Donnerball Euthanized

Breeding

Oldenburg Breeding News

The Oldenburg licensed breeding stallion and Grand Prix dressage horse Donnerball has passed away at age 15. Zuchterforum reported that the liver chestnut stallion had to be euthanized after he developed a fatal allergic reaction to an injection.

Donnerball was bred by Richard Wiegert and was by Donnerhall out of Calaida (by Alabaster x Freiherr x Prinze Miro). He was owned by Gestut Sprehe.

The drop dead gorgeous liver chestnut stallion made a striking impression at the 2002 Oldenburg Stallion Licensing where he was named premium stallion.He did his 30-day Stallion Performance Test in Vechta in April 2003 and scored a total of 7.70 points with 8.2 for dressage and 7.2 for show jumping.

As a sport horse he was first competed by Julia Katharina von Platen as a 3-year old and became Oldenburg Regional Young Horse Champion. Eva Maria Siemer took over the ride when he was as a 4-year old and he became reserve champion at the 2004 Bundeschampionate. In 2005 Holga Finken took over the ride

Holga Finken and Donnerball at the 2005 World Young Horse Championships in Verden In 2005 Donnerball was trained and competed by Holga Finken and the pair won silver at the World Young Horse Championships in Verden. In 2007 the stallion was introduced to Prix St Georges level by Falk Rosenbauer, but Finken returned back in Donnerball's saddle in 2008. They showed at the CDI's in Vestfold and Fritzens and were finalists in the 2008 Nurnberger Burgpokal in Frankfurt.

As of 2009 the daughter of Donnerball's owner, Kristina Sprehe, started competing the stallion. He disappeared from the show scene for two years and returned in 2011 at Grand Prix level. There were no shows in 2012, but in 2013 Sprehe rode him at the CDI's in Neumunster and Doha. The duo did its last show together in July 2014 at the regional competition in Rastede.

As a breeding stallion Donnerball sired 5 licensed sons, including the Oldenburg premium stallion Dolmetscher. His other approved sonds are Don Ed Hardy, Don Revellino, Douceraux and Da Ponte. Fifty-six mares are registered in Germany as brood mares and 9 of them are State Premium mares. Carlotta (by Donnerball x Santander H x Inschallah AA) was named the 2009 Oldenburg Mare Champion in Rastede.