The legendary German dressage and breeding pony stallion Golden Dancer has passed away at age 29 at his home Gestüt Bönniger in Tönisvorst, Germany, on 15 August 2016.
The palomino Golden Dancer was born in 1987 and bred by Hans-Georg Bönninger, who became the founding father of modern German Riding Pony breeding.
Golden Dancer became a legend from the start. After being licensed at the 1990 Rhinelander pony stallion licensing he won the Bundeschampionate as a 4-year old under Stefanie Meyer-Biss. The palomino had a huge string of riders who competed him from 1990 till 1996: Elisabeth Passen, Peggy Pohl, Bettina Hinnemann, Silke Kindermann, Jennifer Kockerols, Jutta Claren, Eva Möller, Inga Groll, Nicole Hintenlag, Sonja Fiege, and Julia Katharina von Platen.
Under Jana Kun he became member of the German pony team and won the team and individual gold at the 1996 European Pony Championships in Bartahus, Denmark. The same year the pair also won the German Pony Championships and contested dressage classes at national Prix St Georges (!) level. In 1999 Golden Dancer won team gold at the 1999 European Pony Championships in Stromsholm (SWE) under Marie Jaeger.
In 2000 Golden Dancer got leased to the Bechtolsheimer family, whose daughter Laura represented Great Britain and won team silver at the 2000 European Pony Championships in Hagen. In 2001 Stephanie Jansen took over the ride until August 2003. In November 2003 Golden Dancer was shown by Melanie Abend until April 204. Anne-Kathrin Krahe (née Piolot) was his last rider in his last competition year in 2006 when the pony was 19. This brings Golden Dancer's total to 17 (!!!) different riders who competing him in 16 years time.
"He will always stay in my mind! He was the best pony for me," Jana Kun told Eurodressage. "I think it was the biggest relationship I ever had with a horse. There was such a deep confidence between us. Until now, I do not really know why he did everything for me, but I always know that he would fight for me in competitions. I am aware it wasn’t easy for the riders after me. I believe that I was so successful with him, because we loved each other and it was not really just better riding from my side."
As a breeding stallion Golden Dancer sired no less than 22 licensed sons, 30 state premium mares and 172 ponies that are successful at S-level. Golden Dancer did establish a reputation of siring difficult but talented ponies, even though there is also a large group of well tempered ponies.
"I can agree that Golden Dancer had his own rules," Kun told Eurodressage. "For him it was always fun to scare his rider. I think his biggest hobby was bucking! He had such a strong character, but for me he did everything. But we had one agreement. The first 20 minutes he was allowed to have fun. He was allowed to buck. He was allowed to gallop. He was allowed to jump some little fences (afterwards he was running really fast). Then we start our dressage work."
His most famous offspring which has competed successfully at the European Pony Championships, are Denmark's team silver medal winner (2014) Der Harlekin B and German team pony White Gold B (Grete Linnemann) and Going East (Florine Kienbaum). Other international FEI dressage ponies are Genesis B (by Johanna Pauline von Danwitz), Geronimo B (Loranne Livens, Sanne Gilbers), and Goldino (Angoli Anne Jensen). With Golden Dancer as dam sire, the late Deinhard B (by Dornik B) won the European Pony Champion's title under Anne von Negri (2005), Sönke Rothenberger (2008) and Semmieke Rothenberger (2014).
Photos © Private - Barbara Schnell
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