On the occasion of the Stallion Gala, the two athletes For Romance I OLD and Chap II were decorated with their VTV sashes in the Oldenburg Horse Center Vechta.

Heiko Meinen, head of the R+V VTV General Agency, which specializes in insuring animals, once again rewarded the breeders, as well as the owners, with €1,000 cheques for their great achievements in breeding.

For Romance I OLD (2009: Fürst Romancier - Gesina x Sir Donnerhall), was bred by Gestüt Lewitz. He became the Oldenburg licensing champion stallion in 2011, when he was purchased by Dressurpferde Leistungszentrum Lodbergen GmbH who then launched his career. Carefully schooled by former auction rider Kira Wulferding, and successful in dressage horse tests in classes A through M, this handsome stallion celebrated his first advanced-class triumph in 2016, as well as a top-10 placing at the Nürnberger Burg-Pokal finals.

In late 2017, For Romance I OLD’s further athletic development was taken over by Lodbergen’s head trainer, Therese Nilshagen, who says; “Romance possesses extremely good rideability and collection. Working together with our trainer Klaus Balkenhol, we now want to concentrate on making him stronger, making optimal use of his excellent hindquarters and work carefully towards Grand Prix. Although For Romance I OLD is in great demand as a breeding stallion, he is incredibly sweet and will do almost anything for a lump of sugar.”

To date, For Romance I OLD has sired more than 80 premium mares and numerous championship winners. “His offspring inherit his lovely face, his outstanding typical beauty, his elegance, his rideability and his absolute determination to win,” reports Stud Lodbergen’s manager Wolfgang Stagge.

VTV jumping stallion Chap II, (2010/OS: Cellestial - Cora x Contender), owned and bred by Schmidt & Schmidt GbR, was 2012 reserve licensing champion of the Spring-pferdezuchtverband Oldenburg International. This charming grey finished his 30-day test in Münster-Handorf by being named reserve champion, having received outstanding marks: 10.0 for free jumping, 8.25 for rideability, and 9.75 on the jumping course. Chap II, trained by Johannes Holzeder and Heiko Schmidt, triumphed in jumping horse tests from 1m00 to 1m30 in his age group, starting as a four-year-old. At the Bundeschampionat 2015 in Warendorf with Holzeder he was awarded the incredible mark of 9.2 in the final qualification for five-year-old jumping horses.

Since January 2019, Chap II, together with his rider Christoph Lanske, has been placing well in international jumping tests up to three-star CSI level. “Chappy has a naturally good jumping technique and an elegant body that he uses well on the course. He also has an excellent temperament. He executes a demanding 1m60 course like a master despite his extreme youth. He’s always well-behaved and even-tempered at work and in daily interaction, as well as great fun to ride off-road,” says Lanske.

Chap II is similarly turning heads in breeding by producing not only champion foals and mares, but also free-jumping champions, top auction horses, and also two licensed stallions.

His dam, the elite mare Cora, was successful up to class M under her sport name China Blue. Paired with Exmiras she produced the 2003 Mecklenburg licensing champion Effenberg as well as his older full brother Chap I, who debuted in 2006 in Redefin and has had international 1m60 class successes.

Chap I was awarded the title Oldenburg VTV Stallion of the Year in 2014 and has placed in World Cup jumping with Abdullah Al Sharbatly. Cora is also dam to state premium mare Chinchilla (Cellestial), who placed in advanced jumping classes after delivering two prize-winning foals. [/s2If]