Giulia Gazstecki's Grand Prix Pony Vom Feinsten Passed Away

Dressage

Germany

German Giulia Gasztecki said goodbye to her pony Vom Feinsten, which took her from FEI pony classes into the national Grand Prix tour.

Vom Feinsten was a 2003 born Rhinelander stallion by Verdi out of Gilea (by Chico x Brilliant) He was bred by Gisela Jung.

Licensed Stallion

He was licensed as a breeding stallion at the 2006 Rhinelander pony stallion licensing in Standenbühl but did not do a performance test. Instead he went into sport.

He has only one offspring registered as a broodmare and one registered for sport in Germany. The breeding rights were handled by ZG Brodhecker. Vom Feinsten still covered on resquest.

FEI Dressage Pony

Vom Feinsten was acquired by the Gasztecki family for their 11-year old daughter Giulia at the Pony Forum auction for 8,500 euro

Giulai first competed him in July 2007 in the riding pony tests and made it to the 2007 Bundeschampionate, where they were 19th in the first round for 4-year old pony stallions. By 2008 had moved to L-level. She mainly competed him at regional shows in the Hessian area. In 2010 she was also riding him at L-level on the curb and by the autumn of 2010 moved to M-level.

She rode the pony in only one CDI show, in Babenhausen in 2011, where she finished 14th in the Kur. That year she was also Hessian Regional pony champion.

To the Big Tour

At the 2017 CDN Frankfurt where they received the
Rider Badge in Gold (Photo © Thomas Sittner)

Gasztecki and Vom Feinsten did not stop where most ponies do - at FEI pony level - but went all the way to Grand Prix. The German FN recorded no less than 227 competition starts for the pair in their career and the FN database is incomplete.

Their first small tour tests were ridden in 2012, including the 2012 Nurnberger burgpokal qualifier at the CDI Perl. By 2017 they collected enough placings to be honoured with the Golden Rider Badge.

Trained by her mother Susanne Sperlich, the pair did their first short Grand Prix test in September 2021 but dropped back down to small tour level. Their final show was in Rodgau in September 2023 when Vom Feinsten was 20.

Short Retirement

Unfortunately Vom Feinsten's retirement was cut short due to laminitis. The family pony reportedly never had issues before in his life. Despite all veterinary efforts he could not be saved.