As the son of the owner of a riding school, Wolfgang followed in his footsteps, and at the age of 20 he was awarded the German Gold Riding Medal for his achievements in dressage, showjumping and eventing. Wolfgang completed his riding teacher examinations and then studied education at Ludwigsburg university where he was awarded a Phd, followed by further professional riding examinations. He was appointed head of the German Riding School in 1976. From 1985 to 1989 he was the Australian dressage coach, traveling several times a year to Australia to teach – his most successful pupil was Erica Taylor, the first Australian to compete at a World Dressage Championships, in 1986. With Wolfgang, Erica went on to compete at the Seoul Olympics, where she narrowly missed the cut-off for the Special.