Belissimo M, Hanoverian Stallion of the Year 2018

Breeding

Hanoverian

The Rhinelander bred Belissimo M has been named the Hanoverian Stallion of the Year 2018. The 19-year old liver chestnut was celebrated in a special ceremony at the Hanoverian Stallion Licensing on Saturday 27 October 2018.

Through the fusion of the Hanoverian Verband with the Rhineland society (which was previously collaborating with the Westfalian society), this honour was given to a horse from the Rhineland for the first time.

Belissimo's breeder Dieter Niesar from Kranenburg received the prestigious award during the show program of the stallion licensing.

Belissimo M (by Beltain x Romadour II) is one of the most sought-after dressage sires. The expressive chestnut presents himself from the crown to the sole as an athlete. His sire Beltain also demonstrated his extraordinary talent with his rider Leonie Bramall at various competitions. He is a representative of the dam line of Alferate, which makes him a direct relative of the legends Brentano I and II as well as Wolkenstein I, II and III. His dam is the full sister of the important State Stud stallions Garibaldi I and II.

Belissimo M, born in the Rhineland in 1999, made his way into the dressage ring after his licensing. After his 30-day test, which he completed with top marks in Zweibrücken in 2002, he was celebrated with Holga Finken in Warendorf as Bundeschampion of the four-year-old riding horses in 2003. This success was followed by a fifth place at the World Championships for Young Dressage Horses before he won the silver medal with Kathrin Meyer zu Strohen in Warendorf in the class of five-year-old dressage horses. With Australia’s Hayley Beresford, Belissimo M appeared on the international circuit in 2011. Already in his first Grand Prix season he collected World Cup points and competed at the CHIO Aachen/GER.

Belissimo M passes on his outstanding qualities to his offsprings. His name stands for rideability and type, combined with exquisite basic gaits. Isabell Werth's double World Champion Bella Rose, currently the best dressage horse in the world, is his daughter. No less than five of his offspring became Bundeschampions in Warendorf. Bacchus von Worrenberg celebrated his victory in the class of three-year-old riding horses in 2008. Six weeks later, he was one of the price peaks at the Verden Elite-Auction. Benicio caused a sensation when he won the Bundeschampionat of six-year-old dressage horses in 2011. He had found his way to his South African owner via the Verden stallion sales. In 2009 and 2010, the Westphalian Blickpunkt not only won the dressage horse titles in Warendorf, but also celebrated two bronze medals at the World Championships for young dressage horses. Baccardi from Westphalia also became Bundeschampion of the three-year-old riding horses in 2014 before taking part in the World Championships twice. Preziosa from Bavaria celebrated the title in the class of four-year-old mares in 2009.

His offspring helped Belissimo M reach a leading position in the breeding evaluation. His breeding value estimated by the German Equestrian Federation is 135, the Hanoverian breeding value 136. Almost 100 sons and daughters were auctioned off in Verden. 80 of his daughters have so far been awarded a premium, 27 sons have been licensed for Hanover. Belissimo M stands at the stallion station Westfalenhof in Steinhagen since four years.

Dieter Niesar was not only pleased to see "his" stallion again, but also received an oil painting by the artist Manfred Busemann and a well endowed cheque. Together with the R+V/Vereinigte Tierversicherung, the Hannoveraner Verband has been awarding prizes to an important Hanoverian stallion since 1992.