Fritz Thiedemann

Fritz Thiedemann ( born March 3, 1918 in Weddinghusen in Heath, † January 8, 2000 ) was a German show jumping, farmer and entrepreneur.

Career

Thiedemann was born into a peasant family, he was the youngest of nine children and was first on the horses held for agricultural purposes easy riding lessons. This was followed by first attending tournaments. His other equestrian training completed Thiedemann first in the Cavalry School Hannover, later with their installation then in the army riding school in Potsdam Krampnitz.

Thiedemann was a member of the SA and received his education mainly on the SA- Empire cavalry leader in school chaff in Berlin. In 1938 he won the prize of the Berlin Germany Hall Spring tournament.

Together with Hans Günter Winkler Fritz Thiedemann was the outstanding German show jumper of the 1950s. At the Summer Olympics in Helsinki in 1952, he succeeded to ride than before the only rider in the world, both in jumping and in dressage in the medals he won the bronze medal in show jumping and dressage with the German team also a bronze medal.

At the Olympic Equestrian Games in Stockholm in 1956, he won the gold medal with the German team in show jumping. This he was able to repeat at the Games in Rome in 1960. Both the separate Equestrian Games in 1956 and in Rome in 1960 he carried the German flag at the entrance of the teams during the opening ceremony. He is the only German athlete who acted as standard-bearer at two Olympic opening ceremonies.

The name Fritz Thiedemann is closely related to the time of his most successful show jumper Meteor, with whom he won the most titles.

Honors and Awards

In his native town of Heath and a street is named after him, the Fritz - Thiedemann - ring to provide a bypass of the city area. The city of Elmshorn in 1956 awarded him honorary citizenship for his services to the city and the local riding and driving school where he worked for many years. Even the local, opened in 2005, Auction and riding hall of the Association of Breeders of the Holsteiner horse is named after Thiedemann. His horses are present in Elmshorn by naming streets Meteor Street, Finaleweg, retina Street and Diamond Street today.

Throughout his life he has received several awards: As the first athlete Thiedemann got the Silver Laurel Leaf in June 1950 presented by Theodor Heuss. Six years later the honorary citizenship of the city of Elmshorn, he was awarded.

In 1958 he was athlete of the year in the Federal Republic, 1961, he received the Sports badge of Schleswig- Holstein. In 1974, the award of the Order of Merit. 2008 Fritz Thiedemann was inducted into the Hall of Fame of German sport.

Achievements

• Olympic games 1952 in Helsinki: Showjumping: Individual bronze medal on Meteor
• Dressage: Bronze medal team, individual ranking 12th on xx chronicler

• Five times winner of the German Jumping Derby in Hamburg ( 1950 ( Loretto ), 1951 ( Meteor ), 1954 ( diamond ), 1958 ( final ) and 1959 ( retina) )