Mats Genberg / 2015-04-03 SUSANNA SANTESSON HAS LEFT US This morning Susanna Santesson should have woken up with hundreds of horse racing friends in Beverly Hills, USA. Instead she fell asleep for ever in a hospital in Germany – much too young. Susannas absence will leave a hole in the festivities during the coming Darley Award weekend. She will in fact, leave a large hole in the racing world. Even for those who have never heard her name.
Susanna was a person who spent her life working for the parts of racing that is not so often seen in the major headlines of the sport. She was not involved in the million dollar horses or the big deals. Still she was more important to racing than many of the people we read about daily. Susanna was the kind of person who made people realize that racing is actually a sport. She spent her life working in and for organizations that cared for the enthusiasts. The people that like herself do what they do out of love – not money or honor. She was secretary general for Fegentri (the world’s amateur jockey organisation). She was a very important part of the Sheikha Fatima bit Mubarak Ladies world Championships. She chaired the European Association of Racing Schools, and was instrumental in the creation of the world’s first global organisation for racing academies. She held a number of positions in German racing. She was always present at our meetings of IFAHR. She was one of the strongest supporters ever of women in horse racing. The list can go on for ever. Hundreds of young amateurs and apprentices have Susanna to thank for them being able to leave their home turf and see the racing world. She travelled with them everywhere and helped them cross language barriers and realize that as long as you have your saddle in your carry-on luggage and can make the weight you will be fine. Racing is racing. Everywhere. And Susanna will be there. I last met Susanna Sunday night in Dubai. Me and Catarina had dinner together with her at the terrace of the Meydan racecourse. The evening after the World Cup – we were more or less the only ones in the restaurant. She said she was happy that we were there, as eating alone was the only thing she didn’t like about her constant traveling. We spoke about her health. She looked tired and coughed. She said that it was just a cold that wouldn’t go away but that she would see a doctor. We left the table and said that we would meet again for breakfast in Los Angeles later the same week. Two hours ago I just learned that this would not happen. And that Susanna has taken off on the longest journey of them all. Mats Genberg – secretary The International Arabian Horse Racing Federation (IFAHR) on behalf of the IFAHR Executive Committee: Sami Al Boenain Genny Haynes Wieger de Ruiter Ahmed Al Hammadi Yves Plantin Ziya Adalar Ifahr.net / Mats Genberg in memoriam Susanna Santesson (download as pdf)
Norbert Rumstich in memoriam Susanna Santesson (download as pdf)
Susanna Santesson verstorben
Die frühere Rennreiterin Susanna M. Santesson aus Mettmann/Köln ist überraschend in Frankfurt, wo sie am Donnerstag in eine Klinik eingeliefert worden war, verstorben. Sie war auf nationaler und internationaler Ebene eine der einflussreichsten Funktionäre. Seit 2001 war sie als Generalsekretärin der Fegentri, der weltweit bedeutensten Organisation der Amateurreiterinnen, tätig, zuletzt noch bei einer großen Veranstaltung in Katar. Viele Jahre gehörte sie bei den Galoppern auch zu den fähigsten Mitgliedern von Rennleitungen. Sie war überaus beliebt. Zwischen 1974 und 1991 bestritt sie Galopprennen, kam auf 30 Siege, gewann 1974 unter anderem in Krefeld die “Perlenkette”. Ihren letzten Ritt absolvierte sie am 20. Mai 1991 in Köln. Media-Sportservice.de
