Russian Olympian dressage rider Anatoly Ivanovich Tankov has passed away on 2 June 2020. He was 78 years old.
Prokoni.ru has an impressive biography online of this renowned Russian dressage rider and trainer.
Childhood with Horses
Born on 5 September 1941 in Altai Krai on the Kazachstan border in family of farmers which had working horses at home. From a young age, he developed a natural affinity for horses, often joining other boys to ride them to the river for watering and bathing.
In the early 1950s, his family relocated to Kazakhstan, first settling in a remote mountain village), where horses were indispensable for transporting essentials like hay, firewood, and supplies to nearby cities. Then they moved to the "Gory Giant" collective farm, situated close to the Dzerzhinsky Border School, which maintained a stable of approximately 300 horses for cadet training — a environment that exposed young Tankov to disciplined equine care and sparked his growing interest.
This formative period in Kazakhstan's collective farm system, emblematic of mid-20th-century Soviet agricultural reforms, provided Tankov with hands-on experience around horses during his pre-teen and early adolescent years
Scouted
Tankov was selected by three-day eventer Akhtam Kiryashov, who became his first key mentor and entrusted him with riding opportunities on school horses. Tankov first rode show jumping and eventing. His first successful horse was the Trakehner-Hungarian mare Deklaratsiya, a bronze medalist in the first Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR.
The Soviet state's centralized sports infrastructure played a pivotal role in Tankov's early opportunities, integrating equestrian training into military and collective farm programs to identify and nurture talent from diverse backgrounds.
Dressage
By 1960, following military service at the same institution, Tankov transitioned to dressage under instructor I.A. Garbuz. He rode the Trakehners Kremen, the Akhal-Teke stallion Absinthe.
In 1958 the 17-year old Anatoly represented Kazakhstan at the USSR Championship in Moscow. In 1960 he claimed the Kazakhstan Championship titles in both dressage and eventing; the following year, he placed fifth individually in the Small Tour at the USSR Championship in Rostov. His performances earned him the Master of Sport title in dressage in 1962 after winning the Central Asian and Kazakhstan Republican Championship on Kremen, marking him as the second Kazakhstani to achieve this honor. Representative achievements in the 1960s included a bronze medal at the 1965 USSR Dressage Championship, securing his inclusion in the Soviet national squad, and multiple podium finishes at the second Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR and inter-republican matches.
Throughout the 1970s, Tankov continued to excel in Soviet domestic circuits, riding promising offspring of Absinthe such as Agdam. In 1977 Agdam got injured when horses fell from a train car, requiring 12 days of improvised roadside treatment without veterinary support.
1988 Olympics
Anatoly Tankov achieved significant success in Soviet national dressage competitions throughout the 1970s and 1980s, establishing himself as one of the country's leading riders
His career highlight was in 1988 when he represented the Soviet Union at the Olympic Games in Seoul alongside Nina Menkova, Olga Klimko, and Yuri Kovskov. Traveling to Seoul presented logistical challenges for the Soviet delegation amid lingering Cold War tensions, as the USSR maintained close ties with North Korea, which had boycotted the Games and threatened disruption. Despite these geopolitical strains, the Soviet contingent, including equestrians, arrived via chartered flights and state-organized transport, navigating strict security protocols and anti-communist sentiments in host nation South Korea.
Aboard the 1977 born black stallion Izharsk, Tankov produced the scratch result in the Grand Prix of 1249 points, which placed him 31st. The Russian team was fourth in the Olympics.
In 1989 he won bronze in the individual USSR Championship and bronze at small tour level on Topol. His competitive highlights extended into the 1990s, including becoming the absolute champion of Russia in 1995 on Senator and again in 1996 on Fazan at the national championships in Kostroma and Moscow,
Trainer
He was recognized with the Master of Sport of International Class title in 1987, awarded by Soviet sports authorities for his sustained excellence.
As the Soviet Union dissolved, Tankov represented Uzbekistan in these events before relocating to Kaluga in 1989 due to escalating ethnic tensions.
From 1989 onward in Kaluga, he led the local riding school, rebuilding its youth program from decline; within two years, his trainees secured fourth place at the Russian Youth Championships in 1992–1993, and he prepared several international-caliber horses, including Justa, which was exported to South Korea as a top dressage prospect.
In the early 2000s, financial constraints prompted his move to Saint Petersburg, where he served as senior coach at the Komarovo Equestrian Club starting in 2001, restoring its facilities and emphasizing dressage development. Under his guidance, pupils like Galina Zhigalova, Lyudmila Orekhova, and Kristina Azarova earned national and international accolades, including a team bronze for the St. Petersburg squad at the 2002 Russian Championships—the region's first medal in two decades—and Orekhova's third-place finish at the 2003 World Challenge Cup.
He was head coach for Uzbekistan's high-performance school in Tashkent (1984–1991) and Kazakhstan's team at the 1982 Youth Games, where he earned the title of Honored Coach of Kazakhstan. By the 2010s, at KSK Komarovo, he continued mentoring young athletes and preparing teams for events like the Komarovo Cup.
He passed on 2 June 2020.
A more detailed life story on Tankov on Prokoni.ru
Related Link
Scores: 1988 Olympic Games