nothing is more untrue than that.
One week before his birthday Wahl flew to Belgium for his three-monthly clinic of the Belgian Grand Prix and Prix St. Georges riders. "My age makes me less energetic, but I'm still as enthusiastic about training horses as I was 50 years ago," Wahl commented. Georg Wahl has an impressive career behind him.
From 1938 to 1944 and after a war imprisonment of a few years to 1951, Wahl was bereiter and in the end "oberbereiter" of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. After his apprentice- and leadership in Vienna, he moved to Switzerland where he became an independent dressage trainer.
His best student is undisputedly Christine Stuckelberger (now 52 years old), who became his life partner later on. Under Wahl's guidance, Stuckelberger won two European Championships, one World Championship, Olympic gold in 1976 (riding Granat) and became World Cup Champion on Gauguin de Lully in 1987. In September 2000, Christine Stuckelberger will participate for the 7th time in her life in the Olympic Games, an achievement only outdone by American 3-Day eventing rider Mike Plumb who participated eight times in the Games.
Related Links
Georg Wahl Clinics with Enthusiasm in Belgium
Georg Wahl Again Clinicing at De Steppe
Image copyrighted: Astrid Appels