2003 166 cm Bay
Breeder – Rolf Eggerking
Since 2009, the Grande-Prize has been awarded to Hanoverian stallions from the age of ten to twelve, a time when first reliable information about their hereditary qualities becomes available as the eldest offspring of a stallion can then be judged under saddle. The breeder of the stallion is honoured with this prize. The naming of the trophy honours the hereditary accomplishments of the foundation stallion, Grande.
The Grande-Prize for 2016 was given to the Celle state stud stallion Comte – who is, after all, out of a great great grand daughter of Grande.
Comte has been highly promoted by the Hanoverian Verband. According to the official citation: “The Contendro/Granulit-son established an excellent reputation as the sire of brilliant jumpers at an early age. He was successfully shown up to the advanced show jumping level and was at the top of the breed value estimation in recent years. His breeder Rolf Eggerking, Brinkum, was specially honoured on the occasion of the Verden Auction in March.”
Hold on, lets check the facts. According to the Hanoverian Stallion book 2017, Comte competed up to Medium level (not S or Advanced) and earned €3,449 in prizemoney. In these days when breeding stallions are expected to prove themselves in the competition arena, this is a fairly lacklustre CV.
According to the same Stallion Book, he has produced 70 competitors (nine more than the previous year) for winnings of €27,225 with 57 jumpers only four of which has competed at S level…
Three years later, the 2020 Hanoverian stallion book, reports 129 competitors for winnings of €76,589, with only one making it to S level, and the lowest rung of S at that. In that book, his Hanoverian value for dressage is 92, and his jumping value, 141, he scores a positive 115 for type. His FN breeding value for young horse competitors is 141 and for highest level achieved, 101.
Again the official story: “Comte descends from the dam line of Gaeta and was born in East Frisia in 2003. His pedigree features the well-known Contendro, one of the most influential jumper sires in Hanover, combined with the blood of foundation stallion Grannus, via his dam’s sire Granulit. Comte grew up at the stallion raising station Hunnesrück and completed an outstanding 300-day performance test in October 2006: with a show jumping score of 130.43 points. The typey young bay stallion was second best of his age-group in this discipline. In the next two years, he competed in the Final of the Hanoverian Show Jumping Championships before he celebrated first advanced level placings with Joachim Winter in 2011.”
“He started his breeding career in Oberndorf in 2007 where he was pretty popular with the breeders right from the very beginning. His first progeny are started under saddle and the number of mares he covers continue to increase.”
“Since he entered the breed value estimation the first time, Comte always occupied one of the top places. One major reason for this success at such a young age, are the outstanding results his daughters achieved at mare performance tests. He is also one of the highest ranked stallions in Germany. The 2016 Hanoverian breed value estimation generated an outstanding jumper value of 145, his value with the integrated breed value estimation of the German FN amounts to the fantastic figure of 162 points.”
“Comte’s progeny are athletic horses with a lot of scope and super rideability. The first progeny are now competing at the advanced level. One daughter impressed in the show ring last year: Hanoverian premium candidate Coco M won the jumper division at the Herwart v. d. Decken-Show. Statistics also show 21 Verden auction horses, nine state premium mares and two licensed stallions.”
