German dressage rider, trainer and riding master Udo Lange has passed away in Medingen, Germany, on 26 May 2026. He was 83 years old.

Photo – Udo Lange  (Eurodressage.com)

Born on April 13, 1943, in Dresden during World War II, Lange experienced a difficult childhood. In 1956 a teenage Udo and his mother fled the Soviet occupation zone in East Germany finding refuge in Düren near Cologne in western Germany. It was there, in the stable of horseman Otto Nagel, that he first discovered riding and horsemanship.

Lange began formal equestrian training in the late 1950s at the Kordes riding school in Hilden before continuing at the renowned Westphalian Riding and Driving School under legendary trainer Paul Stecken. Stecken became one of the major influences on Lange’s riding philosophy and technical foundation.

Although best known as a dressage rider, Lange originally competed successfully in multiple disciplines. He became the Baden-Württemberg eventing champion in 1966 and also rode show jumping classes up to S level. His transition into elite dressage accelerated in the late 1960s, and in 1971 he rode his first Grand Prix at age 28.

Read the complete article here at Eurodressage.com