Helen Langehanenberg and Trainer Christian Wendel Part Ways

Dressage

Germany

Helen Langehanenberg and her long-time home trainer Christian Wedel have parted ways.

Christian Wendel

The 64-year old Christian Wendel is head trainer and general manager of the Datteln riding club for almost 30 years. A national Grand Prix judge since 1993, he lives in Wesel with his wife Daniela, who is an Intermediaire I level rider in her own right.

While Wendel has been a long-time respected trainer in the arena, his career as a coach took a big boost when he began training German Olympic team rider Helen Langehanenberg in 2016.

It resulted in a big growth of students who flocked to him for advice, such as Beata Stremler, Jeanine Klose-Piontek, Ivan Nieto Sanchez, Lisa Marie Koch, Stefanie Leuenberger, Manuel Dominguez Bernal, Luisa Emmerich, Carina Bachmann-Scholz, Christina Wessling, Niklas Brokamp, Sarah Runge, and Helen Erbe. He assisted Stefanie Wolf for a period of time when she took Matchball OLD to Grand Prix level while Johann Hinnemann stayed in the U.S.A.

See a video of Wendel training Langehanenberg on Clip My Horse.

Great Impetus

Helen and Daniela at the 2023 CDN Ankum
(Photo © Equitaris)

The collaboration between Helen and Wendel has ended and she is now relying on Germany's two team trainers, Monica Theodorscu and Jonny Hilberath, to assist her.

"As a squad rider and now with several highly talented future horses, I was and I am always grateful for the advice and support from our two national trainers Monica and Jonny," Helen told Eurodressage. "Working with Jonny in particular has given me great impetus for my training and the horses have been able to make great progress."

Helen Langehanenberg is currently focused on establishing four horses at Grand Prix level, including Louise Leatherdale's Daniela (by Damsey x His Highness), Schöne Scarlett (by Scolari x Londonderry), Straight Horse Ascenzione (by Zack x Don Schufro), and Zoom (by Zack x Don Schufro).