After a long period of uncertainty as to whether the 50th Holsteiner licensing and elite auction in Neumünster could take place due to the corona pandemic, the best news arrived last Wednesday evening, that the event could go ahead as planned, and on schedule. By Saturday, 18 stallions received a positive licensing judgment, five of them being awarded.

Topping them all, the expressive champion stallion Vigado (Vigo d’Arsouilles x Quo Vados I) bred by the Witt family from Wellinghusen. The dark chestnut had already distinguished himself as a 'special' horse during the preselection, as the breeding and managing director Dr. Thomas Nissen emphasized. "Since then, he has developed enormously as a blood horse with great sportiness, in which there is still a lot of potential." Vigado represents Stamm 776 – a bloodline that's used to success, and he received great applause during the free jumping.  He will remain with the Holstein Verband for the foreseeable future.

The first reserve winner was Carmarino (Carbol x Clarimo) from the relatively young 7709 line of breeder/owner Manfred von Allwörden. He is the maternal half-brother of the reserve champion of 2019, Chinchero (Chopin), also from the Allwörden enterprise. According to Nissen, "This stallion shows not only his jumping qualities, but also outstanding movements."