Nadine Cappellman

Nadine Capellmann -
High-flying ambitions

A fleeting memory of a certain moment in Gera, at last year's German Championship, must have run through her mind. It was the moment when Nadine Capellmann had to concede the German Championship title that she had been so certain of winning, to Isabell Werth (from Rheinberg), losing by just 0.33 points. At this year's German Championship, when the fanfares sounded on the nearby show jumping arena, Gracioso felt the urge to respond, foregoing victory in the final freestyle. The winner of that competition was Alexandra Simons-de Ridder (Aachen), but thanks to the points collected in the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special, Nadine still got onto the top step of the podium.

Never has any rider, male or female, dominated a German Championship like Nadine Capellmann. Just nine years old, Farbenfroh beat his experienced World Championship stablemate Gracioso by one point in the Grand Prix and in the Spécial which followed, the placings were reversed. In the Kür, Nadine was only allowed to ride one horse, and decided not to apply for a special permission for riding two horses in the interests of her youngster.

Anyway, the repeated nomination of the team world and European Champion for the CHIO Aachen team and the European Championship in Arnhem at the beginning of July was never in question. In recent years, the 33-year-old from Aachen has joined the top ranks of German and international dressage riders. In 1996 she was already a reserve rider on the Olympic team, won team gold in 1997 at the European Championship and, with equal points with Karin Rehbein (from Grönwohld), missed winning individual bronze only because of her lower placing in the Kür. Gracioso also brought home team gold in October 1998 from the World Championship in Rome.

The name Capellmann is well respected in equestrian circles. Nadine's father, Kurt Capellmann, for many years member of the Aachen Laurensberger Rennverein (ALRV) committee, and an honorary president until his death in 1994, cut a fine figure in show jumping and in dressage in the 1940s and 1950s. At the beginning of the 1960s, Kurt Capellmann opted for dressage, and with great success. But Championship medals as won by his two daughters, remained out of the reach of the Aachen businessman. His other daughter, Gina Capellmann-Lütkemeier, after two European Championship victories with the German young riders' team in 1979 and 1981, won World Championship gold with the German team in Toronto in 1986. "My father was our first and foremost trainer", says Nadine Capellmann, whose career began like that of many children of riding households.

At the age of five, she was rampaging through the neighbourhood on her pony, at ten she entered her first competition, and at junior level had her first international successes. Now 33 years old, she was part of the European Championship gold team in 1984 and 1985 and also won individual silver and bronze, riding Junior. There was no other way for the Capellmann children to go, than into dressage. "My father had closed off all the other routes by getting rid of all the poles. He thought that show jumping was not for girls", laughs Nadine Capellmann as she remembers. In fact, she agrees with her father.

After having grown out of Juniors and Young Riders, the horsewoman from Aachen was still reasonably successful, but the pinnacle of success had so far eluded her.

Urion C and My Lord were her best horses in those years. It was not until in the autumn of 1995 when she purchased her trainer Klaus Balkenhol's ride Gracioso, a son of Grundstein I and now 14 years old, that she began her rapid ascent to the top. Now the 33-year-old rider is one of the stars - not just when she rides Gracioso. Nadine has another, self-trained top horse in Farbenfroh, the nine-year-old former 'Bundeschampion' (German Young Horse Champion of his age group), who could just topple Gracioso from his position in the coming year in view of the Olympic Games in Sydney.

"The Olympics are my great aim", says Nadine Capellmann, looking ahead. She herself admits to being ambitious and disciplined. There must be little doubt, in view of her excellent horses, that this dream might be fulfilled in 2000 in Sydney.

Personal profile
Nadine Capellmann, born on 9th July 1965 in Aachen, daughter of Aachen businessman Kurt Capellmann (died in 1994), himself a successful show jumping and dressage rider and for many years member of the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein (ALRV) committee, sister of dressage rider Gina Capellmann-Lütkemeier. Carried away in 1984 and 1985 on Junior the Junior European Championship titles and individual silver and bronze respectively. In 1996 she was Olympic reserve in Atlanta, and in 1997 team European Champion in Verden and individual fourth, in 1998 she was Team World Champion in Rome, also on Gracioso, and in 1999 German Dressage Champion in Verden.

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Aachen CHIO June 15 - 20, 1999