Kissinger, Star Champion in an Average Field at 2013 Trakehner Stallion Licensing

Breeding

Trakehner Breeding News

Official press releases are one thing, personal experience quite another. In 2013, we can’t quite shake the feeling that we were at a different event from the official version of how things unfolded in Neumünster, Germany, at the 2013 Trakehner Stallion Licensing and Auctions.

To highlight the positive – we saw an exceptional new Champion stallion this year with the bay Kissinger (by Singolo o/o Kontessina by Arogno – Ginster). This stallion had tremendous athletic potential and moved with an always active hind end, carrying his body very well and uphill in trot and canter. His obvious suppleness and relaxation translated well into his behavior as well – rock solid with nerves of steel, he never took one wrong step. This is truly a horse to get excited about on many levels. It was an especially pleasing moment when his breeder, the Trakehner Grande Dame Countess Alexandra Dohna, stepped into the arena and led her stallion on a victory lap in the walk – the lady is almost 80 years old. It was a great sight simply because Countess Dohna has maintained this mare family for decades – the ancestors of Kissinger helped her family escape from East Prussia at the end of World War II. The mare family of Kordel, which is the basis of this exciting stallion, can be traced directly for over 300 years, and all within the Dohna family. It’s doubtful that there are many other horses in our world today that can look back at that kind of family. Kissinger was acquired by Hans Kinzler as a foal, and was now sold at auction for 250,000 euro to an equal partnership of Joop van Uytert and an owner from Singapore. The stallion will begin his career in the Netherlands.

The Reserve Champion Scaglietti came from the first foal crop of the former Trakehner Reserve Champion All Inclusive (by Gribaldi – Buddenbrock) and is a son of the former high price auction highlight Schneeflocke by Michelangelo, a mare that has started her own family at Gestüt Tasdorf. The Reserve Champion is a horse of what many consider classic Trakehner type. He is refined enough, already very tall on long legs, moves with a wonderful freedom of his front arm, but almost always stepped very wide behind. Hopefully this will get better with more strength, but generally this year, an overall lack of strong hindquarters that really carry a horse and help to elevate the front end was to be observed. The Reserve Champion sold at auction for 170,000 euro to new buyers in Berlin, but will be stationed at Gestüt Tasdorf for the immediate future.

Only two other stallions made it into the premium lot – a necessary and strong selection. Empire State (by Imperio o/o Evviva by Kaiser Wilhelm TSF) was bred by Jikkie Willemsen-den Biemann in the Netherlands and was presented in Neumünster by Hubertus Poll from Gestüt Hörem. The stallion is a typical son of his sire with an enormous frame, good topline, good walk, and overall great body harmony. One could wish for more impulsion from behind, and the long cannon bones do not help the overall appearance of a slow hind end. However, knowing the high natural rideability of this particular sire’s offspring, Empire State will make a formidable riding horse and only time will tell about an upper level dressage career – which is pretty much true for every horse. The stallion was not for sale and will begin his career at the Hörem Stud in lower-Saxony.

The last premium stallion was Luxor (by Redecker o/o Leandra by Lehndorffs, bred by Wilhelm and Renate Dettmering) – a stallion I expected on the Reserve Champion spot. This was probably the most “complete” horse of the event with a wonderful attitude, great athleticism which was also evident in his more than capable free jumping, a round, balanced and active way of moving and – last but not least – his outstanding sport horse pedigree. The stallion only brought 35,000 Euro at auction to the utter surprise of many, and is now a riding horse for buyers in Wiesbaden, Germany. We can only hope he does not end up like his good sire – as a gelding!

A total of 8 other stallions were approved, probably still too many considering the poor auction and the generally large amount of approved Trakehners available to breeders today. However, some truly inspiring sport horse prospects stood out, the most interesting probably the chestnut Anglo-Trakehner Rusticus (by Favoritas xx o/o Rispe by Bartholdy). This colt was bred for eventing and he was fascinating to watch at liberty and over jumps. He sold at auction to the sponsor of the US event rider Michael Pollard, who also manages a stallion station at his own Chatsworth Stud in Georgia. And while the bloodlines may be “lost” for Europe, it is certainly great to see top riders at an auction like this. For the dressage enthusiast out there – this dam Rispe also produced the internationally successful Grand Prix gelding Rudy’s Memory TSF (by Gribaldi).

The Verband also approved the first half Arabian colt ever in Neumünster with Gabun (by Camaro o/o Galina II ox by Vatican ox). This very likeable stallion was tall and substantial, a good enough mover in all gaits, motivated over jumps and really appealed on many levels. The Abendtanz – Sixtus son Gorbatschow, clearly more bred to jump, really impressed with his solid quality in everything he did, and was sold at auction to Eva-Maria Aufrecht to stand at her stud in Austria and to be developed as a future sport horse. With Bystro, the commission approved a very close maternal brother of the current Reserve Bundeschampion of 4yr old riding horses in Germany, Brancusi. The same breeder family produced this colt by All Inclusive o/o Baranya by Cupric xx – the latter the only TB stallion to compete at the Bundeschampionat of the German dressage horse! Bystro’s approval was a no-brainer, the stallion is a true athlete with very good impulsion and substance in his body, and will definitely be a good sport horse, also considering his exceptional mare family. The stallion remains with this breeders, the Mittermayer family. Glücksruf II (by Dramatiker o/o Gretel by Opernball) is the full brother to Glücksruf I. Both stallions won the best jumper price, but that this doesn’t necessarily quench all dressage potential. This was most profoundly documented by the full brother’s most recent 70 day test – he won the dressage index in Marbach. These horses embody much of what is slowly going missing in the Trakehner breed – the versatile all-purpose sport horse with a correct, solid foundation, a good mind and excellent movement as well as jumping potential.

Another full brother to an already approved stallion was the grey Hofritter (by Hofrat o/o Heavenly by Artisti-Rock) – his full brother was the former Licensing Champion Häwelmann. Hofritter was not quite mature enough yet, but a horse with exceptional movement and a most modern front arm with great shoulder freedom. He had a great feel for rhythm and balance and should make a formidable dressage stallion. Imperio had another approved son with Gallardo (o/o Gute Zeit by Consul) – and he too was the full brother to a former premium stallion, last year’s Reserve Champion Guardian. While we adored Guardian last year for many reasons, this year’s Gallardo did not meet the expectations quite so much and it begs the question why two full brothers are needed here. Time will tell.

A stallion with not quite the hip modern pedigree was the last one approved – the bay Bel Baron (by Münchhausen – Partout) was a horse for a second look, but of rock-solid quality. His immediate sires were both internationally successful Grand Prix horses, his dam line has produced a number of exceptional event horses and the important stallion Balzflug (for the KWPN). Nothing wrong with this one and in fact it was almost a relieve to see that “old” stallions can still produce “acceptable” horses these days.

Little changes the fact that the overall quality of this crop of selected 42 stallion candidates was simply not up to par this year. We cannot remember a year with more cross-cantering, wider stepping hind legs or weaker impulsion. It seemed that with the ultimate goal to add size, frame and “ring-filling optics”, the horses actually lose the ability to push, sit and hence move their bodies into an uphill frame. It would be the easy way out to just blame everything on the leadership. The reality is rather that too little Trakehner breeders – probably in their understandable position to sell foals quickly – overlook true sport horse sires for what’s hip and young. It also becomes more and more apparent that just because some stallions work well in other warmblood breeds, the same sires are not automatically a good choice in their own population. The lack of general athleticism (gravely noted in the free jumping!) is a troublesome development that needs careful evaluation. And that is not necessarily only the job of the breed director.

The fact that this breed CAN produce exceptional athletes was highlighted by this year’s Gala event, and the finals of the Trakehner Dressage Championships for 7-9 yr old horses at PSG level there was plenty of exceptional quality here – just not in the licensing ring.