Samuel Schatzmann Passed Away

Dressage

Swiss Dressage News

Swiss Olympian Samuel Schatzmann has passed away on 2 November 2016 in his home town Oftringen, Switzerland. A lawyer and entrepreneur of building materials by profession, Schatzmann was a big supporter of dressage and Westfalian horse breeding. He was 61 years old.

Aboard the Swedish warmblood Rochus (by Flamingo x Utrillo x Ozon), Schatzmann was member of the Swiss dressage team together with Otto Hofer, Daniel Ramseier and Christine Stuckelberger that won team silver at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. At the 1989 European Championships in Mondorf-Les-Bains, Luxembourg, and at the 1990 World Equestrian Games in Stockholm he won team bronze.

In 2005 he employed American Olympian Lisa Wilcox, who left Gestut Vorwerk in Cappeln, Germany, for one year as head trainer at his private yard. He also sponsored Swiss jumping rider Pius Schwizer with two horses, Clayden und Con Dios III.

Schatzmann was a big lover of Westfalian horse breeding and supported the Westfalian State Stud in Warendorf by offering it licensed stallions up for breeding, such as the 5-year old Daily Motion (by Darco x Quival) which he co-owned with the stud. However in May 2016 Schatzmann ended his collaboration with Warendorf and pulled out six stallions which stood there up for stud: Avicii, Barbaresco, Chateau Petrus, Cornet's Iberio, Fürst Samuel and Voyageur

He regularly bought horses at the Munster-Handorf auctions. He was the owner of horses such as Hermann Burger's 8-year old Hanoverian Hotshot (by Hotline x Donnerhall) and in 2014 he made a whopping investment when he bought 3 young colts at the Westfalian Stallion Licensing. He acquired Voyageur (by Vitalis x Levados) for 420,000 euro, Avicii (by Apache x Munchhausen) for 150,000 euro and the Hanoverian bred Cornet's Iberio (by Cornet Obolensky x Iberio) for 150,000 euro.

Schatzmann was a national Grand Prix dressage judge as of 1989 and became an FEI candidate in 2000.

For his contributions to Westfalian breeding he was decorated last year with the Silver Badge of Honour by the Westfalian breed society.

Schatzmann leaves behind wife Marlyse Heuer-Schatzmann, son Sebastien and a daughter. His funeral will take place on Monday 14 November 2016 at 14h00 at the city church in Zofingen, Switzerland.