Niklas Betz
Niklas Betz © Niklas Betz

Niklas Betz

Name: Niklas Betz
Date of birth: 06. April 1998
Homebase: Hagen a.T.W
Level: 155cm International U25 Grand Prix

About Niklas

Niklas Betz has turned his hobby into a profession out of passion. The equestrian sport was laid in his cradle by his family, which is a permanent fixture in southwest German equestrian sport. His parents, Manuela and Karsten Betz, were already active in competition sport. So it was clear to the young man from Saarland that he, too, would be devoted to equestrian sports.

"I can't say exactly when it all started, but it was definitely very early on," says Betz.
Beginning in the pony and children's era, the first national and international successes came his way, and Betz was able to draw attention to himself. After graduating from high school, he decided to start an apprenticeship as a "Pferdewirt - Schwerpunkt Reiten" with Steffen Hauter in Großsteinhausen. After this, Niklas Betz moved to the Haunhorst family stables near Osnabrück. "For me, of course, it was also a huge opportunity to move to such a stable," he says, explaining his decision.
His day in Hagen at the Haunhorst family's facility begins around half past seven, where the entire team feeds and mucks the horses housed at the facility together. After breakfast, Betz rides the horses assigned to him. This includes his successful horse Contan, which he owns. With this horse, Betz was already able to win the bronze medal at the 2019 European Championships. "That was an incredible success, of course. It's always great, of course, when the intensive work in the run-up pays off," says the rider from the Saarland. Before such important competitions, Betz always plans his riding carefully.
He focuses less on the jumping itself, but rather gymnastics the horses a lot in dressage work. He responds to each horse individually and in many cases follows his instincts. He also incorporates these principles into his daily work with his riding horses in Hagen.
After a lunch break, Niklas Betz's afternoons often take a different form. "Sometimes customers come or we look at horses ourselves." When he buys horses himself, he pays particular attention to the horse's canter, scope and technique at the jump. "The whole thing then preferably at a good price," the young man explains with a wink.
However, his move to the north of Germany to his new employer also opened up new doors for Niklas Betz. For example, he has the opportunity to take part in competitions in Riesenbeck on the tack of Olympic champion Ludger Beerbaum almost every week. There he also comes into contact with riders who lead the German jumping rankings. "Of course, you can learn an enormous amount from such riders just by watching them. If you present yourself well there, it is quite possible that you will get a starting place for a better competition from the national coach Otto Becker," mentions Betz.
There he also already had the chance to ride against his role models, such as Marcus Ehning and Daniel Deusser, among others. "These are incredibly strong nerves, ambitious but at the same time very fair to the horse," Betz describes the characteristics of these riders.
Even when setbacks occur in the life of the up-and-coming show jumper, he remains calm. He tries to analyze them together with his team, work through them and improve them in the coming weeks. Besides riding, he regularly goes jogging or enjoys walking with his Jack-Russel dog "Emil".
As for the future, Niklas Betz is taking things in stride. Currently, he is working on his master's exam as a young show jumper, which he will complete next year. From a sporting point of view, he would like to establish himself further in the U25 sport and then also gain a foothold in the senior sector.

Niklas Betz
Niklas Betz © Anna Benkert

Crazy-Questions

Johanna: What was your funniest experience at a competition?
Betz: That was probably at my first Nations Cup in Lambrechtshausen, when I was looking for the triple combination.


Johanna: Do you have a favorite competition?
Betz: The Salut Festival in Aachen or Horses and Dreams in Hagen.


Johanna: Do you do any recreational sports besides riding?
Betz: I regularly jog.


Johanna: What profession would you have chosen if you hadn't become a "rider"?
Betz: A pilot.


Johanna: What is your favorite food?
Betz: Steak or Filet


Johanna: Do you have a favorite animal?
Betz: Horses or dogs


Johanna: Series or movie?
Betz: Film


Johanna: Beach or mountains?
Betz: Beach


Johanna: Which is your favorite travel destination?
Betz: There is no specific one.


Johanna: How do you combine your job and your private life?
Betz If your hobby is your job then it is no problem.


Johanna: With whom (dead or alive) would you like to have dinner one night?
Betz: Thomas Müller


Niklas Betz
Niklas Betz © Anna Benkert

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