His life

Henri Chammartin was born in Switzerland, specifically in Chavannes-sous-Orsonnes, on 30 July 1918. Raised in a farming family, he was the second of ten children and developed a passion for music from an early age, devoting himself particularly to the violin. Despite his humble background and the historical period, his parents encouraged his studies, allowing him to complete his diploma.

After school, he attended the “Field Artillery Recruit School”, but it was the world of horses that captured his heart. His adolescence was marked by the influence of the famous trainer Oskar Frank, who recognised his natural talent in horse riding. This led him, in 1949, to embark on a career as a professional rider at the EMPFA, the Swiss Military Horse Depot in Berne, where he remained until retirement, collecting successes and medals.

Sports awards

He participated in five consecutive Olympic Games starting in 1952 and won individual gold in 1964, team silver in 1952 and 1964 and team bronze in 1956 and 1968. He also won a team silver in dressage at the World Championships in 1966. At the European Dressage Championships, he won individual gold in 1963 and 1965, team silver in 1965, individual bronze in 1963, riding two different horses, and team bronze in 1967.

End of career

Married and the father of two children, he spent his retirement with his wife on a farm in the canton of Fribourg. There, in addition to caring for small farm animals, he devoted himself passionately to teaching riding, passing on his knowledge to young students. His retirement years were full of conviviality, surrounded by the affection of friends and his beloved wife.

At the ripe old age of 76, he still climbed into the saddle to perform a ride with one of his pupils, a significant moment that summed up a life dedicated to his passion for horses. However, life also had sorrows in store for him: he lost his wife and a son a few years before his death, a parting that tried him deeply.

Recognised as a simple, loving and selfless man, he left a legacy of humanity and sportsmanship. With more than five Olympic medals and numerous awards in the European dressage championships, his journey ended in Ostermundingen, where he was buried next to his loved ones, leaving an unbridgeable void in those who had known him.

Oskar Frank

Oskar Frank (1894 – 1963) was a Swiss horseman and chief instructor at the Swiss cavalry school in Berne and a personality of great influence for Swiss dressage in the first half of the 20th century. He competed in two events at the Summer Olympics in 1928.

In 1939 he wrote a book called Reitvorschrift (Riding Regulations for the Swiss Army on behalf of the Army Command). It was part of a larger book on troop training, where he also touched on the benefits of working on lateral exercises.

Olympic Horses

Woermann

The legendary horse Woermann, a Swedish warm-blooded bay (SWB), was born in 1951 in Sweden, the son of Dianthus x Hubertus x Lojal. His great-grandfather Umanist belonged to the prestigious Trakehner studbook. Woermann was a horse with a difficult temperament: he often runaway dangerously, putting his rider to the test.

Henri, a true master in the art of horsemanship, understood that to get the best out of Woermann required infinite patience. When he got to know him, he realised that by letting him run for a long time, the horse became willing and more willing to work. In fact, there were no lack of episodes when, before a competition in the rectangle, Henri would go out with Woermann and they would gallop for a long time until the horse returned to his demands.

Henri’s determination and tact were instrumental in finding an understanding and thus succeeded in instilling a new confidence in Woermann. While maintaining his rebellious character, the stallion achieved extraordinary results with him: in 1964, Woermann and Henri won the Olympic Tokio gold medal and Woermann won as reserve horse, thus consecrating their unbreakable bond.

Like all dressage horses retired from Chammartin, Woermann was a valuable teacher for Chammartin’s students until the end of the 1960s.

According to his daughter, Henri rode horses as if he were playing the violin, as in music he was also an artist with horses and his principle was to make them expressive before “technical” by preserving their nature and personality.

Wolfdietrich

(Daladier x Talisman 236 x Ebonit)

Born in 1951 in Sweden, Wolfdietrich was a horse that promised great things from the start. Bred by Carl Herslow, son of the broodmare Kasanette and Daladier XX, an English thoroughbred, he showed from an early age a vibrant energy and natural drive, essential for the disciplines in which he excelled. Although show jumping was not his forte, Wolfdietrich found his expression in the low and middle airs, performing gracefully in the piaffe and passage.

Curiosity:

1932 Los Angeles, United States
At the 1932 Olympics, Piaffe and Passage were included in the test.

Training the young horse was demanding, especially when it came to flying foot (gallop changes). Henri Chammartin, his rider, spent months teaching him how to manage these complex movements; the horse tended to change forehands first and only then hindhands, making the process a real exercise in patience and sensitivity.

Agonism and career endings

At the age of seven, Wolfdietrich made his debut in the prestigious Prix St. Georges, taking first place in his category. This success was the prelude to a glittering career, but during the Rome Olympics in 1960, the horse finished eighth out of seventeen participants, showing that he still needed experience and refinement on certain exercises.

In 1968 in Mexico, Henri Chammartin and Gustav Fisher (with Wald) won a team bronze medal.

Over the years, like Woermann, Wolfdietrich became a valuable teacher for the students of the Chammartin school until the late 1960s. However, in 1971, at his advanced age, he could no longer be ridden. The decision to suppress him, together with his companion Woermann, marked the end of a story of love and dedication that lasted more than seventeen years.

Curiosity:

1948 London, Great Britain
At the 1948 Olympics the renvers, half pass, time changes and gallop pirouettes were included in the test, while the piaffe and passage were removed due to the lack of preparation time available before the Olympic Games because of World War II.

Henri’s philosophy

Henri’s daughter Marianne Chammartin remembers his sweet and gentle character: ‘Wolfdietrich was a lovely and gentle horse, but he needed a lot of sensitivity, patience and relaxation to excel.’ His father’s commitment was not limited to technique; he wanted to present his horses as dancers, in a perfect harmony between art and sport.

Wolher

Daladier x Largo x Index

Curiosity:

1952 Helsinki, Finland
At the 1952 Olympics, civilian men and women were allowed to compete, as were cavalry officers.

Wohler, a Swedish Warmblood horse born in 194-, distinguished himself by his reliability and extraordinary character. Wohler’s training management did not present any particular difficulties. Interestingly, Wohler shared a significant bloodline with Wolfdietrich, both descended from the same Daladier sire, which underlined the genetic excellence of their line.

Henri Chammartin successfully represented Switzerland at the Helsinki Olympics in 1952 with the robust Swedish horse, cementing their reputation on the international equestrian scene. In 1956, during the Olympic Games in Stockholm, Chammartin and Wohler further enhanced their career by winning the team bronze medal.

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