1991 – 2015 16.3 hh Bay
Breeder: Gerd Sosath
One day I will write a book, and at the beginning of each chapter there will be a photo of just one mare – in each case a mare on which a whole breeding operation was based. It is the truth, time after time, that great studs have been based on a single individual, and so it is at the breeding farm of Gerd Sosath, in the heart of Germany’s finest horse country, not far from Bremen.
In the case of this stud it is Fureida II, the dam of Landor S, who has played a huge role in the changes that have taken place, as Gerd Sosath’s 100 hectare property transformed itself from a family farm with 200 cows and two horses to one of Oldenburg’s premier horse operations with 260 horses and no cows. At the stud they are very proud of their pasture and the fact that the mares and foals can enjoy the summer out in the sunshine, playing on the rich grass.
Fureida, started a dynasty…
Fureida had a lot to do with the transformation since she gave birth first to Laertes, an advanced jumping horse with many wins with his breeder Gerd Sosath in the saddle, then to Landwerder, also a licensed stallion, exported to the United States where he went by the name of Silver Lining. But it was with the third son, that Fureida hit the jackpot – Landor S, a six-year-old champion at the Bundeschampionate in 1997, and a national level competitor with Gerd Sosath and after that, with his son, Hendrik.
Fureida is royally bred being by Godehard, the most successful son of that pinnacle of Hanoverian jumping breeding, Gotthard and out of Fureida by the celebrated Furioso II (this of course is exactly the breeding of Voltaire, except he was by Furioso out of a Gotthard mare). After Landor S, her next foal was Lagoheidor, who won the Oldenburg stallion licensing in 1994, and the following year topped his performance test. In 2000, Fureida gave birth to her fourth licensed stallion son, Corioso by Corofino I.
Godehard – dam sire of Landor S
Two of the Springpferdezuchtverband Oldenburg-International (OS) champion stallions so far have been by Landor S and in 2004 his son Lauterbach (out of a Contender mare) became Vice Champion of the OS approval. His daughter, Lady Heida, was the 2002 German Champion Mare with emphasis on jumping.
Lauterbach was subsequently purchased by the Frenchman, Christian Baillet and was an immediate success in his showjumping stable, dominating the six year old classes in the 2007 season before going on to take out the French 6 Year old Championship at Fontainebleau with Phillipe Rozier.
Lauterbach – Landor S in France
The Sosath family website boasts the Landor’s progeny have won more than one million euros, and that there are around 90 horses that are successful in Germany, and more around the world. Landor himself won €9,637 in competition.
Landor S is a prolific sire of amateur horses and international show jumpers. Lobster and Levante (Sören Pedersen), Leoville (Philipp Weishaupt), Lacapo (Alexander Hufenstuhl), Loyd (Nina Braaten), Lord G (Beezie Madden), Rabea (Holger Wulschner), Wandor van de Mispelaere (Samantha McIntosh), Generation (Mario Stevens), Kuan Yin (Julia Schönhuber) and Petula (Takashi Haase) are some of the horses which are very successful at international level. Good solid performers rather than superstars perhaps, a little like their sire…
A successful jumper with Sören Pedersen, Lobster
In the 2014 edition of the Hanoverian stallion book, Landor S is recorded with 860 competitors with winnings of €1,525,390, with twelven with winnings in excess of €15,000. The most successful has been the Baverian stallion, Leoville (out of a Wettruf mare) ridden by Phillip Weishaupt with winnings of €287,534. In 2013, they were 2nd in a 1.50 class at Estoril***** and had solid placings at Hamburg, Vienna, London, Stuttgart and Hong Kong. The next most successful has been Lacapo with €84,851 – he was ridden by the Hungarian, Emil Orban at the Euro Champs in 2013. Their best result in 2014 has been a 4th in the Grand Prix at Neumünster.
In the 2016 Hanoverian book, Landor S has an FN breeding value of 86 for dressage, and 123 for jumping. His Hanoverian breeding values are – dressage, 67, jumping, 137 and type – 121. He is recorded as having 882 competitors with winnings of €1,704,055. Thirteen jumpers have won more than €15,000 – headed up by Leoville – €292,444, with Lobster the next most successful on €64,286.
The 2017 book has him with 889 competitors with winnings of €1,755,681, with 15 jumpers earning more than €15,000. Leoville 2 is the most successful of these with €292,444. The gelding out of a Wettruf / Roberto mare, was successful in Europe with Phillip Weishaupt, and the pair won the GP at the Estoril Global Champions show in 2012 before being sold to the USA.
The 2018 book shows 897 competitors for €1,806,722 in winnings. 135 of his progeny jumped at S level or better. He is the sire of 16 horses that have won more than €15,000. Far and away the most successful of these has been Leoville with €288,994. Leoville was initially ridden by Phillip Weishaupt, before being sold to the United States to be campaigned with limited success by Meagan Nusz and Kyle King.
The 2019 edition records 902 competitors winning €1,842,397, with 135 jumping at S level. He is the sire of 17 horses that have won more than €15,000. Far and away the most success being Leoville with €288,994, the next highest, Lacapo with €97,425. His Hanoverian value for dressage is 64, for jumping, 137, and 115 for type.
In the 2020 Hanoverian Stallion book, he has 907 competitors with winnings of €1,863,490. His FN ranking as a sire of young jumping horses is 112, as a sire of competition horses, 108, and on the highest level achieved ranking, 108.
His 2020 Hanoverian value for type is 113, for limbs, 110, for dressage 64, and for jumping 137.
By 2021, the number of competitors has grown to 912 and the winnings to €1,869,767, he still have 17 with winnings of over €15,000 and Leoville is still the standout star. His FN young horse value has dropped to 110, and highest level achieved down to 106.
His 2021 Hanoverian values are 112 for type, 109 for limbs, 62 for dressage and 137 for jumping and 64 on the new value for height. The following explanation by the Breeding Manager, Ulrich Hahne for this new value appears in the preface of this year’s book: ‘In the category Breeding Value Estimation the breeding value height is added in the Hanoverian breeding value estimation, stud book entry. The height is estimated by a member of the commission in the context of studbook entry. During the years it was discussed again and again whether a breeding value based on an estimate should be published. Now we have decided to do so, because even when measuring with a measuring stick there are influences such as the ground, experience of the person measuring etc, which have an influence.’
Phillip Weishaupt and Leoville win in Estoril… (Sportfot/GCT)
