1995 168 cm Black

Hanoverian Stallion of the Year 2018

Breeder: Hans-Heinrich Müller

Rotspon  the most successful son of  Rubinstein in the Hanoverian breeding district has died at the age of 28.

Perhaps part of this success comes from a powerful mare line. The dam sire, Argentan, was famed as a ‘mare maker’, with the added bonus of Pik Bube I and Wendekreis.

A full-sister to the grand dam, Jessika, bred to Matcho AA produced the Celle stallion, Morning Star.

Rotspon was reserve champion of his licensing and the following year, easily winning his performance test with a score of 145.67. He was a particular star for the test riders, giving them all such a pleasant ride.

Rotspon has consistently produced top selling auction horses at the Verden auction. As of 2019, he is the sire of 163 state premium mares so far, including Romanze, the champion mare of the 2002 Ratje-Niebuhr Show in Verden.

Rotspon

Rotspon has been responsible for twenty licensed stallions, including Re Primeur and Royal Blend both of whom were awarded the Burchard Müller Prize as the best stallions of their respective age classes.

His son Rascalino was champion stallion of his Performance test in Adelheidsdorf in 2004. Royal Blend was the premium stallion of the 2003 Hanoverian Licensing and was second at the Celle stallion performance test in October 2004. At the Verden Indoor Riding Tournament of 2005, he was awarded the Burchard Müller prize as best stallion of the 2001 age class. Neither survived the clean-out at Celle at the beginning of 2017, with Rascalino sold to the USA and Royal Blend to Canada.

Rascalino

Royal Blend

However, it should be noted that the then Director of the Hanoverian Verband, Dr Wilkens, in his review of the 2000 stallion licensing, warned that for Rotspon to be successful he needed carefully selected mares:

“After viewing the first extensive group of stallion prospects by Rotspon, we advise the breeders who wish to breed to this sire to make sure that the dam has a well shaped top-line and very correctly positioned hind legs. His offspring show overall a very nice trot movement, an attractive canter, and a satisfactory or even better walk.” Like all the descendents of Rubinstein, who was a wind-sucker himself, there is a slight worry that the line is prone to the vice.

Rotspon stripped…

Trotting out for the breeders

and under saddle…

In the 2022, Hanoverian Stallion Book, Rotspon is credited with 1017 competition progeny with winnings of €998,319 – 884 dressage placegetters with 112 progeny competing at S level. He is the sire of sixteen dressage horses that have won more than €10,000.

Rotspon’s FN dressage breeding index for young horse progeny is 120, for highest level achieved it is 137.  His Hanoverian dressage index is 119 with a jumping index of 79. In keeping with Dr Wilkens’ warning, he has a negative 70 score for hind legs and a negative 86 for type – but he does throw beautiful necks, value 127.

In 2018, he was awarded Hanoverian Stallion of the Year. He has 29 Licensed sons in Germany and he has sired 163 State Premium mares.

He is the dam sire of Dorothee Schneider’s Bundes Champion and Grand Prix Medal winner, Showtime FRH.

Dorothee and Showtime starting out their successful partnership, winning at the Bundeschampionships

Rotspon is the sire of five 4* dressage competitors, and one 5* – Alison Brock’s Roosevelt (out of a Lauries Crusador mare).

Allison Brock and Roosevelt
(Photo Kenneth Braddick / Dressage-news)

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