Oliver Luze Goes Full Circle: Leaves Freiberger Hof for Tannenhof

Dressage

Germany

German professional dressage rider Oliver Luze and his wife Katrin are making a full circle. After 2.5 months at Freiberger Hof, they have decided to leave the stable and return to the employer, where they achieved their major career successes: Gestut Tannenhof.

Tour of Stables

Oliver Luze started his professional career working at Gronwohldhof for Herbert and Karin Rehbein. He then became an auction rider in Vechta and a stallion performance tester in the U.S.A, before moving to Tannenhof in 1998.

Oliver and his wife Katrin made their claim to fame as trainers at Gestut Tannenhof, where they worked for more than 10 years. Oliver steered Tannenhof's Carabas to victory in the 2008 Medien Cup Finals for developing Grand Prix horses and competed him at Grand Prix level twelve times in 2008, always placing first or second always with scores of 70%.

After Carabas sold to Andreas Helgstrand in the winter of 2008 the couple left Tannenhof for the Schwiebert's Helenenhof in 2009. Luze and Carabas were re-united as Schwiebert purchased the stallion from Helgstrand who did not truly connect with the horse. Luze and Carabas competed internationally in 2010 at CDI's in Hagen, Hamburg, Strassen and Verden.

The couple left the Schwieberts' in November 2010 and rented stalls for a while at Dieter Mehrens' yard in Sievershütte, before moving to the Heicke family's Fohlenhof. After a fall-out in October 2013 Luze and Heicke went separate ways.

In December 2013 the couple moved to Birkhof in Donzdorf, Germany, where they have assisted the Casper family with the training of the stallions and youngsters for the past seven years.

From Freiberger Hof Back to Tannenhof

On 1 January 2021 the 60-year old Luze and his wife Kati moved to Freiberger Hof, where they replaced Marcus Hermes as riders of some of the horses and coaches of German youth riders Lucie-Anouk and Lana-Pinou Baumgurtel for their daily training.

After 2.5 months at Freiberger Hof, the Luzes decided they can be of more service at Plönzke's Gestut Tannenhof.

"Oliver will manage the Tannenhof Stud, select and train the horses and help me at the tournament as a trainer," Anja Plönzke confirmed to Eurodressage. "My father and I are very happy that the two are coming back to us. After all, both had been at Tannenhof for 11 years and we had a great cooperation during that time."

The Luzes will start working at Tannenhof on 1 May 2021.