By Claartje van Andel
Photography: Sabine Timman and KWPN

According to Bert Rutten: “We are happy. I’d like to add, personally, that the most important moments are yet to come during the valuable testing period in Ermelo. I invite everyone to witness this event for stallions to prove the right character and abilities for a riding horse.”

Among the seven invited premium dressage stallions heading to the performance test in Ermelo, there are certainly some special mothers. The pedigree of L’Avenir (Le Formidable x Sir Donnerhall, breeder Christine Arms-Krogmann, owners Saskia Poel and H. Gerrits) is very special: The grandmother of this stallion is Weihegold (Don Schufro x Sandro Hit, bred by Inge Bastian). As a three-year- old Weihegold OLD was already a champion mare, and became a Grand Prix star under the saddle of Isabell Werth, winning for instance the World Cup finals in 2017, 2018 and 2019. According to chairman Bert Rutten; “We are so happy that we could select special young stallions with very special mothers in the pedigree, like this one. We all know that from a Grand Prix horse, a Grand Prix horse is born.”
Rutten added: “Of course hardly anyone is able to say whether a three-year-old is going to do Grand Prix, but the environmental factor is very high when considering a dressage horse. We can witness in Ermelo whether a stallion has a good balance under the saddle, an uphill tendency, a good hind leg. In doing so, a stallion must want to imprint itself with the forehand, so that the hind leg really can carry weight and lower. And after that, the right environmental aspects hopefully lead the way to sporting success.”
Another very special mother marked premium stallion Plusfour (For Romance - Flanell elite prok by Apache x Don Schufro, breeder Roerink, owner Witte-Scholtens). Mother Flanell was an international GP performer with Semmieke Rothenberger, while grandmother Adonnee de Jeu (Don Schufro x Cocktail) gave for instance Elvive (Tuschinski), competing international GP with Australian Lyndal Oatley. For Sönke Rothenberger, an aspirant judge at the KWPN show, there is a close connection: “I’m so happy to see this stallion out of our Grand Prix mare Flanell. [...] To summarize, especially during the first viewing, I learned a lot about correct foundation. The correct finishing of the hocks, a profound functional conformation, this sure has been added to my knowledge.”
Sönke Rothenberger visited all German stallion shows and looked for young prospects to buy and educate for a career in international dressage himself. His most recent success in this aspect is his approved reserve champion from Oldenburg, the four-year-old Del Sogno (Dantes Jr x Lauries Crusador xx).
The committee was also very happy with the Glamourdale as well as the Kjento selections – stallions sired by the two reigning world champions in Grand Prix (2022 WEG Herning) and the World Breeding Championships for Young Horses in Ermelo.
Power Dancing (Glamourdale x Johnson, bred by F. Hoogenboom, co-owned by Hoogenboom and Van Olst) was one of them, and a very good looking horse. Perle (Kjento - Colinda pref prok x Tuschinski x Voltaire, bred by L. Heida, co-owned by Heida and Van Olst) again descends from a very strong mother line: Colinda keur pref goes back to Jalinda keur pref (Dutchboy), to Falinda keur pref.
Prisco RS2 (Tørveslettens Sylvester x Negro x Krack C, bred and owned by Dressage Centre De Horst) can boast two approved stallions in his pedigree: Enzo Ferrari (Painted Black) and Network (Just Wimphof)
Pablo Picasso (Taminiau - Izzie ster x Florencio x Farrimgton, bred by Bennie Mensinck, owners Witte-Scholtens, Gal, and Minderhoud) is a great dark-chestnut stallion, from all Mensinck’s previous mare-generations, as well as going back to the stallions Lector x Heemraad x Hertog van Gelre. “As a foal he was already dancing through the field. It’s a crown for me and my wife now having bred a premium stallion and to be able to see him shine here,” a delighted Bennie Mensick said... To read the complete article you need to be a subscriber
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