Nicole Uphoff facts for kids
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| Born | 25 January 1967 (age 58) Duisburg, West Germany |
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| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 60 kg (132 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Equestrianism | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | FTR Mülheim, Mülheim an der Ruhr | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Nicole Uphoff (born on January 25, 1967) is a famous German horse rider. She is best known for her amazing skills in the sport of dressage. Nicole won four gold medals at the Olympics, two in 1988 and two more in 1992. She achieved these victories with her incredible horse, Rembrandt. Together, they also won many other big international competitions. These included the World Equestrian Games and the European Dressage Championships.
Contents
About Nicole's Life
Nicole Uphoff was married to Otto Becker, who was also a well-known horse rider in show jumping. They later separated. In 2004, Nicole had a son named Patrick.
Nicole's Amazing Career
Nicole Uphoff started competing in horse riding events for young riders in 1985. She rode her special horse, Rembrandt. In 1986, they began training with a famous dressage coach, Uwe Schulten-Baumer.
Rising to the Top
By 1987, Nicole and Rembrandt were already winning at international competitions. They quickly became very famous in the world of dressage. This was because Rembrandt was so elegant and expressive when he performed. Their rapid success led to them being chosen for the 1988 Olympics. Just a few months before the Games, Nicole changed trainers. She started working with Harry Boldt, who was the German national coach.
Olympic Gold Medals
Rembrandt and Nicole became Olympic champions twice! They won gold medals in 1988 at the Seoul Olympics. They won both the individual gold and a gold medal with the German team. They repeated this amazing feat in 1992 at the Barcelona Olympics. Again, they won both individual and team gold. After the Barcelona Games, a German sports commentator even called Rembrandt a "living work of art."
Rembrandt's career started to slow down a bit in his last two years. He didn't make the team for the 1996 Summer Olympics. However, Nicole was allowed to compete as an individual because she was the defending champion. They placed 14th in Atlanta, even though they had to stop before the final round due to an injury.
World and European Success
Nicole and Rembrandt also won individual and team gold at the first World Equestrian Games in 1990. In 1993, Rembrandt got hurt during a victory lap at the German Championships. Another horse kicked him. But he recovered and won an individual silver medal at the 1994 World Equestrian Games. The German team, with Nicole, won gold again that year.
They also competed in many other big international events. In 1989, Rembrandt made his debut at the European Dressage Championships in Mondorf, Luxembourg. They won both individual and team gold there. It was the first time the German team, which had won the previous 12 team golds, was made up of four female riders. In 1991, at the Championships in Donaueschingen, Germany, they won silver in the Grand Prix Special. They also won gold as part of the German team. At the 1995 Championships in Mondorf, Luxembourg, Nicole helped the German team win another gold medal. She placed 5th individually. The pair also won the Stuttgart German Masters international show seven times. Their last win was in 1995. This was a record for wins until 2010.
Rembrandt's Retirement
In 1996, Nicole Uphoff and Rembrandt had a special farewell show. This was his official retirement at the Stuttgart Indoor Show. Rembrandt spent the rest of his life living happily at Nicole's farm. Sadly, on October 30, 2001, he became very ill and couldn't get up. He was then put to sleep to prevent further suffering.
Rembrandt was known for his amazing movements, especially how he changed from a passage (a very collected trot) to an extended trot and back again. People said these movements were "unequalled." He was also known for being a bit spooky sometimes. Crowds would even become very quiet when he was performing. Rembrandt is remembered as a "legendary" dressage horse. With him, Nicole Uphoff helped start an era where women dominated dressage competitions. In 2009, Nicole gave Rembrandt's saddle to the equestrian museum in CHIO Aachen, Germany.
After Rembrandt
After the 1996 Olympics and Rembrandt's retirement, Nicole Uphoff took a break from dressage. She found it hard to find another horse that could win at the top international level. However, in 1998, she started riding a horse named Borbet Rubinstein. She soon returned to international competitions, winning the 1999 CDI Frankfurt. She also started training some of Rubinstein's young horses. In 1999, she appeared on German television, giving commentary about dressage. She was also named the German Sportswoman of the Year. People wondered if she would try for the 2000 Olympic team. She didn't compete in the 2000 Olympics. By early 2013, Nicole Uphoff had officially retired from competing.
See also
In Spanish: Nicole Uphoff para niños
