Westfalian Breeder Gustav Meyer zu Hartum Passed Away

Breeding

Westfalian

Gustav Meyer zu Hartum, honorary member of the German Equestrian Federation (FN), died on 13 May 2025. He was 83 years old.

Gustav Meyer zu Hartum began riding at an early age and was successful in dressage, show jumping, and eventing competitions up to medium level. From the 1970s onwards, the master of agriculture and horse management (breeding and husbandry) and his wife Christine Meyer zu Hartum ran a highly successful riding horse breeding operation on their farm in Herford, training around 60 apprentices in agriculture and horse management from 1978 to 2009.

In 1995, Gustav Meyer zu Hartum was elected to the board of the Westphalian Horse Stud Book and served as its chairman from 1997 to 2012. From 1996, he was a member of the board of the FN's breeding division and, from 2005 to 2013represented breeding interests on the FN executive committee.

His aim was always to intensify the relationships between breeders and equestrian sport. At the same time, in light of increasing globalization and the disappearance of breeding boundaries (studbooks opening up to different breeds), he successfully mediated between the various interest groups. His highest priority was always the horse, its proper handling, and, in particular, fair equestrian sport. I

n 2013, he was made an honorary member of the German Equestrian Federation (FN).

In addition to numerous other honorary positions, Gustav Meyer zu Hartum was also active as a local politician until 2012, including deputy mayor of Herford. He was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit for his numerous voluntary services in politics, horse breeding, and agriculture. He was one of the few individuals to be awarded both the Gustav Rau Medal (2001) by the German Equestrian Federation for his services to German horse breeding and the German Equestrian Cross in Silver (2011) for his commitment to equestrian sports.