Gert Gussmann has died

Gussmann, a trained agricultural scientist who specialized in animal breeding at the University of Hohenheim and a graduate of the Karlsruhe Leadership Academy, joined the Baden-Württemberg Horse Breeding Association in Stuttgart as a consultant in 1981 after completing his teaching internship at the Ulm Animal Breeding Office. In 1989, he assumed the role of breeding director there—a position he would shape for nearly 25 years.

Contributions to Horse Breeding in Southern Germany

During this time, he provided crucial impetus

for horse breeding in Southern

Germany: He consistently aligned breeding with market demands, introduced the sport stallion program and the sport mare registry, and drove the further development of the Southern German Breeders’ Association. Gussmann also advocated for the common breed designation “German Sport Horse” and helped the Württemberger and the “FBW” designation gain international recognition. He was also well known to many as a judge in the state; he advocated for a reform of stallion performance tests and for stricter selection criteria in breeding.

At the same time, he championed the cause of Württemberg horses in sports by creating new series such as the PSA Cup for four-year-old show jumpers (PSA = “Packt sie aus”), the Gert Gussmann Cup for four-year-old dressage horses, and the Thomas Konle Cup for up-and-coming show jumping riders.

A Lifelong Passion

In November 2014, Gert Gussmann retired after nearly 25 years of service to the state breeding program—yet he remained deeply connected to his passion for horses and the industry.

Gert Gussmann is survived by his wife Ingrid, his sons Philip (with Jillian and Timo) and Lukas (with Katharina) and their families, his brothers Klaus and Bernd Gussmann, and the Schäfer and von Eichhorn families.