Halla

Horse ID 1094
Color Bay
Sex Mare
Year of birth 1945
Year of death 1979

Biography

Halla started out as a steeplechaser, winning once in 15 starts. When Halla was sent for dressage training the bay mare was considered a difficult horse, undisciplined and dangerous. She was then paired with Hans Günter Winkler, and the show jumping pairing was legendary. The two rode at the 1956 and 1960 Olympics, winning three golds, with individual and team golds in 1956 and repeating in the team in 1960.

Together Halla and Winkler won 125 titles, including two World Championships, eight Nations Cups, a Hamburg Derby, the German National Championship, the Aachen Championship and Grand Prix, and the Roma Grand Prix.

At the 1956 Stockholm Equestrian Olympics, Winkler tore a groin muscle in the first round and was only able to contest the second round in great pain. Halla, sensing her rider’s difficulty, and with little direction from Winkler, took him round the course faultlessly to win the individual gold medal.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) Event Rider Pos
1956 Equestrian Olympics Equestrian Jumping (Equestrian) Individual, Open Hans Günter Winkler GER 1 Gold
1956 Equestrian Olympics Equestrian Jumping (Equestrian) Team, Open Hans Günter Winkler GER 1 Gold
1960 Summer Olympics Equestrian Jumping (Equestrian) Individual, Open Hans Günter Winkler GER 5
1960 Summer Olympics Equestrian Jumping (Equestrian) Team, Open Hans Günter Winkler GER 1 Gold