Georg Wahl

Georg Wahl (Kosel, Upper Silesia, 21 February 1920 – 4 November 2013) was Chief Rider at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, dressage instructor, rider and trainer. He was also known as the coach and trainer of Swiss Olympic medalist Christine Stückelberger.

He grew up at the Kosel Stud, where his father was a trainer of coach horses. Wahl learned to ride at an early age, mainly bareback.

In 1939, Wahl joined the cavalry of the Wehrmacht, where he was under the command of Hans-Joachim Köhler from Verden. Köhler, who later became known worldwide as an expert in the field of horse training, organised a dressage competition for his troops to improve their morale. Held only 20 km behind the front lines, Wahl showed himself to be the best of the riders present. Alois Podhajsky happened to attend this competition, and in 1940, Podhajsky recruited Wahl to the Spanish Riding School. Because Wahl possessed extraordinary talent and feeling for horses he advanced quickly at the school and within a very short time participated in the School's public performances. From 1938 until 1944 he served as a Rider (Bereiter) at the School.

After a brief period of time away from the School in 1944 to serve at the Russian front in Hungary, and a brief wartime imprisonment, he returned to the Spanish Riding School.

On one of the Tours of the School in Switzerland, Wahl met Fredy Knie, of the famed Circus Knie and left the School in 1951 to work for Knie. For two years, Knie and Wahl performed a widely known Pas de Deux exhibition. In 1955 Wahl took over the Community Riding School (Stadtreitschule) in Bern, Switzerland where he first met Christine Stückelberger.

...
Wikipedia