Mourning for national dressage coaches
Sudden death of Jonny Hilberath shocked German equestrian sport
For years, Jonny Hilberath shaped German equestrian sports, participating in numerous successes. Now the former federal and current co-federal coaches have died at the age of 69. His environment is deeply shaken.
The German equestrian sport mourns the loss of dressage co-coach Jonny Hilberath. This was announced by the German Equestrian Association (FN), citing Hilberath's family. The dressage instructor died this Wednesday at the age of 69 after a short and serious illness. “Jonny Hilberath was all my heart instructor and trainer. His sudden death makes us all very sad and stunned. We will be very absent,” said Dennis Peiler as the FN sports manager.
In 2012, Hilberath, who also enjoyed internationally high recognition as a trainer and trainer, took over the office of national coach at the sudden death of Holger Schmezer and led the German Equipe to the silver medal at the Olympic Games in London. Then he celebrated international success as an assistant coach alongside national coach Monica Theodorescu. Theodorescu, who had worked closely with Hilberath for almost 13 years, loses “not only a great colleague, but also a good friend. I will miss him very much.”
Martin Richenhagen, President of the FN, also expressed his grief. “Jonny Hilberath decidedly shaped the modern, riding style of the German dressage rider,” said Richenhagen: “We will really be missing, but he lives on in the numerous memories.”
The national dressage elite reacted shocked. Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, whom Hilberath had had at her side at her side at her Olympic wins in Tokyo and Paris for 14 years, said goodbye to her “very close and wonderful friend”. Record Olympic champion Isabell Werth was deeply hit by “this sudden death. Nobody expected it, even though we knew that he was sick. He was so full of hope.”
