Beate Fink triumphs in Freising 35 years after a serious riding accident!

Beate Fink triumphs in Freising 35 years after a serious riding accident!

In the world of equestrian sport, moving stories often happen that testify to passion and perseverance. This is also the case with Beate Fink, who recently won two S* amateur dressage tests in Giesenbach near Kranzberg in May 2025. This happened exactly 35 years after a dramatic horse riding accident that almost claimed her life. For Fink, this place was not only a stage for her successes, but also a place of memories, because it was here in 1990 that the fatal fall occurred in which she was seriously injured. The horse got stuck on the oxer obstacle and Fink not only lost consciousness in the fall, but also her liver, which burst.

After the dramatic night of the accident, in which the doctors gave her a minimal chance of survival of just ten percent, a long, painful journey back to life began. After operations at the Freising Clinic and a stay in a Munich hospital, she woke up from a two-week artificial coma and fought bravely to regain her footing. Only six months after the accident, she found her way back to Freisinger Sparkasse and decided not to give up her love of horses and equestrian sports, despite the shock she suffered.

A new way

A crucial turning point in Fink's life was the purchase of her horse QC Fighting Harvard, affectionately known as Fighter, in 2016. With this horse she returned to competition riding and in the following years was able to achieve over 100 placings, including many victories, up to the S** dressage class. Fink plans to continue her equestrian career until she is 60, as long as her health allows.

But it's not just Beate Fink who is making a name for herself in equestrian sports. 14-year-old Maria Finkler from Kakerbeck also made a name for herself this year. She achieved the runner-up title in pony riding dressage Saxony-Anhalt and prevailed with her pony KWD Raute at the state championships at the Radegast/Prussendorf stud. Maria, who has been riding since she was three, not only has the support of her horse business parents, but also works with the experienced dressage rider Ralf Lahmann.

Safe alternative or risk?

However, the passion for riding also comes with risks. Studies show that many riders are frequently at risk of serious injuries. In a study into riding accidents, a total of 99 injuries were recorded over a three-year period, with falls and horse kicks being the most common causes. The upper extremities are particularly at risk, which shows that caution is required even in a sport full of elegance and grace.

Beate Fink and Maria Finkler stand in sharp contrast to each other: one has had a long road to recovery and could encourage others, while the other is in the early stages of her career and is already enjoying great success. However, both show that equestrian sport is an integral part of their lives and also plays a formative role for many others.