Olympic dressage champion Frederic Wandres and his horse handler Lars Ligus are engaged. The 38-year-old world-class rider popped the question to his longtime boyfriend, 29, over the weekend, and he gleefully accepted. “We’re in South Tyrol on vacation and decided to do it together,” Wandres confirmed.
The couple also announced the engagement on Instagram. In the video, Wandres can be seen dropping to one knee, offering his partner a ring, and then the pair embrace. Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” plays in the background. Ligus commented on the video with “I said yes” and “finally Mr & Mr”.
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Instagram / larsligus
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Ligus tends Wandres’s horses, including during the team gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics and the August European Championship win in Crozet, France. He is also a skilled rider in his own right. In February, Ligus helped the German team win the Nations Cup in Wellington, Florida.
Wandres and Ligus have been together since 2017 and have previously spoken about their partnership or shared vacation photos on social media. On his website, the Olympic champion writes about his partner: “My eye, my ear, my critic, my best friend, my mental support, my soulmate, this is my life partner Lars Ligus for me.” He trusts his partner “completely,” he explained. “We speak a language” — and not just in private life: “In my team, Lars is certainly the most important member to me. My successes are also his successes!”
Direct link | Brief Wandres portrait after his Olympic victory on regional television
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The two work together at the Kasselmann family’s sports and trading stable in Hagen am Teutoburger Wald. At a tournament held on the Kasselmann grounds near Osnabrück, they have even faced each other on the field. Ligus also occasionally takes on coaching duties. Most often, Wandres is advised by national team coach Monica Theodorescu, who lives near Hagen.
