It was great news for the Australian dressage and breeding community, when it became publicly known that Dr. Kerry Mack purchased the delightful black Hanoverian stallion Weltstar.
The 8-year old trained Weltstar is by Weltmeyer x Feiner Stern x Pik Bube II and was owned by Theo van den Broeck and standing in the Netherlands. Dutch former World Young Horse Champion rider Hans Peter Minderhoud competed Weltstar at Fourth Level under the name Whisper.
The sale of Weltstar is a story filled with good fortune and happiness. Dr Kerry Mack, who is known as the owner of the KWPN Stallion Mayfield Pzazz (Jazz x Amulet x Le Faquin xx) met Weltstar's owner Van den Broeck at the 2003 Global Dressage Forum the first weekend of October. "When I told him I was looking for a special stallion to be a real asset to Australian breeders and one that would be suitable for me to ride, he offered me Whisper," Mack explained.
Owner Theo van den Broeck discovered Weltstar in Belgium. "I purchased him as a 3-year old at Frank Van Dijck's place in Belgium, where I've bought many more successful youngsters." Van den Broeck kept Weltstar first in training with Suzanne Miesner, who successfully competed him in the Bundeschampionate, and then placed him under the care of Hans Peter Minderhoud.
Minderhoud and Whisper had a terrific 2003 show season together. They became Dutch Fourth level Champions and won the Fourth Level Stallion Class at the CDI Verden, which coincided with the 2003 World Young Horse Championships.
Kerry Mack not only enjoys owning top quality breeding stallions, but she pushes through her ambition to ride them. Mack, who's not the tallest female rider in the world, competed Mayfield Pzazz in the 2003 World Championships for Young Dressage Horses. This meant that her new stallion had to be of the same rideability and quality as Pzazz. Mack's biggest fear was that Weltstar would be too big and strong for her to ride. However, "Hans Peter reassured me that he is a gentle horse and my mentor Suzanne Miesner also thought that we could be a good match," Mack explained.
Kerry immediately fell in love with the stallion when viewing him. "Of course he is beautiful and the fashionable colour, but more important to me is that he is breathtaking to ride: supple, scopey, responsive and sensitive," she said overjoyed.
Not only Weltstar's athleticism appealed to her, but also his bloodlines. "The depth of his breeding (Weltmeyer x Feiner Stern x Pik Bube II) make him a sensational match to the mares we have in Australia, which are often thoroughbred or crossed to TB." She added that, "we have some fantastic mares with soundness, toughness and athleticism, and a go-forward attitude that comes with the hot blood. Weltstar will contribute suppleness, scope and trainability."
Mack is very much looking forward to riding and breeding this stallion and she deserves the credit for taking bold steps in her life. "It will be a challenge for me to make a partnership with this special horse, but I like a challenge, which I think is clear to people from my efforts with Pzazz."
Dr. Kerry Mack was originally a show jumping rider, having competed in the World Cup Qualifiers in Australia "in my life BC (Before Children)," she joked. One of her newly set goals is to ride dressage at FEI level. With such talented horses as Pzazz and Weltstar it will be a done deal!
Text © Astrid Appels
Images copyrighted: Dirk Caremans (Weltstar Pictures)
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Hanoverian Stallion Weltstar, aka Whisper, Sold to Australia