German Team Horse Sterntaler Passed Away

Dressage

Germany

Sterntaler, the last Grand Prix horse which Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff competed internationally, has passed away on 17 November 2024. He was 29 years old.

Sterntaler was a 1995 born Oldenburg gelding by Sion out of Alina (by Manstein x Adlersturm). He was bred by Wilhelm Middelbeck.

Licensed Stallion

The dark bay Sterntaler was licensed at the 1997 Oldenburg stallion licensing in Oldenburg.

He did his 100-day stallion performance test as a 4-year old in Marbach in 1999 and scored an index of 119.43 points, placing fifth. He had a dressage score of 122.41 points (4th) and a jumping score of 112.64 points (7th).

Sterntaler did not breed much during his time as a stallion and has four offspring registered for sport with the German equestrian federation.

He was first competed in 2000 by Gabriele Tilp and in 2002 by Volker Brodhecker and Astrid Wilmes

Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff

Linsenhoff bought the 7-year old Sterntaler in the autumn of 2002.

She premiered him at small tour level in February 2003 in Bremen. Their international show debut was at the 2003 CDIO Aachen at small tour level, where they finished second in the PSG and third in the Intermediaire I. They concluded their first show year together by becoming reserve champions in the Nurnberger Burgpokal Finals.

A year break from showing followed as Sterntaler was trained to Grand Prix level. They returned at big tour level at the CDN Munster in January 2005. From there they went to the CDI Bremen, Dortmund, the CDN Bad Salzuflen, the CDI Wiesbaden, and then to Aubenhausen, and the CDI Balve to clinch a spot on the German team for the 2005 European Championships in Hagen. They won team gold and placed 7th in the Special and 13th in the Kur to Music

Linsenhoff competed Sterntaler, who received the suffix Unicef to promote her ambassadorship for the organisation, through 2006 with starts in Bremen, Dortmung, Hagen, Aachen, and Turin but did not make the cut for the team for the World Equestrian Games in Aachen. Her last show was the German Championship in Munster in July 2006, where they finished 11th.

Matthias Rath

Ann Kathrin retired from an active competition career due to lyme disease and gave the ride to her stepson Matthias.

The pair made their show debut at the 2008 CDI Hagen and two months later were crowned German Male Grand Prix champions in Balve. Rath and Sterntaler became the alternates for the German Olympic team of 2008.

In 2009 they showed in Dortmund, Hagen, Saumur, Wiesbaden and Aachen and got a spot on the team for the European Championships in Windsor, where they got team bronze and finished 6th in the Special and Kur.

In 2010 they won silver and bronze at the 2010 German Championships and returned on the team for the World Equestrian Games in Lexington and recaptured team bronze. Individually they were 13th in the Special.

The sensitive Sterntaler was a horse of many highlights: his extended walk was one of the best in modern dressage and he executed outstanding tempi changes and trot extensions. With the piaffe at X he had an issue and did not like to perform that movement at the end of the test.

Retirement

With Linsenhoff at the 2006 CDI Wiesbaden

In 2011 Sterntaler did his last international in Amsterdal at the World Cup qualifier.

was retired from sport and spent a long, happy time as a pensioner at his home yard, Gestut Schafhof in Kronberg.

"We are all sad. Today we had to say goodbye to Sterntaler-Unicef," Ann Kathrin stated. "We lost a family member... but the beautiful memories remain. There would be a lot to tell, but it's all too fresh. We are just endlessly sad as a family. RIP Sterni.