Dramatic, 2008 World Young Horse Champion, Passed Away

Dressage

Germany

Dramatic, the 2008 World Young Horse Champion and a former licensed stallion, has passed away. He was 22 years old.

Dramatic was a Hanoverian gelding by Don Frederico out of state premium mare Weltina (by Weltmeyer x Grenadier x Arsenik). He was bred by Reinhold Haferland

Licensed Stallion

The black was licensed as a premium stallion at the 2004 Hanoverian Stallion Licensing and in 2007 approved for the Rhinelander and Oldenburg society. He also passed the observation test at the KWPN headquarters in Ermelo and was approved for the KWPN society.

Dramatic did his 30-day stallion performance test in 2006 in Adelheidsdorf and won it with a 9.03 dressage score and 7.75 jumping score. As a breeding stallion he sired one licensed son, Diego Star, and two State Premium Mares.

Jana Freund

Dramatic was acquired as a youngster by British Grand Prix rider Fiona Bigwood, who was then living in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany.

After the performance test in 2006, Bigwood put him in training with Jana Freund, then head rider at stallion station Ferienhof Stucker in Weeze, Germany, with whom Bigwood co-operated frequently for young stallion training. Freund was also coached by Dieter Laugks, who was Fiona's trainer at the time.

Freund competed Dramatic for the first time in April 2006 in the riding horse tests and placed fourth at the 2006 Bundeschampionate for 4-year olds. In 2007 she competed the horse at L-level in Germany but did not make it to Warendorf. In 2008 he qualified to represent Germany at the World Young Horse Championships in Verden, where he stormed to the top of the ranking and title with an 9.2 final score.

Dramatic disappeared off the radar after the 2008 World Championships and never returned to international competition sport.

Fiona Bigwood - Anders Dahl

Bigwood took the stallion home to train to Grand Prix level together with her then husband Anders Dahl. With his complicated character, Dramatic was a challenge to train at higher level.

In 2010 Dramatic moved to Emma Hindle's Brookhouse Stud in Erbach, Germany, where it was planned for Hindle to take the stallion to FEI level competition, but she never did. Dramatic was gelded and returned to Bigwood, who had moved to Bourne Hill in the U.K..

Lisa-Marie Marx

After six years Dramatic resurfaced at Arnold Winter's dealers yard in Germany to be sold. He was once competed at M-level by Winter's rider Robert Acs at a regional show in Kreuth in March 2014. In May 2015 Winter handed the ride on Dramatic to the Wiesbaden based Lisa-Marie Marx, who gave him a forever home.

The pair made its show debut that same month in May 2015 at M-level at the regional show in Hammersbach-Langenbergheim. The pair competed for five years until August 2019. A few times they tried the Intermediaire II test and a Grand Prix in 2018, but they mainly showed at S-level at regional shows in her area.

Retirement

Dramatic was retired from sport in the autumn of 2019. Marx announced his passing on 12 January 2024.

"My best friend, sport partner, champion, my rock," Marx took to Instagram. "We've been through thick and thin. I could always count on you, you were always there for me.In sport we achieved more than anyone thought possible with numerous placings at S-level. He even carried me in my first Grand Prix. Many trainers shook their heads and said "not a leaf fits between the two of you." We had a special connection, not just in sport."

Marx told Eurodressage that "he spent his retirement with me in a small private stable, where the entire day was tuned into his needs. I was by his side until his last breath."

Related Links
Eurodressage Photo Database: Dramatic
Dramatic's Day at 6-year old World Championship Finals