Riding master Udo Lange, dressage trainer in demand worldwide, is no longer alive

Udo Lange came to Düren in Cologne as a teenager. He was born in Dresden on April 13, 1943. He started riding at Otto Nagel’s stables and began an apprenticeship as a rider in 1958, initially in Hilden. He completed his training at the Westphalian Riding and Driving School under the direction of Paul Stecken.

After an initial position in North Rhine-Westphalia, Udo Lange then moved south to the Ludwigsburg Riding and Driving Club through Paul Steckens. The region was to become his home for five decades. After completing his riding instructor exam, he initially worked for the show stable of Stuttgart building contractor Gustav Epple.

Udo Lange: successful in all saddles at the start

While Udo Lange was also successful in eventing and show jumping up to advanced (S) level as a young man, he soon concentrated fully on dressage. He rode his first Grand Prix in 1971. Lange, who set up his own business in 1975, won the German Professional Riding Championships with horse changes five times in his career from 1978 onwards. His horse Fashion was the best horse in the 1985 German Dressage Derby, in which Lange was beaten by Dr. Reiner Klimke in the final. Udo Lange won the Baden-Württemberg dressage championships seven times in the state. And once in eventing.

Trainer of horse and rider

Udo Lange was an ambitious trainer of horses and riders. He brought many horses to Grand Prix level. His pupils included the European champion Margit Otto-Crepin from France and the Belgian Antonie, “Ton”, de Ridder, who has celebrated decades of international success as a trainer not only for his wife, Olympic team champion Alexandra Simons-de Ridder. Before becoming self-employed, Lange worked for Ulla Salzgeber’s parents for two years. He ran his own riding facility in Lower Franconia with Canadian dressage rider and seven-time Olympian Christilot Boylen from 1990 to 2014. The two were also a couple in their private lives.

His public appearance was rather reserved and quiet. Udo Lange was not a braggart who boasted about his successes. But in training he demanded precision, hard work and sacrifice. He drew strength from his work with the horses. Christilot Boylen said that Udo Lange’s recipe was to respond to the mood of the horses “and not to force anything”.

Serious illness

He had many projects and plans until the very end, although cancer forced him to take breaks time and again. However, he refused to let the diagnosis get him down. After chemotherapy, he took to the golf course – that was Udo Lange’s response to his serious illness.

He had spent his last years in Medingen in the Lüneburg Heath. From here, he traveled all over Germany for training courses. He had actually wanted to go to a tournament with Philipp Hess, whose training he had taken on in recent years, this coming weekend.

Udo Lage passed away at his home in Medingen over the Whitsun weekend. He is survived by a son from his first marriage.