The Return of Guenter Seidel

By Kelly Sanchez April 1, 2011

The annual Dressage Affaire is a favorite of riders and spectators alike, but this year’s event — March 10-13 at the Del Mar Horse Park — was special for another reason: It saw Guenter Seidel’s return to competition. The Cardiff resident and three-time Olympian sustained an “open-book” pelvic fracture in Germany last June while riding longtime mount U II. He subsequently underwent two surgeries—the first to repair the break and the second in October to remove the plate and screws that held his pelvis together.

Due to the severity of the fracture, Seidel spent 10 days in intensive care and another three weeks in the hospital, where doctors also treated the rider for broken ribs and a collapsed lung. “Then I was at [former U.S. dressage chef d’équipe] Klaus Balkenhol’s for a month,” noted Seidel, who began physical therapy as soon as he was able. By all accounts, he has made a remarkable recovery.

Seidel’s surgeon reportedly told Balkenhol that he’d never had a patient in such fine physical condition—no small praise, given the fact that Seidel was 49 at the time of the accident. “I’ve always been active,” Seidel says modestly. He began riding again in December.

“It was a little strange in the beginning, because I hadn’t been off a horse that long since I started riding,” he noted. “Klaus rode U II while I was still in Germany, which was incredible. And I have a great assistant, Sarah Christy, and she kept him going for me. When I could, I was teaching her every day.”

For Seidel, a six-month hiatus from riding was long enough. “I love being able to get on the horse again,” he said. “It’s certainly not painless. But I’m being careful.”

He said he plans to compete at the upcoming Festival of the Horse CDI at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center and at the Del Mar National, and a return to Europe is also in the works.

Short URL: https://theequestriannews.com/?p=567