Christoph Hess – A life in the service of equestrian sport

Christoph Hess is a horse person through and through. With more than 30 years of experience as an international judge in dressage and eventing, he has performed on the world's major stages. Today he acts as a national judge in dressage and eventing up to the Grand Prix, is a training ambassador for the FN and shares his knowledge as a trainer and speaker in courses, seminars and events. His life's work is to spread German riding theory around the world, and at the age of 74 he can look back on an impressive career, shaped by his deep love of horses and their people. His impressive career reflects not only his professional expertise, but also his deep commitment to the promotion of riders and horses.

How it all began…

Born in Delmenhorst in 1950, Hess discovered his love of horses as a child. He first came into contact with horses at the age of eight in Cuxhaven and remembers that "the first time I sat on a horse, it was like a bolt of lightning". From that day on, he could no longer imagine his life without horses.

"I live what I do 24 hours a day."

Christoph Hess was particularly fascinated by dressage and eventing. He rode with Werner Stemmwedel at the University of Göttingen's riding stables and during his time at the grammar school in Gehrden near Hanover he had a small training stable at the Vörrie riding club.

After graduating from the Bundeswehr Sports School in Warendorf, studying to become a teacher in Hanover and Göttingen, and completing his diploma in education in Oldenburg, Christoph Hess devoted himself entirely to his passion - equestrian sports - immediately after completing his studies in 1978.

During his student days, he passed the then riding instructor examination (now Trainer C examination) at the Hoya State Riding and Driving School and later the amateur riding instructor examination (now Trainer A).
During this time he became German university show jumping champion and took part in numerous student riding competitions nationally and internationally. He was a rider at various auctions.

In addition, he rode professionally for a long time with Olympic eventing rider Horst Karsten, which was a very formative time for Christoph Hess.

He worked for the Equestrian Federation from 1978 to 2016. For over 30 years of that time he was responsible for the training department. He headed the Federal Performance Center for almost 20 years and the Personal Members Department for over 20 years. Even after his retirement in 2016, Christoph Hess remains active as an FN training ambassador.

He leads seminars for the FN and other organizations and also travels throughout Europe and overseas with his philosophy on education and training.

The stages of the world

Christoph Hess was an international judge in dressage and eventing for more than 30 years. He judged the Olympic Games, World and European Championships, sat at the judges' table in Aachen and at the World Championships for young dressage horses and traveled throughout Europe, Australia, North and South America.

In eventing, he has judged almost all of the big, so-called five-star competitions several times. Today, he still occasionally works as a judge at Grand Prix events at home and abroad. At the moment, he is mainly accompanying various riders as a coach and trainer on their way to the World equestrian Games 2026 in Aachen as well as the Olympic Games 2028 in Los Angeles.

Over the years, Christoph Hess has been particularly fascinated by young horses. Since the pilot project in Mannheim in 1989 with live commentary on the dressage horse test, he has been a pioneer in commented test formats, such as those established at the World Championships for Young Dressage Horses, the Federal Championships and many other events.

He is distinguished by his commitment to German riding theory and the promotion of horse-rider teams, and in 2019 he was awarded the Equestrian Cross in Gold for his many years of commitment to equestrian sport.

"I am incredibly fascinated by the nature of horses, their good nature despite their strength and size. Their will. It is a personal affection and at the same time a challenge because I feel the need to teach them something. Horses are the way God created them and they ground me in our digital world. It's about entering into a partnership - that's what I try to convey in my lessons. I want to delve into the personality of a horse. That is my daily task or rather my life's challenge."

Christoph Hess' life's work is an inspiring example of dedication and passion in equestrian sport. As a training ambassador and judge, he has had a lasting impact on the sector and will continue to have a positive influence on the equestrian world in the future.