The German Equestrian Badge was a sports decoration of the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany which was awarded for proficiency in riding horses.
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History
It was instituted by the German National Federation for the Breeding and Testing of Thoroughbreds on 9 April 1930. The badge was issued in three grades (Bronze, Silver, and Gold) and appeared as a mounted horseman surrounded by an oakleaf wreath. At a later time, there was the addition of a Roman letter "R" in a circle at the base of the wreath. It was officially recognized as a national award. Notable recipients of the German Equestrian Badge include Reinhard Heydrich and Hermann Fegelein.
A much rarer decoration was the "Horse Riders Badge", presented for professional horse race competitions, which appeared as mounted chariot rider pulled by two horses surrounded by an oakleaf wreath with a Roman "R" letter in a circle at the base. It was instituted by the German National Federation for the Breeding and Testing of Thoroughbreds on 16 May 1930. The badge was issued in three grades (Bronze, Silver, and Gold). The approving authority was the Minister of the Interior.
SA version
A single grade "Expert Horseman Badge" was issued in the early 1930s by the Sturmabteilung. The decoration was very rare with only a handful ever presented. The SA version had been phased out by 1935 in favor of the standard Equestrian Badge.