On 1 December 2017 Alfred Casper, the founder of stallion station and brood farm Gestut Birkhof in Donzdorf, Germany, has passed away at age 85.
Casper was one of the first stallion owners who privately owned and stood stallions at stud in Baden Wurttemberg aside from the state stud. He began keeping stallions in 1972 and bought his first, own stallion in 1975.
As a 14-year old boy Alfred Casper and his parents were forced to flee during the second World War. They hid/lived in a chicken coop for a time. He heard that there was work to be found in Baden Wurttemberg and moved to Donzdorf to work for Count Rechberg. First he bred pigs.
He married Eleonore and bought his first mare, Solistin, which was up for slaughter because of a broken leg. Casper bought the horse, put it in a cast and saved it. She produced four foals.
Alfred took over the Thoroughbred stallion Heraldik xx from Count Rechberg and it became the foundation sire at Birkhof. Heraldik produced a string of highly successful international eventing and dressage horses (Ekwador, Heraldik Star, Hidalgo). He sired Ingrid Klimke's Abraxxas and is the dam sire to Michael Jung's Sam.
Alfred Casper was decorated for his life time achievements with the Baden Wurttemberg Golden State Medal.
Alfred passed away at home on 1 December after a long illness and several hospitalizations. He leaves behind his wife Eleonore, two sons Jurgen and Thomas, and five grandchildren.
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