Vaderland OLD, VTV Oldenburg Dressage Stallion of the Year 2023

Breeding

Oldenburg

This year, Vaderland OLD was crowned VTV Dressage Stallion at the Oldenburg Stallion Days. This highly prestigious award is given to a licensed Oldenburg stallion for its outstanding achievements in both sports and breeding.

The Dutch bred and Oldenburg registered Vaderland OLD has been named VTV Oldenburg Dressage Stallion of the Year 2023.

He received this honour at the 2024 Oldenburg Stallion Licensing in Ankum, Germany, on 20 January 2024. Dutch team rider Dinja van Liere presented the stallion under saddle.

Heiko Meinen, the R+V VTV General Representative specializing in animal insurance, didn't hesitate to reward the breeder and owner with a generous check of 1000 Euros for their exceptional breeding performance.

Vaderland OLD

Vaderland OLD, born 2016, by Vitalis out of Vechta (by Krack C - Contango), bred and owned by Reesink Horses, was crowned VTV Dressage Stallion. Under the Dutch rider Van Liere, Vaderland achieved victory in his international debut in 2023, winning the Prix St. Georges and the Intermediaire I Freestyle at the CDI Leeuwarden, Netherlands. In 2020, the stallion already secured the bronze medal at the Oldenburg Regional Championships for four-year-old stallions under Annika Korte. He concluded his 14-day test in Adelheidsdorf in 2019 with the second-best result, emphasizing his dressage-oriented final score of 8.74. His canter and willingness to perform were rated 9.5, and an external rider even awarded a 9.75 for his rideability. In 2020, Vaderland successfully completed the sport test in Verden with a score of 8.48.

Since 2021, Dinja van Liere has taken over the training of Vaderland. She describes her protege as follows: "Vaderland is a very powerful horse. He has three good basic gaits and an impressive foreleg. His movements are very energetic, and I immediately had good chemistry with him in our work."

Vaderland has already produced licensed stallions himself and presented two auction foals for the Vechta Auction House, including the top-priced Very Smart.

Pedigree

Vaderland's sire, star stallion Vitalis, is known worldwide. In 2016, Vitalis and Isabel Freese won the Nürnberger Burg-Pokal Finals. Grand sire Krack C was part of the Dutch team at the World Championships in Jerez 2002 under Anky van Grunsven.

The Oldenburg Contango, in the third generation, left a legendary legacy in the Netherlands in just three years of breeding activity. His most famous son is Steffen Peters' Olympic horse, Ravel. Fourth sire Ahorn, alongside Heartbreaker, is arguably the most significant son of Nimmerdor. Bred from a daughter of Ladykiller xx, he was successful in top-level sport. Dam Vechta, besides Vaderland OLD, also produced the internationally Grand Prix successful Impressive VDC by Charmeur under the Briton Sarah Millis.

From the dam line of Vaderland comes the licensed stallion Heros Begijnhoeve by Vivaldi and Fanatique Begijnhoeve by Tuschinski, Intermediaire I successful with Tommi Visser from the Netherlands.