Diane Creech was born in the United States but moved to Germany at the age of five. She began riding as a teenager when, as a reward for taking care of his animals, Diane took a veterinarian’s horses out for rides in the country. After four years of ‘doing time’ in business management, Diane decided to fulfill her dream of working with horses and spent the next three years apprenticing for her German Bereiter. On Christmas Eve in 1989, Diane arrived in Canada in her quest to ‘see the world’ but never left, instead establishing herself as a dressage trainer. Her business is based at the farm of Mr. Ferdinand Haupt in Haegersville, Ontario, who imports and breeds the sales horses that Diane trains and shows. One of the current stars is Fabienne, a black States Premium Westphalian mare that was imported as a five-year-old.
In addition, Diane competes several quality horses owned by Doug and Louise Leatherdale of Leatherdale Farms, based in Minnesota. Their partnership was struck at a horse auction when Doug purchased a mare that Diane had been training. Impressed by the quality of the horse’s training, Doug left the mare in Diane’s care. Soon after, he purchased the mare’s full-sister, Wiona, that Diane brought up through the levels and began showing at Intermediaire in 2005. Diane describes Wiona as very bold and says she carries her emotions on her sleeve, letting you know immediately how she feels.
Spectators often do a 'double take' as Diane competes with another one of the Leatherdale’s chestnut Hannoverian mares, Weltkoenigin, at the same level. Diane has been riding Weltkoenigin for three years and, while she also has incredible talent, Diane says she is the opposite of Wiona in that she is extremely sensitive and requires patience and assurance. Both mares exhibit great potential for the Grand Prix level and when Diane does move them up, it will mark her own Grand Prix debut as well.
Diane also carries high hopes for yet another chestnut Hannoverian, this one a gelding named Devon L. Bred at Leatherdale Farms, Devon L is by De Niro by Donnerhall and out of a Wolkenstein II dam. While not an easy horse to train, Devon L is good looking and has great movement, including a phenomenal canter. After earning the 2005 Canadian FEI Five-Year-Old Championship title, he started the 2006 season with wins in the Six-Year-Old Division in Florida. In August, the pair was selected to represent Canada at the 2006 World Young Horse Breeding Championships in Verden, Germany. The trip, which included other shows and training with Canadian coach Norbert van Laak, marked Diane's first visit to Germany since she left in 1989.
Diane is married and has two children, Patrick, 12, and Vanessa, 7.
Wiona
1997 chestnut Hannoverian mare, 16.3hh by Weltmeyer
Owner: Louise and Douglas Leatherdale
Weltkoenigin
1995 chestnut Hannoverian mare, 16.3hh by Weltmeyer
Owner: Louise and Douglas Leatherdale
Fabienne
1999 black Westphalian mare, 16.3hh by Florestan
Owner: Diane Creech and Mr. Ferdinand Haupt
Devon L
2000 chestnut Hannoverian gelding, 16.3hh by De Niro
Owner: Louise and Douglas Leatherdale, Leatherdale Farms
Lascara
2002 liver chestnut Hannoverian mare, 16.3hh by Londonderry
Owner: Ferdinand Haupt
