Distelzar Passed Away

Breeding

Trakehner

The Swiss owned Grand Prix dressage stallion Distelzar has passed away at age 22.

Distelzar was a 1998 born Trakehner stallion by Gribaldi out of Distelgold (by Arogno). He was bred by Diana Grün at Gestüt Lindenhof am Berg.

Price Highlight at Klosterhof Medingen

Owned by Burkhard Wahler, Distelzar was approved as a premium stallion at the 2000 Trakehner stallion licensing in Neumunster as the first licensed Gribaldi son in Germany. He won his 30-day stallion performance test with 8.77.

In the spring of 2001 he sold for the record place of 600,000 Deutsch Mark (300,000 euro) at the Trakehner Elite Auction at Klosterhof Medingen. The Swiss Marie-Louise Wüthrich had bought the bay stallion, but initially kept him in Germany

Distelzar placed fourth at the 2001 Bundeschampionate in the 3-year old stallion class under Wahler himself. In 2002 he was shown by Nathalie Butkiewicz and Nuno Palma e Santos.

In 2003 Stefani Hönemann took over the ride and with her Distelzar represented Germany at the 2003 World Championships for Young Dressage Horses in Verden and finished fourth in the consolation for 5-year olds. The stallion qualified for the Bundeschampionate in both 2002 and 2003 but did not show in Warendorf those two years.

Maike Loer showed him at M-level in Germany in 2004 and 2005.

Move to Switzerland

Hönemann and Distelzar at the 2003 World
Young Horse Championships in Verden
(Photo © Dirk Caremans)

In January 2006 Distelzar moved to Switzerland and came in training with Andrea Wicki-Mäder, the cousin of owner Marie-Louise Wüthrich. The owner had asked Andrea if she wanted to take on the ride and Adrea accepted.

Trained by George Wahl, Andrea was a successful young rider for Switzerland in the 1980s. She competed at four European YR Championships and won triple team bronze (1986 Kronberg, 1987 Cervia, 1988 Lanaken). Andrea was also the 1987 Swiss Young Riders Champion. However after her university studies she became a sport psychologist and married Olympic sailor Jodok Wicki. The couple, who met at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul where Andrea groomed for Samuel Schatzmann, has three children. Coached by Silvia Iklé, Andrea trained Distelzar up to Grand Prix level.

In 2008 the pair made its small tour debut and in 2010 they moved to Grand Prix level. The pair became bronze medal winners at the 2010 Swiss Grand Prix Championships.

They only competed one season at international Grand Prix level, in 2011. It was also the last year he competed in sport, as a 12-year old.

Eleven Licensed Sons

Distelzar sired 10 licensed sons, amongst them reserve licensing champion C'Est Bon, as well as Donaugold and Sir Picasso. Thirty-nine of his daughters were registered as brood mare, 12 were state premium and one is elite mare, Honeybey.

He produced 7 offspring that have competed up to S-level, his most successful one being the Grand Prix horses Hamilton (Kristine Möller) and Donaugold (Juliane Brunkhorst). He also sired the Italian Junior rider team horse Donaudistel (Beatrice Arturi).

In his breeding career, he stood up for stud at Klosterhof Medingen, Hofgut Albführen and Gestüt Isselhook.

The Trakehner Society proclaimed Distelzar Elite Stallion in 2010. Three years later he was named Trakehner Stallion of the Year 2013.