Helen Langehanenberg has lost the ride on Damon Hill – the horse who took her to team gold and two individual silver medals at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games this summer.
Failed negotiations
Helen’s contract to ride the 14-year-old stallion ended on 31 October. The horse was put up for sale over the summer by his owner Christian Becks, but has since been taken off the market.
It was hoped they could negotiate an extension which would see the pair compete at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
A press statement released by Beck’s lawyer said the negotiation had “failed” as the “ideas about the conditions were too far apart.” However, Damon Hill will stay with the family.
‘Fantastic time’
The managing director of the German Olympic Equestrian Committee (DOKR) Dr Dennis Finders expressed his surprised at this sudden announcement.
“Until today we were in negotiations with the lawyer of the owner to Damon Hill for Helen Langehanenberg to secure play in the 2016 Olympics,” he said. “Through the press release of Beck’s family however, new facts have been established. We are very sorry to lose such a good pair.”
Helen responded to the news saying she would “very much like” to continue riding Damon Hill.
“I had a fantastic time with him,” she said. “I am very grateful to the DOKR for their efforts to seek a solution with the horse owner, even if they had not been successful,” said the 32-year-old.
Medal haul
The partnership was one of the best ever seen in dressage – and one of the few combinations able to rival Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro.
They won team silver at the London Olympics, team gold at the Europeans and the FEIWorld Cup final in 2013, and came second to Charlotte and Valegro at the FEI World Cup earlier this year.