By Claartje van Andel
Photography: private collection
Christine Arns-Krogmann is the owner of the famous mare Weihegold with whom Isabell Werth won the FEI World Cup Dressage Final three years in a row. Arns-Krogmann has built a thriving breeding farm in Oldenburg, largely based on offspring related to this Don Schufro daughter who was bred by Inge Bastian.
Christine Arns-Krogman shares her breeding-related decisions and her passion... Which is, of course, horses.
Q Horses have been your passion since childhood...
At my parents’ farm, horse breeding was an integral part of my life right from the start. We went to foal shows, mare shows, and stallion shows, it was all very natural. The yearly outings. So at one point I automatically did the breeding planning and mating of my parents’ mares for them.
Q After you married Frank Arns-Krogmann, you were both keen to set up your own breeding farm with very good mares. It’s quite a special story how the now 18-year-old mare Weihegold (Blue Hors Don Schufro - Weihevoll x Sandro Hit x Figaro) came to your farm...
My dream as a child: I always really wanted a mare by Don Schufro. On a club trip with young breeders to Inge Bastian, my eye was immediately attracted by Weihegold. Moreover, Weihegold came from the Weissena line, a line known for its strong characters with great 'rittigkeit' [rideability] and the willingness and eagerness to perform. Furthermore, Weihegold moved with tremendous looseness and east, and when I arrived home I couldn’t get her out of my head. So I just kept on calling and calling. Finally I was allowed to buy Weihegold as part of a package deal together with Fustanella, a mare by Don Romantik x Rubinstein. And so my dream story with Weihegold started. I would also like to add that the incidental package deal with Fustanella also led to success: Fustanella is now doing Grand Prix dressage with Austrian rider Belinda Weinbauer. [GP and GPS victories in Budapest, Hungary, and eighth in the GPS in Aachen 2021.]
Q Several years passed, including several born foals, which gave you even more insight into the quality of Weihegold...
That’s right. I would immediately like to add that at our farm all our mares are ridden. As a rider I immediately noticed myself the intelligence under the saddle of Weihegold. When riding her I only had to ask something twice and she already knew the meaning. Some horses often don’t understand what you are asking for after five or six times. So Weihegold proved to have a great rideability factor in her, and her children all seemed to have that special riding gene also. In Germany we call that ‘rittig’. Really incredible how Weihegold manages to inherit that gene. I always say: if you as a breeder don’t ride yourself, you have less idea how to deal with the little details in choosing a stallion for a mare. Being a rider yourself really makes sense for a breeder... To read the complete article you need to be a subscriber
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO BREEDING NEWS
SUBSCRIBERS CAN READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE BY LOGGING IN AND RETURNING TO THIS PAGE
