German Equestrian Federation Parts Ways with Maria Schierhölter-Otte

Dressage

Germany

After a career of 35 years working for the German Equestrian Federation, Maria Schierhölter-Otte saw her employment contract with the FN terminated at the end of 2022.

Maria Schierhölter-Otte was the head of the FN Youth Department and would reach the official retirement age in a few years.

Team Captain

Originally from Osnabruck, Maria Schierhölter-Otte went to high school in Bad Iburg and studied agricultural science at Göttingen University.

She began working for the German NF in February 1987

In the international dressage world is best known as Germany's youth team captain, often stepping onto the podium for the team medal ceremony at the European Pony, Junior and Young Riders Championships.

She last served in this role at the 2021 European Youth Championships in Oliva Nova. As of 2022 Cornelia Albrecht and Carolin Roost took over that role, according to the FN.

Prevention of Sexualised Violence

The German NF went through some turbulent times five years ago when several young show jumping riders had shown misconduct due to excessive drinking at competitions in Germany. In one case a heavily intoxicated jumping rider allegedly sexually harassed a girl and, when she resisted, threatened to rape her 15-year-old sister.

A the 2012 European JR/YR Championships in Berne (SUI)

In the Suddeutsche newspaper Maria was interviewed on the matter as an FN representative. The newspaper interviewed Maria on the topic. The paper printed, "the parents are often to blame for the alcohol excesses. Not only do they watch their children's activities with approval, but they often support the nocturnal binge drinking by buying alcohol, she says. When asked about it, they get answers like: "You in Warendorf don't need to raise our children." According to Schierhölter-Otte, this is "a new generation of parents who see things very differently from most of us.""

Maria's department and the German FN took measures under the "Prevention of Sexualised Violence" (PSG) programme. They created teaching material for trainers, guidelines for the state associations. It integrated the subject of sexualized violence into its trainer training courses, state trainer seminars and at the DOKR trainer academy.

The matter stayed close to her heart and Maria was often featured as spokesperson in the press and on the news. See video here.

Succession

The German FN has not yet announced who will be succeeding Schierhölter-Otte as Head of the Youth Department

"Maria Schierhölter-Otte had handed over the task as Chef d’Equipe to other representatives of our NF already over the last couple of years," FN director Sönke Lauterbach told Eurodressage. "With regards to other responsibilities of the Youth department the succession planning is still in process."