09/22/2026
Hardy has been such a pillar in the driving community. His approach to judging and being on the jury for competitions was always keeping well in mind the participants. He was so encouraging and positive! He will be missed!
It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Eberhard (Hardy) Zantke.
Hardy passed away with his loving wife at his side on September 21st, 2026 after a brief illness.
Hardy’s involvement with horses, and carriage driving in particular, reaches back to his earliest days. He learned to drive horses as a youngster with draft-teams at his grandfather’s drayage company in East Germany. He later had a formal riding education in the West German army. After immigrating to the U.S. with his wife Jutta and settling in Torrance, CA they became one of the top competitors in Combined Driving in the USA in the 80′s and 90′s with their pairs of 17 hand bay Holsteiner geldings.
Hardy and Jutta competed regularly throughout the entire U.S. and Canada and were first alternate of the U.S. team at the 1993 World Pair Driving Championship. As skilled as he was as a driver, he was equally talented in training his horses. He and Jutta brought up two pairs from importing them as three year olds to being long-listed with the US Equestrian Team. They also competed with a four-in-hand and were named to the USET List of Developing Drivers with that turnout.
Hardy remained active in combined driving even after he and Jutta retired from competition. Together, they co-organized the California Classic CDE from 1990 - 2000. With his background as competitor, organizer and judge, he was highly qualified in his role as Chef d’Equipe from 1996 to 2006 for thirteen U.S. Teams at the World Championships, bringing home five medals.
Hardy was retired from his role as an executive in the transportation industry; for many years he also represented a German carriage manufacturer. He was in demand as a clinician and was known for his kind, direct and effective teaching style.
Hardy was also a highly qualified combined driving judge. In addition to being a licensed FEI 3* Driving and Para Equestrian Driving judge, Hardy was a Senior judge with the American Driving Society and a qualified driving judge with the US Equestrian Federation. Hardy was part of the ground jury at events throughout North America and abroad and was actively officiating at combined driving events right up to a few weeks prior to his passing.
Hardy wrote interesting and informative columns for many driving publications around the world, and his regular contribution “From Between my Blinders” for the ADS publication The Whip was a favorite of readers. He was an Honorary Director of the American Driving Society, the recipient of the 2000 ADS President’s Award for his ongoing contributions to driving, and in 2014 was honored as one of the 40 most outstanding ADS members.
His contributions to driving were innumerable; he will be very much missed.
Hardy leaves behind his wife Jutta, his children Tina, Julie and Ziggy and his grandchildren Finn, Otto, Marta, Knut and Gustav.
(Elisa Marocchi)
