Photo – Roslyn Neave

Born 2008 Bay 170 cm Hanoverian
Breeder: GERD PIGGE

Although the Germans are a bit coy about releasing stats on the number of mares covered by each stallion, it is generally thought that Foundation is the stallion with the largest harem. Foundation is regularly at the top of the rankings on the German breeding values and with his successful entry into Grand Prix ranks, his star is set to shine even brighter.

Foundation’s sire, Fidertanz

Foundation was  awarded the 2020 Hanoverian Verband’s Grande-Prize. The twelve-year-old privately owned stallion stands at the private Schafhof Stud in Kronberg. The award was in recognition of the progeny he has produced, and Foundation’s own performances with Matthias Alexander Rath.

Foundation was born in 2008 bred by Gerd Pigge in Lastrup and came to the Verden Foal Auction under the name Figo II.

Like so many stallions who go on to fame and fortune, Foundation was not initially licensed and was sold in the Verden Stallion Sales, to Paul Schockemöhle for €95,000. A few months later, Foundation was licensed at the Verden stallion licensing under saddle.

Foundation completed his test with top marks, which earned him a dressage breeding value of 149. Anja Engelbart took over the basic training of the bay and qualified him for the Bundeschampionat. Later Matthias Alexander Rath took over the reins of the young stallion. When he was eight years old, he had his first international successes at Inter I level and two years later his first top placings in Grand Prix. With the German Nations Cup team, the pair finished second in Falsterbo, Sweden in 2019. In 2020, Foundation was 3rd in the Grand Prix and 4th in the Freestyle at Doha. He started 2021 well at Mannheim, with a 3rd in the Grand Prix and 4th in the Freestyle.

Photo – Roslyn Neave

The award of the Grande-Prize is, however, recognition of breeding success of a stallion, and Foundation can also impress in this respect. As many as ten foals from his first crop were admitted to the Verden auction. Since then, almost 50 riding horses and foals have found new owners at the Verden Auctions. Seven of his 22 Hannoverian Premium Candidates were awarded prizes at the famous Herwart von der Decken Mare Show. His breeding values confirm the evaluation that was made in 2011 with the breeding value from the suitability test. The results of his daughters in mare performance tests earn him a breeding value of 145, his breeding value for young horse tests is 153 and for the highest class achieved already 131.

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In 2020 Foundation was successful at Grand Prix level with Matthias Alexander Rath in Doha/QAT (Photo: Hannoveraner Verband/Stefan Lafrentz)

Foundation is out of Donna Doria by De Vito by that most prolific of dressage sires, De Niro out of Elfengold – by another son of Gotthard, Goldstern. Donna Doria is the daughter of Weinga by Andiamo who combines three of the most influential sires that shaped the modern Warmblood – the Trakehner, Absatz, the Selle Français, Furioso II and Gotthard once again.

Donna Doria produced three licensed stallions: the German Championship finalist Fiderstar, the premium stallion Glock’s Falvio (both by Fidertanz), Hanoverian Vice Champion Firefox (by Feedback) and Anabel Balkenhol’s young horse Crystal Friendship (by Fidertanz).

I am grateful to Britta Züngel of the Hanoverian Verband for this information on Foundation’s mare line…

“Donna Doria by De Vito was the first mare Gerd Pigge registered with the Hannoveraner Verband in 2006. He discovered her dam at the Anton Böckmann farm whose stallion station is located only a stone-throw away from Pigge’s farm. The breeder celebrated many show successes with Donna Doria’s dam, Weniga, and even participated in the European Mare Show in Brussels in 1994.

“I always wanted to register one of my mares in Hanover,” the breeder from Lastrup explains. He hit the jackpot with Donna Doria. He had actually planned to breed the tall and lanky liver chestnut only once and then get her ready for competitions. But the quality of the first foal was so convincing that Gerd Pigge reconsidered and inseminated Donna Doria again right away this time with semen of the Rhineland sire Fidertanz.

The ten-year old mare has delivered six colts up to now; all of which sold in Verden earning more than 300,000.00 Euros for Gerd Pigge. The first one was born in 2006 and is the licensed stallion Fiderstar. The privately owned sire Foundation followed in 2008 and is creating a sensation at Schockemöhle’s station. Three other colts sold for top prices and found new homes in foreign countries. Then there was Friemel. He was a powerful mover, but a bit on the heavy side as a foal the breeder remembers. He is delighted that Donna Doria has delivered a filly this year; he definitely wants to keep it.”

Thanks Britta…

photo Roslyn Neave

Foundation was another of those huge moving young stallions that you worry if they will ever collect enough to make it to Grand Prix, but in 2018, the handsome bay proved his critics wrong. With Matthias Alexander Rath, he was placed in the Louisdor final in Frankfurt (this is a class for young Grand Prix horses, aged eight to ten.) Previously, he won numerous Small Tour classes and took the lead in the Burg Cup final.

The Foundation son, Ferrari (photo – Kenneth Braddick)

Among his 17 licensed sons are Ferrari OLD, the P.S.I. price record holder and Vice World Champion with Andreas Helgstrand, the reserve champion Freischütz with Luxemburg’s Sascha Schulz as well as the Hanoverian champion Feuertanz with Matthias Alexander Rath. His daughter, Feel Free OLD, was 2nd Reserve Champion mare and German Vice Champion. His filly Fantasy was sold for €107,000 euros, the absolute top price in Vechta.

In 2019 Foundation continued to build his reputation, 6th in the Grand Prix and 4th in the Special at Falsterbo, and 2nd in the Grand Prix and 5th in the Special at Wiesbaden…

Foundation’s rider Matthias Alexander Rath was aware of his talent from the start: “I first saw him when he was three years old at the Schockemöhle stallion show. That was the time I was riding Totilas at the stallion shows.”

Was it love at first sight?

“It was impressive, really impressive how he moved, we then watched a little bit his development, when he was three and four and five and then we got him at the end of his five-year-old year.”

What is he like to ride?

“He has super big movements, really big canter, really big trot. He made it now at Grand Prix level, and that is for sure because he has a super mind. He wants to do everything, he wants to learn everything. It is sometimes difficult for these horses with big movements, especially when they don’t have his mind and his willingness to learn all the Grand Prix stuff, without a mind like his, it is not possible.”

Have you ridden any of his progeny?

“We already have a six-year-old one, turning seven, a Foundation stallion and he maybe will go to the Nürnberger Burg-Pokal this year. He has really good gaits and also a really good character. There are many good offspring out competing – like Faviola (Weltmeyer) with Nadine Husenbeth who competed in the Young Horse championship in Ermelo. They have good heads, good movement.”

Over any particular mares?

“You can take a little bit blood type mares, that works really well. But the one I have is out of a Breitling mother, and you can see the Breitling influence. What he gives to a lot of his offspring – it is difficult to say to all – is his gaits, that is what he gives.”

In the 2021 Hanoverian Stallion book, he has personal winnings of €44,377, and has produced 255 competitors with winnings of €73,170. He is the sire of five approved Hanoverian sons.

His 2021 FN breeding value as a producer of young horses is 151, with a highest level achieved score of 137. He has a Hanoverian dressage value of 137 (78 for jumping) and 112 for type. He scores 140 for trot and 151 for rideability.

Want to breed your mare to Foundation in Australia this season?

You can with frozen semen from International Horse Breeders:

www.ihb.com.au