1997 – 2022 169 cm black
Breeder: Angelika Westerhoff
Don Frederico has been put down at the age of twenty five. He was one of the most popular stallions at the Hanoverian state stud at Celle, and interestingly his popularity went against the fashion, since he was anything but a ‘foal producer’. Indeed when his first crops of foals appeared, his breeding stocks plummeted. It was not until the breeders saw that while they might not be the most attractive of foals, the Don Federicos made excellent riding horses with real dressage talent, that the mares started flowing in his direction again.
Don Frederico illustrates the thinking of some breeding experts – like Ludwig Christmann – that a little jumping blood can add to the dressage sire. His sire, Donnerhall needs no elaboation, but on his dam’s side we find the Trakehner, Consul (by the Thoroughbred Swazi) who produced an international dressage performer in Crisp who represented Australia at two Olympic Games (Sydney and Athens) with Ricky MacMillan, combined with the jumping blood of Gotthard and Ferdinand, through Gardulan and Wenderkreis. Consul who was awarded the Trakehner Stallion of the Year title, has been responsible for many successful mares. The cross Donnerhall / Consul, also produced Don Vino who won the Verden stallion licensing in 1999.
It is interesting that after the Celle Director, Dr Bade, held out against admitting Donnerhall blood to his stallion band for many years, not wishing to publicise an Oldenburg, and private stallion, when he did take two sons, Don Fredeerico and Don Vino, both were out of Consul mares, and both it was discovered later, were WFFS positive, which reinforces the suspicion that Donnerhall must have been positive.
The Trakehner, Consul
Don Frederico descends from one of the more famous Hanvoverian mare lines – that of Fassa (by Flingarth-Königskind), a line that has produced a string of stallions, the most notable of which was Lanthan.
Don Frederico was the champion of the 1999 Hanoverian licensing, and second in his performance test at Adelheidsdorf.
He went well at the Bundeschampionate in 2002 and 2003, before commencing an FEI level dressage career with Ole Köhler. The pair were sixth in the Nürnberg Burg Pokal in 2006, the first of the Celle stallions to enter the class.
Dantonius winning at the Bundeschampionate
Thirty one of Don Frederico’s sons have been licensed in Hanover, and 228 of his daughters awarded the states premium. His son, Dantonius was the three year old Mare or Gelding Riding Horse Champion at the 2005 Bundeschampionate.
In his review of the top stallions at Celle in 2006, Ludwig Christmann celebrated the rise to the top of Don Frederico:
“Don Frederico is the absolute shooting star. In the breed value estimation of the National Federation (FN) Don Frederico is classified as an exceptional producer with a score of 174 in the dressage breed value. On the federal level only one stallion surpasses him, Don Schufro, also a son of Donnerhall, with a score of 178. In the breed value estimation of the Hanoverian Association, which is based on mare performance test results and auction selection, Don Frederico was also rated highly with a score of 151.”
“It is interesting to look behind the scenes. In his first crop of three-year olds already 54 descendants – 39 in mare tests and 15 in the auction selection process – were evaluated. This large number of evaluated progeny increases the breed value considerably, which the accuracy rating of 0.89 expresses.”
“In the breed value of the FN it is worth looking at the individual components of the breed value for Don Frederico, the black champion stallion of the stallion licensing in Verden 1999. The component “stallion performance test” stands out. His own performance test results and the results of two descendants are recorded. Don Frederico won the rideability index of the performance test with an impressive score of 151.67. The competition breed value is also fairly high, 168. Don Frederico’s own exceptional successes in Young Riding Horse Classes were recorded. Furthermore, he profits from a huge family with many other successful horses descending from his sire, Donnerhall.”
Delon VR by Don Frederico out of a Lauries Crusador mare
“Don Frederico is definitely not known to produce type, which needs to be taken into consideration when selecting him for a breeding stallion. His breed value component for limbs (this score is for front legs, hind legs and correctness) is similar. However, the fear that the correctness of limbs might be a very weak point in his progeny, has proven unfounded on the figures available now – although his score of 108 for correctness of limb, is well below that of the perennial star of Hannoverian breeding, Weltmeyer, who scores 174. The breed values confirm the impressions, which we got last season at mare performance tests, the Federal Championships and at the auctions, that in Don Frederico, the State Stud Celle has a first-class dressage horse producer, which Hanoverian breeders will hopefully be able to enjoy for many years to come.”
In the 2008 book, Don Frederico’s correctness of limb score had fallen further – to 89 by 2014 it is down to 64. By 2022 the correctness score had plummeted to 47!
In the 2021 Hanoverian stallion book, Don Frederico has a dressage value of 132. His FN breeding value for young dressage horses is 128, for highest value achieved, 140.
In the 2022 Hanoverian Stallion book we see he has produced 1150 registered competitors with winnings of €1,722,029. 1452 of his progeny have placed in dressage competitions at S level. Eight of his progeny have won more than €10,000 – Don Johnson (€653,653), Diva Royal (€79,346), and Diavolessa vA (€42,281).
Dorothee Schneider and Diva Royal at the London Games…
Don Johnson and Isabell Werth at the WEG in 2013
Don Frederico is 22nd on the WBFSH dressage stallion rankings for 2014. On the 2015 WBFSH standings, he is in 20th spot, with four representatives, headed by Don Johnson FRH. Even with Don Johnson out injured, Don Frederico moved up on the 2016 standings to 16th place with eight representatives, the most successful of which was Don Diego Ymas (Wolkenstein II).
Don Diego Ymas competing with young Juan Matute
(Photo Kenneth Braddick)
On the 2017 WBFSH dressage sires rankings, Don Frederico shot up from 16th to 6th, with Don Johnson leading the charge. On the 2018 ranking, he has moved up to 5th. On the 2020 rankings, he is just outside the top ten, 11th, although his breeding career suffered a blow when he was caught up in the WFFS hysteria after it was established that he was a carrier. On the 2021 rankings he is in 16th place.
He has 31 licensed sons.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Wjrzn004Zc
