For Dance Awarded 2026 Grande Prize

Breeding

Hanoverian

The Grande Prize 2026 has been awarded to For Dance. His owner, Gerd Sosath, received the award during the stallion presentation at his own stallion show in Lemwerder.

Strong Dam Line

Stallions are often in the spotlight. Particularly in dressage, the mares and dam lines behind them are far too rarely given due consideration. They have a lasting influence on the hereditary qualities of their offspring.

This year’s Grande Prize winner, the Rhinelander bred For Dance (by For Romance x Rubiloh), meets the breeding criteria for a highly competitive dam line to a remarkable degree. He is bred by Angela and Uwe Butkus. The dam of the 13-year-old sire is none other than the 2022 Hanoverian Mare of the Year, St.Pr.St. Reverie. The appearance of her sons For Dance and First Choice B at her award ceremony during the Hanoverian licensing remains unforgettable.

Career Path

The career of For Dance began at the 2015 Verden licensing. He left the stallion sales wearing the premium sash, heading for Lemwerder. The Sosath stallion station became his new home, both in terms of breeding and sport. For Dance completed his 3-day-test in Schlieckau. His average score for inner values was 9.5, and he achieved an 8.5 in the test under the test rider. Among the basic gaits, the canter stood out particularly with a score of 9.0. In the performance test a year later, rideability was once again the highest mark on his report.

In competition, his path with Rieke Harms as a four-year-old initially led to the Bundeschampionat final, which he finished in fourth place. As a five- and six-year-old, the stallion qualified for Warendorf once again. At the age of seven, Ninja Sosath took the saddle on the highly talented bay and continued to develop him. A year later, the pair became German Amateur Champions in Münster-Handorf. When his first offspring came under saddle, they impressed with their father’s attitude and rideability.

In 2026 Ninja Sosath has been showing him at small tour level in Ankum and Vechta.

Offspring

Last year, the oldest For Dance offspring were eight years old and performed impressively for several breeding societies, as expected for their age. The Westphalian mare Frieda NRW (dam’s sire Fidermark) became reserve Bundeschampion in 2024 with Greta Busacker and placed in the final of the Nürnberger Burgpokal in 2025.

Representing Oldenburg, Fame and Glory OLD (dam’s sire Farewell III) already placed at S-level internationally for Spain with Maria Gomez Guzman. In para-sport, the once-licensed stallion and former Verden auction foal For Memory (dam’s sire Destano, breeder: Kurt Bolte, Okel) shines at the highest level with the American rider Cynthia Screnci. These successful horses exemplify the special hereditary traits of For Dance, which can transform a good horse into an exceptional sport horse.

Other breeding societies also value the stallion’s hereditary qualities. In Oldenburg, he has already been honoured as a Hauptprämienhengst and Future Sire. This is now followed by the award of the Grande Prize from the Hanoverian Society, which is linked to the hope that his offspring may have a lasting positive influence on Hanoverian breeding. The stallion meets the requirements, and his use in breeding is recommended.