Anja Plonzke Returns to Gestut Tannenhof, Hamberger Leaves

Dressage

German Dressage News

German Grand Prix rider Anja Plönzke has decided to return to her father's Gestut Tannenhof and take up the job again as stud manager and head rider. Tannenhof's current head rider Leif Hamberger will leave the yard.

This is the third time in 10 years that Plönzke has left and returned to her home base. In 2006 she left Tannenhof to start a new business with husband Roland Bauer at Gestut Rittsteig in Passau, but returned in 2008. In 2012 Plönzke left again to move to Maxhof near Munich as an independent rider.

In the absence of Anja at Tannenhof, the stud lost all its international flair and none of the stallions were competed internationally. Tannenhof's last international horse, Sungold (by Sandro Hit x Grundstein), sold to Korea in 2012 and never reappeared again.

The 38-year old Leif Hamberger had to work his way up with young material. He took the 10-year old Fahrenheit (by Fidertanz x De Niro) to S-level and competed the horse in the 2015 Nurnberger Burgpokal Finals. This year he had planned to show him in the Louisdor Cup.

Plönzke, who has now seperated from her husband, has decided to return home as her 80-year old father Klaus needs help managing his two businesses, Tannenhof and Clip My Horse. Anja will take over the ride on Fahrenheit and will only bring one horse from Munich with her: the 8-year old small tour horse and Hanoverian bred Belfast Ra (by Benetton Dream x Florestan). Anja's 11-year old Westfalian small tour horse Revolverheld (by Rockwell x Landstreicher) is in the process of being sold.

For Hamberger there is no longer a reason to stay at Tannenhof with no "sport career in sight," he told St. Georg, adding that he understands that Klaus gives the best horse Fahrenheit to Anja. "We are separating on good terms. I know all say that, but it is truly so."