She was born into a family of riders and breeders: her brother Claus Schridde, himself a former successful competitive rider and stallion owner, is an avid horse breeder and one of Germany’s best-known equestrian journalists. Her sister, Almut Baule, was also successful in show jumping, and her son—Beate’s nephew Niclas—has made riding his profession. He completed his training at Paul Schockemöhle’s stable and now runs a show jumping stable at the family-owned facility in Rehren. At just 18 years old, he had already met the requirements for the German Gold Riding Badge.
Anyone who knows exactly what a good horse must offer and be capable of, and who knows from personal experience what a rider’s role should entail, is in high demand as a riding instructor and trainer. Nicola Pohl, an internationally successful rider based at the Dagobertshausen equestrian center, also learned to ride under Beate Schridde at the Steinmühle. Schridde guided Nicola Pohl’s equestrian career from simple riding competitions all the way to the Hesse Championships and the German Junior Championships.
You can almost sense that behind all these activities, even before a regular workday begins, lies a deep passion. The joy she finds in what she does puts into perspective the time and physical effort invested by this dedicated horsewoman, who handles horse trailers and trailers with such ease that it’s as if they were wheelbarrows. “It has to be that way,” she remarks casually, “after all, there’s valuable cargo inside.”
That’s right. Beate Schridde has driven not only four-legged competition winners but also quite a few neighing prize winners from equine performance tests. “Living sports equipment”—each with its own personality and different needs. “That’s what,” says the passionate rider, “sets it apart from other sports.”
