Off the Clock with Katrin Eckermann: Taking Her Time at the Top

Katrin Eckermann knows the feeling of finishing ahead of the biggest names in the sport. She also knows that staying among them means looking beyond the next result.

In her latest Off the Clock interview, the German rider offers an insight into the thinking behind her success: the family support that has sustained her career, the partnerships that make each victory personal, and the patience required to bring another generation of horses to the top.

Her first Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix podium came in Hamburg in 2012, when she finished third with Carlson 46 at just 22, alongside Nick Skelton with Big Star and Rolf-Göran Bengtsson with Casall La Silla. Two years later, she returned to win with Firth of Lorne, ahead of Ben Maher with Cella and Scott Brash with Hello Sanctos — a podium featuring three of the sport’s most celebrated partnerships.

Back-to-back Miami Beach victories with Cala Mandia followed in 2022 and 2023, alongside second place in the 2022 LGCT Super Grand Prix, where she finished between Daniel Deusser with Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z and McLain Ward with HH Azur. Across those defining moments, Eckermann has shared the podium with some of the finest riders and horses of her generation.

In 2026, she added a third Miami Beach title, this time with Iron Dames Dialou Blue PS, before the pair finished second in Mexico City. Miami was an emotional victory after a difficult winter; Mexico reinforced her belief in the mare’s quality.

Behind those results is a support system Eckermann speaks about with warmth. Her family, grooms and horse owners have all helped sustain her place at the highest level, while her father’s eye for talent and involvement in breeding remain central to the horses coming through.

Some of those partnerships carry a particularly deep family connection.

“It’s really based on trust in each other,” she explains. “It’s really a family horse. I have no words for that. I’m really thankful.”

That trust also shapes how she approaches a Championship campaign. Sitting fifth in the standings at the time of the interview, Eckermann was balancing the opportunity to collect more points with the needs of horses still gaining experience. She was prepared to step back from the remaining stages to give them that time.

“It’s also really important to give the horses a break, to take the time.”

For a rider with clear ambitions, it is a telling decision. Progress is measured in the confidence and development she feels in her horses, alongside the results they achieve.

Her focus remains on her own preparation, too. Asked about the riders around her in the Championship, Eckermann returns to what she can influence: her horses, her management and the feeling she takes into the arena.

“The most important thing is to feel good, and this you can give to your horses.”

With the support of Iron Dames and more young talent developing at home, there is plenty to look forward to. Fourteen years after her first LGCT podium, Eckermann’s ambition remains strong — and so does her belief in the patient work that makes those moments possible.

Watch the full Off the Clock interview with Katrin Eckermann below.