By Adriana van Tilburg
Photography: Jan Frohme
The Eckermann family and Paul Schockemöhle were omnipresent during the Bundeschampionate 2023 demonstrating that they have put their mark on showjumping horses and dominated with interesting young horses and bloodlines.
The Holsteiner Verband was again very well represented in the finals, winning the five- and seven-year-old showjumper classes, as well as third place in the latter. In the class for eight-year-old horses and older, the Holsteiner Verband covered the top three. Only the six-year-old class was won by a different studbook, when Westfalians claimed first and third places, both bred by Otmar Eckermann. What an accomplishment for this breeder who, just one week earlier, was presented with the Ramzes Prize during the ‘Turnier der Sieger’ in Münster for his breeding results. In total, he was represented by five own-bred horses at the Bundeschampionate.
Five-year-old jumping horses
In the first qualifier for five-year-olds we saw 84 horses, divided between eight studbooks. There was, in fact, quite a variety of breeders with Paul Schockemöhle/Gestüt Lewitz represented by one horse; the Hanoverian-bred stallion Chacoon’s Message PS (Chacoon Blue - Messeldi PS x Messenger) under the saddle of Eiken Sato. They did not, however, progress to the final.
Otmar Eckermann meanwhile had two horses in this age group. First the Westfalian-bred mare Sascinora (Stakkato Boy RM - Fascinora x Firth of Lorne), who finished in the final under the saddle of Stefanie Bolte. Sascinora’s dam, Fascinora, competed in the 2021 Bundeschampionat at the age of six under the saddle of Katrin Eckermann and was placed in the final. The second Eckermann-bred was also Westfalian, a stallion sired by the Selle Français Diamant de Semilly – Der Arnold, out of Nassinora (Nabab de Rêve) – second in the final with Katrin Eckermann. Both Sascinora and Der Arnold share the same grandmother, Cassinoro Z (Cassini II - Irresisteble x Jasper, breeder: P. Smits).
According to Otmar Eckermann; This success is unbelievable. I breed every year between four and six foals, so I really find that I did quite well. I am only a small breeder, but this year we have eight foals because Katrin also has two foals here. I actually had another horse qualified for the Bundeschampionate but that was too much and he wasn’t ready for it. Abou-Chaker, a Diamant de Semilly out of Chandra, by Comme il faut, finished third in the six-year-olds. I couldn’t ride any of these horses myself because I had a very bad accident earlier this year and still can’t ride. I really thought I could ride myself one more time at the Bundeschampionate, but it’s without question that my daughter Katrin can do a better job. She took the horses under her wing after I had my accident. I was very happy that she managed to ride them so well and that it worked out like this.
I purchased Cassinoro Z as a foal in the Netherlands. She was beautiful. I’d to purchase her several times but she wasn’t for sale, but after a while I succeeded. She was never in sport so I covered her right away. She died too early after she had trouble giving birth to twins. It was very sad that we lost her, but she lives on in the mares that we have now. One of the youngest mares we have from this line is in foal to Comme il faut.
Champion five-year-old was the Holsteiner stallion Vendigo (Van Gogh - Galina I x Kannan, Stamm 6893, breeder: Rita Siebke-Baasch) under the saddle of Hannes Ahlmann, who is Westfalian approved. Rita Siebke-Baasch started this line with the 1974-born Holsteiner mare Lagina (Sacramento Song xx - Nagina x Heidefreund I, breeder: Otto Peters). Vendigo comes from the branch of Fagina (Athlet Z) who produced the 1m50 horse All Star (Acorado I), and Cash (Concerto II) who jumped at 1m60 with Mariann Hugyecz and Saer Coulter... To read the complete article you need to be a subscriber
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