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Anabel BALKENHOL

Anabel BALKENHOL is a German athlete and competes in Dressage.
Name Anabel BALKENHOL
FEI ID 10024639
Gender Female
Date of Birth 08/04/1972
Competing for Germany - GER
Registration Dressage 2025
Last update 02/02/2023
FEI Database




Dressage 70x70
General Interest
Nicknames Belli (Athlete, 13 Sep 2010)
Most influential person in career Her parents. (Athlete, 13 Sep 2010)
Hero / Idol Her father Klaus Balkenhol. (Athlete, 13 Sep 2010)
Injuries Illness caused her to withdraw from the 2010 CDIO Aachen in Germany. Two days later she was hospitalised in Recklinghausen, Germany, after she was diagnosed with norovirus. She remained in hospital for a week. (equi-news.de, 28 Jul 2010; eurodressage.com, 23 Jul 2010)
Sporting philosophy / motto "The goal is to promote the talents of the horse without exerting pressure or coercion, with the needs of the horse always being of primary importance. Only in this way is it possible to achieve the required physical and mental harmony between horse and rider." (germanhorsecenter.com, 11 Jul 2012)
Awards and honours She won the Otto-Lorke-Preis in 2009 for her horse Dablino. This award is given to the rider, trainer, and owner of the horse that most impresses the German Dressage Committee. (pferd-aktuell.de, 06 Sep 2010)
Famous relatives Her father Klaus has represented Germany in dressage, and won gold medals in the team event at the Olympic Games in 1992 and 1996. (SportsDeskOnline, 28 Nov 2019; balkenhol.org, 10 Jun 2017)
Other information STABLES She runs her family stables in Rosendahl, Germany, where she coaches riders, trains horses, and hosts tournaments. (balkenhol.org, 31 May 2022; chronofhorse.com, 19 Nov 2020; st-georg.de, 26 May 2019; abouthorses.com, 01 Jan 2019; dressursport-deutschland.de, 10 Oct 2017)
Sport Specific Information
When and where did you begin this sport? She got her first pony at age five and began competing at age 12.
Why this sport? She grew up around horses. "After graduating high school I continued studying special education, but then changed my career plan to join an office clerk apprenticeship at the German Equestrian Federation. After that, I went to visit a friend in the United States of America and spent half a year there, where I helped with coaching and horse training. It was there I decided to finally pursue a riding career. First, I assisted my parents in coaching and horse training, and eventually running tournaments and stables at my parents' facilities."
Club / Team RV St. Georg Munster: Germany
Further Personal Information
Occupation Athlete, Coach, Horse Trainer
Languages Dutch, German, English