Trakehner Stallion Münchhausen Passed Away

Breeding

Trakehner

The Trakehner breeding stallion and former FEI horse Münchhausen has passed away on 2 December 2024. He was 29 years old.

Münchhausen was a 1995 born stallion by Hohenstein out of Mohnblüte (by Königsstein x Arrak x Rosenberg). He was bred by Ursula Schaefer.

Licensing Champion

The gorgeous bay stallion became the champion of the 1997 Trakehner Stallion Licensing in Neumunster and got approved for all major German studbooks withint he year (Brandenburg, Holstein, Oldenburg, Rhinelander and Hanoverian).

He did his 100-day stallion performance test in Neustadt/Dosse in the autumn of 1998 and scored a total of 128.87 points for a fourth place in a field of 43 participating stallions. His dressage score was 149.30 points (1st) and his jumping score was 89.98 points (29th).

Sport Career

At the 2001 World Young Horse Championships
in Verden

Acquired by Gestut Wiesenhof as a youngster, the stallion was developed at that yard by a series of trainers/riders.

He made his show debut under Belgian born Jan Nivelle in 1999 and two months later was competed by Christian-Oliver Koscher, who took him to the 1999 Bundeschampionate in Warendorf, where they won bronze in the 4-year old stallion class. They returned to the Bundeschampionate in 2000 and were 7th.

As of 2001 the Danish Fie Skarsoe became head rider at Gestut Wiesenhof and began competing Münchhausen. At the 2001 World Young Horse Championships in Verden they were 6th and at the 2001 Bundeschampionate they placed 13th in the 6-year old finals.

Their international small tour debut was in 2003 at the CDI Norten Hardenberg and a month later they competed at the CDIO Aachen followed by the 2003 Nurnberger Burgpokal finals in Frankfurt, where they finished 6th.

Skarsoe developed him to Grand Prix level under the tutelage of Jan Bemelmans. They rode their first Grand Prix test in 2004 in Olfen and competed at CDI's in Norten Hardenberg and Lingen. Their most successful year was in 2005. After the CDI's in Saumur, Wiesbaden, Hagen, Lingen and Aachen they were selected on the Danish team for the 2005 European Championships in Hagen, where Team Denmark placed 6th and the pair was 27th in the Grand Prix. Only 25 pairs moved on to the Special at that time.

Skarsoe showed Münchhausen through 2006 after which the ride was passed on to a series of new riders. As of 2007 he was shown by Deborah Weden, Andrea Landing-Silling and Michael Oldenbourg. The stallion's last show was in Affalterbach in November 2007 at age 12.

Breeding Success

While his sport career was over, Münchhausen continued to stand at stud and stamp Trakehner dressage horse breeding. He was proclaimed Trakehner Stallion of the Year in 2011 based on his own performance results as well as that of his offspring.

He sired 12 licensed sons of which 9 made it into Studbook 1 (Bel Baron, Garuda, Maybach, Mein Märchenprinz, Meraldik, Moliere, Mon Baron, Monet Le Beau, Mr. Big, Sambatänzer, Titiano, and Merlin).

He has 342 offspring registered for sport in Germany of which 27 reached S-level. His most famous offspring in sport was British Grand Prix horse Woodcroft Garuda K (Lesley Peyton-Gilbert) and Mein Märchenprinz (Leonie Bramall) as well as small tour horses Lissandro (Sofia Brodova), Moliere (Victoria Max-Theurer), Macchiato (Robert Leuck), Ullerups Muller (Carol Stadler), Skjoldsgaard Monte Vo (Maja Andreasen), and Santurion de Massa (Yoann Pinto).

Sad Passing

Münchhausen passed away on 2 December 2024.

"It was with a heavy heart that we had to say goodbye to our beloved stallion Münchhausen yesterday at the age of 29," Wiesenhof stated. " He had been at home with us at Wiesenhof for almost his entire life. He was a wonderful horse with a unique character. We will miss him very much."

Skarsoe took to Instagram to state, "yesterday one of my lifetime best and most important friends became a beautiful star in heaven. I will never forget you my beloved friend."