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 is a famous German horse rider. She was born on January 25, 1967. Nicole is well-known for her amazing skills in dressage, a special type of horse riding. In dressage, riders guide their horses through a series of movements.
With her incredible horse, Rembrandt, Nicole won four gold medals at the Summer Olympics in 1988 and 1992. She also won many other big international competitions. These included the World Equestrian Games and the European Dressage Championships.
Contents
Nicole's Early Life and Family
Nicole Uphoff was married to Otto Becker, who was also a famous horse rider. They separated in 2007. In 2004, Nicole became a mom to her son, Patrick.
Nicole's Amazing Riding Career
Starting Out with Rembrandt
In 1985, Nicole Uphoff began competing with her horse, Rembrandt. They started in events for young riders. By 1986, they were training with Uwe Schulten-Baumer, a very famous dressage coach.
In 1987, Nicole and Rembrandt started winning at international events. They quickly became top stars in the dressage world. Rembrandt was known for his elegant and expressive movements. This fast rise led to them being chosen for the 1988 Olympics.
Olympic Gold Medals
Nicole and Rembrandt became Olympic champions twice. They won gold medals in 1988 in Seoul. They also won gold medals again in 1992 in Barcelona. Both times, they won both the individual gold and a gold medal with the German team.
After the Barcelona Games, a German sports commentator called Rembrandt a "living work of art." This showed how special their performances were.
World and European Championships
Nicole and Rembrandt also won gold medals at the first World Equestrian Games in 1990. In 1993, Rembrandt got a minor injury. But he recovered and won a silver medal at the 1994 FEI World Equestrian Games. The German team, with Nicole, won gold again at that event.
They competed in many other big international events too. In 1989, they won individual and team gold at the European Dressage Championships. The German team that year was made up of four female riders for the first time.
In 1991, they won a silver medal in the Grand Prix Special at the European Championships. They also helped the German team win gold. This silver medal was their first defeat in three years. Another rider, Isabell Werth, won the gold that time.
In 1995, Nicole helped the German team win another gold medal at the European Championships. She also placed 5th individually. Nicole and Rembrandt won the Stuttgart German Masters international show seven times. This was a record for many years.
Rembrandt's Retirement
In 1996, Nicole Uphoff and Rembrandt had a special farewell show. This was at the Stuttgart Indoor Show, where Rembrandt officially retired. Rembrandt spent the rest of his life living happily at Nicole's farm.
Rembrandt was known for his amazing movements, especially his transitions. People said his movements were "unequalled." He was also a bit spooky sometimes, so crowds would become very quiet when he performed. Rembrandt is known as a "legendary" dressage horse. Nicole Uphoff and Rembrandt helped start an era where female riders became very successful in dressage.
In 2009, Nicole donated Rembrandt's saddle to a museum in Germany. This was to honor his amazing career.
After Rembrandt
After the 1996 Olympics and Rembrandt's retirement, Nicole took a break from the dressage world. It was hard to find another horse that could win at the international level.
However, in 1998, she started riding a horse named Borbet Rubinstein. Soon, she was back in the spotlight. She won the 1999 CDI Frankfurt competition. Nicole also started training some of Rubinstein's young horses.
In 1999, she appeared on German television to talk about dressage. She was also named the German Sportswoman of the Year. People wondered if she would compete in the 2000 Olympics. She did not compete in those Olympics. By 2013, Nicole Uphoff had officially retired from competitive riding.
See also
In Spanish: Nicole Uphoff para niños
