Classical dressage master Walter A. Zettl passed away June 7, 2018, after a short stay in hospice.
The news was announced on the Walter Zettl Classic Dressage Facebook page this morning.
Born in Altrohlau, Czechoslovakia in 1929, Zettl enrolled in the riding school of Bad Kissingen in Kronberg, Ludwigsburg at the age of 16, where he spent eight years working under Col. Herbert Aust.
In 1950, at 21, Zettl was the youngest person to receive the German Federation Gold Riding Medal, recognizing success in upper level dressage and jumping during a single competitive season.
Two years later, he was named to the German dressage team for the Helsinki Summer Olympics, but was unable to attend due to his status as a professional rider. In 1953, he was chosen to succeed Otto Loerke and Willi Schultheis as trainer at Gestuet Vornholz. He received his Reitlehrer certification, and became a professional teacher at 25.
In 1955, Zettl became first assistant to his mentor Col. Aust in Ludwigsberg, where he coached three young riders aged 18 to 20 to Gold riding Medals. From 1957 to 1965, he served as chief trainer in Munich, and continued to compete successfully in international grand prix. He moved to Reitclub Heidelberg in 1965 where he was chief trainer for more than 10 years.
Zettl moved to Canada in 1981 when he was recruited to serve as managing director of the Canadian I.E.S.S. owned by Hans and Eva Maria Pracht. During this time, he coached the young riders dressage team from Ontario, which went on to win three consecutive team gold medals, one individual gold, two individual silvers, and one individual bronze medal at the North American Continental Young Riders Championships. In 1984, Zettl coached dressage for the Canadian Eventing Team at the Los Angeles Summer Olympics.
Zettl became a Canadian citizen in 1987. He was inducted into the Toronto CADORA Dressage Association Hall of Fame in 2011. He starred in a five-volume video series called A Matter of Trust, from 2002-2005, and has authored three books. He was a sought after clinician, and in recent years, collaborated with natural horsemanship trainers Pat and Linda Parelli.
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