Otto Suermondt

Otto Suermondt (born September 28, 1864 in Aachen , † January 25, 1941 in Berlin-Karlshorst ) was one of the most successful gentlemen's riders in German horse racing.

Life

Otto Suermondt was the son of the entrepreneur, patron of the arts and founder of the Aachen Suermondt Museum Barthold Suermondt and the industrial daughter Nancy Haniel. Together with his older half-brother Henry Suermondt , he was one of the most successful riders in German horse racing at the time. From 1890 to 1895 he held the German men's equestrian championship.

Otto Suermondt began studying law and economics in Cambridge , but signed up for the Dragoons in Darmstadt as early as 1886 . His half-brother Henry, now the owner of his own stud, became aware of Otto and entrusted him with some of his horses for various competitions. Supported in this way, Otto Suermondt, who had meanwhile been promoted to Rittmeister, achieved 506 victories in 1463 Ritten in the following decades, including the German men's championship in the years 1890 to 1895, 1897, 1899 and 1900. With this he leads the "List of Immortals" of the Association of German Amateur Riders. The amateur racing sport no longer has the importance it had before the First World War . At that time an officer had to show his courage in the race and participation in obstacle races was a matter of course for officers of all branches of service and almost part of the roster. This means that Otto Suermondt's record will probably be a record for eternity.

In addition, Otto and his half-brother Henry campaigned for the continuation of the horse races, co-founded by his grandfather James Cockerill , on the Brander Feld at the gates of Aachen. For better promotion, they jointly founded the Aachener Rennverein in 1870 , which leased the area in question and was now responsible for hosting these races for the next few years.

A fall on July 27, 1903, in which he was seriously injured, ended Otto Suermondt's successful active career. He died unmarried in Berlin-Karlshorst and found his final resting place in the family crypt in Aachen's Westfriedhof . He left an illegitimate daughter.

literature

Annette Fusenig: How to invent a 'World Equestrian Festival' - The Aachen jumping, riding and driving tournament from 1924 to 1939 , dissertation, Aachen 2004, p. 28ff. pdf

Web links

personal data
SURNAME	Suermondt, Otto
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German horse rider
DATE OF BIRTH	September 28, 1864
PLACE OF BIRTH	Aachen
DATE OF DEATH	January 25, 1941
Place of death	Berlin-Karlshorst