German breeding expert, Thomas Hartwig looks at one of Germany’s most prestigious breed shows…
Anyone who wants to learn something about the really important details of breeding philosophy and the secrets of success of the German Warmblood breeding should visit someday one of the elite mare shows of the different breeding associations in Germany. One of the nicest and most important events of this kind is the show of the Oldenburger Breeding Association which is embedded in their great horse show, which is called “Oldenburger Landesturnier”. This show is a kind of Bundeschampionate for the Oldenburger where you will see the best young horses in all disciplines. It takes place in the month July in the park of the Castle Rastede in the Northwest of Germany. For all breeders and friends of the Oldenburger horses, it and the stallion licensing in the autumn, are most important breeding events. Around about 30,000 spectators come to Rastede to enjoy the show.
Like all other breeding associations, in Oldenburg all active broodmares must be registered in the studbook at the age of three or four years. The central examination of the mares takes place in the month June at the headquarters of the association in the town of Vechta. Between 300 and 400 mares are marked for the type, the quality of exterior, the correctness, trot, walk and jumping without a rider and the overall impression. Additionally a test rider gives marks for the riding quality. These marks are the basis for the acknowledgement of the mares as “Staats – or Verbandsprämienstuten” which are the highest and second highest levels of brood mares. The 60 best are allowed to take their place at the Elite Mare Show in the middle of July in Rastede.
These approved mares for the Elite Show are presented to the judges in hand, standing, walking and trotting on the triangular track. After all mares have been presented, the judges select about the best 15 of them, to the so called ‘Diamond’ ring. There they examine the mares a second time, the champion mare is selected and all top ‘models’ ranked. In an impressive award ceremony the mares, their owners and their breeders are celebrated.
Because of the growing importance of the marketing and promotion of stallions and sires in the last 20 or 30 years, some breeders have forgotten what is really important for long-term successful breeding. Everyone is looking to the sires. Everyone knows their results at the stallion licensing or the stallion performance tests and their success in sport competitions. But the really important role revolves around the mares. It sounds a little bit harsh, but sires are interchangeable. With around 2,700 licensed Warmblood stallions in Germany, the chance is very good that several of them can be the right choice for a mare. But without the right mare, the best sire will mostly produce only a normal horse. Experienced breeders believe that the mares are at least to 60% responsible for the quality of the foal. And that is the reason why the Elite Mare Show is so interesting and important. It is very interesting to see, that a lot of the participating mares at the Elite Show are coming from mare families that have shown their qualities over generations. An old breeding wisdom says that it is nearly unimportant which sire is used, provided the mare comes from a mare family which has shown their qualities over generations.
The Fürstenball daughter, Fiesta Danza is the new queen of the Oldenburger Elite Mare Show (LL- Fotos)
Proof of this old breeding philosophy was noticeable once more this year at the Oldenburger Elite Mare Show in Rastede. This year´s winner was a daughter of the famous sire Fürstenball, Fiesta Danza, from a Weltmeyer / Ludendorff mother. She dominated the Diamond ring which makes her breeder and owner, the well-known Johannes Westendarp (Wallenhorst) very happy. The mare is a half-sister of the licensed sire Auheim´s Riano, which took part last at the World Championship of the Young Dressage Horses in Verden with the Austrian rider Stephanie Dearing, and which is qualified also this year for the class of the six-year-old horses. From the mother line of Fiesta Danza we know the sires Wolkentanz I and II, Chasseur I and II and also Calypso.
The second prize was given to another daughter of Fürstenball. Flora de Mariposa has a mother from Rubin Royal – Donnerschlag and was bred by Carsten Middendorf (Dinklage). Her owner is the international show jumper Rolf Moormann (Großenkneten). Flora de Mariposa this year had the best mare performance test of all Oldenburger mares with the mark 8.80 and she is the full sister to Fünf Sterne, the winning mare of the show in 2014. Only three days after her success in the Elite Mare Show, Flora Mariposa also convinced under saddle when she won with the mark 8.9 the Oldenburger Championship for three-year-old riding horses.
Flora Mariposa, another daughter of Fürstenball was second in the Elite Mare Show, and three days later won the Oldenburger Championship for three year old horses (mares and geldings).
Place three in the Elite Mare Show was given to the mare True Love, a daughter of Totilas with a mother from Florencio I and De Niro, she comes also from a famous stable. Breeder and owner is Olympic team dressage winner Ann Kathrin Linsehoff (Kronberg). Fourth to Rikkiroyal (DAnte Weltino / Don Gregory). In the Diamond ring a third daughter of Fürstenball was placed, this was the fifth placed mare, Voice, which has a Stedinger / Figaro mother and was bred by Thorsten Cording (Ganderkesee). So Fürstenball who dominated in 2014, when he put five mares to the Diamond ring, including the winning mare, this year once again the dominating sire.
As well as mares with the main on focus dressage, was the championship for show jumping mares in the age between three and six years of the breeding association Springpferdezuchtverband Oldenburg-International. First they were shown at the hand and later in loose jumping.
The Last Man Standing daughter Jella won the show jumper mare class
The title Miss OS-international was won by the beautiful grey Jella from Last Man Standing – Abke – Zeus. Jella´s breeder is Paul Wendeln (Garrel) and she is in the ownership of the son Peter. For the loose jumping Jella got from the judges the remarkable mark of 9.5. Also Jella´s pedigree is a proof for the above mentioned theory of breeding. Her origin comes from the renowned Juliane clan which produced in 2013 the winning mare. Another member of this family is Aquarell PW which is successful with Joachim Heyer in international show jumping competitions.
Place two was given to Botakara from Balou du Rouet – Espri – Grannus from the breeding of Erich Stevens (Molbergen) and in the ownership of Kulyanda and Oliver Haase (Bremen). Botakara is a sister of the Oldenburger Champion of 2014, Charming Spezial. An additional brother, Stakkato Special, is also successful in show jumping competitions at a high level. The third place was won by Brenda III from Zirocco Blue – Lefevre – Inschallah AA. Breeder of this mare is Werner Sandkamp (Gronau-Epe).
Oldenburgs Champion Mares: OL-Championesse Fiesta Danza, by Fürstenball/Weltmeyer/Ludendorff, and OS-Winner Jella, by Last Man Standing/Abke/Zeus
Perhaps in horse breeding, it is a little bit similar to the world of all of us. Because another old proverb says: If you are looking for a girl, look to the mother of the mother and you will see a lot about the future development of the girl.