1995 – 2017 168 cm Chestnut

Breeder: Klaus-Hermann Ehlen

When Dr Bade brought Lauries Crusador into the Celle stallion barn, he was hoping to produce first cross mares, who would then produce performers – but he got much more than he bargained for, with Grand Prix competitors in the first generation, and a stallion who was to emerge as one of the hottest new prospects of the late 90’s – Londonderry.

It was in many ways the perfect match – the refined Thoroughbred over a mare by the movement machine – but not so refined – Warkant.

Londonderry’s dam, Windsor Queen is the full sister of the stallion, Wallstreet Kid, exported to the USA.

Londonderry

Londonderry was the champion of the 1997 Hanoverian stallion licensing and came fifth at his performance test the following year. He went on to win the Four Year old Stallion Championship at the Bundeschampionate in 1999.

Since then Londonderry has competed up to Intermediaire I level, with two advanced placings and total winnings of €3,599 and there his competition career came to an end.

His daughter, La Perla won the Three Year Old Riding Horse Championship at the Bundeschampionate of 2004.

Thirty four of his sons have become licensed stallions, including Liberty Gold who won his licensing and performance test. He has also produced the three brothers, Locksley I, II and III. Locksley I was the reserve champion of the 2003 Hanoverian licensing. Locksley II was third in his stallion performance test in 2005, winning the dressage section, and won the Four Year old Stallion class at the 2006 Bundeschampionate. Another stallion son, Londontime, sold for a record €510,000 at the Verden auction and in 2014 was 3^rd on the Hanoverian dressage stallion topliste. However there is still a feeling that Londonderry hasn’t lived up to early expectations.

Londontime

In the 2014 Hanoverian Stallion book, he is listed with 637 competitors with winnings of €343,693, with 53 competing at S level. Only two of his progeny have earned more than €10,000: Linas 2 and London Eye L.

In the 2021 Hanoverian stallion book, he has 776 competitors with winnings of €600,748. He has produced 95 ‘S’ level dressage horses with five at 5* level. His FN value as a sire of young dressage horses is 126, for highest level achieved, 135. On the Hanoverian values, he scores an impressive 145 for type, which puts him into 6th spot on the Hanvoerian top 1% for type. His dressage value is 126, for jumping, 74.

In an interview with Werner Schade, then the breeding director of the Hanoverian Verband in 2019, I put it to him: with Londonderry when we first saw him we thought, this is the most wonderful stallion, but to be ruthlessly honest, as a sire he has not been a huge success…

World Champion d’Avie, carrying on the important Lauries Crusader bloodline
though his dam sire, Londonderry

“Yes, with direct offspring in sport you are right, but his value for the breeders is on the mother’s side. One example is the World Champion stallion, d’Avie, if you look at him, he is very close to Londonderry, and we have many good horses with Londonderry mothers, they give type – I think the whole Lauries Crusader bloodline will have its high value on the mother’s side in the future.”

Londonderry was revealed as a WFFS carrier towards the end of his life.