Florestan I

Born 1986, 170 cm

 

			Furioso xx
		Furioso II	Dame de Ranville
	Fidelio		Lockruf (Lugano I)
		Laura	Wolgahalle
Florestan I
			Romadour II
		Rheingold	Piroschka
	Raute		Garamond (Trak)
		Gode	Glocke

Florestan's sire Fidelio was for many years a popular sire in the Rhineland, where he spread the rich genetic heritage of his Selle Français sire, Furioso II.

Florestan's dam, Raute was a successful show mare, and at the age of three was champion mare of her age group. In 1983 she won her class at the German Mare Show in Verden. The grand dam is the state premium mare, Gode, a full sister to the Warendorf state stallion, Gardist. This bloodline, whose roots trace to the traditional Hanoverian state of Hänigsen, also produced the 1998 Bundeschampionate winner, Roman Nature, as well as a large number of successful competition horses.

One of the nicest horses at the 2002 Bundeschampionate -
Fahrenheit by Florestan in the 4 year old mare or gelding class.

Florestan I was champion of the 1988 Rhineland approval and won his performance test in Warendorf the following year. As a sire, Florestan I has been an instant success, and has already sired over 20 approved sons, included Fidermark, a four-year-old champion at the Bundeschampionate and a Grand Prix performer, now sadly deceased. The mare, Ferrara won the five year old class at the Bundeschampionate and went on to compete at Prix St Georges level with Isabell Werth. At the 2002 Bundeschampionate, Florestan had 5 representatives including the 4-year-old stallion winner, French Kiss. French Kiss went on to win the World Young Dressage Horse championship for 6 year olds in 2004, while another Florestan son, Florencio won the 5 year old title at the same show!

Here is what the head of the State Stud at Warendorf; Susanne Rimkus has to say about the stallion she affectionately calls 'our milk cow':
"What makes a sire special is that he makes more good foals than bad ones- and that he improves on the mare, and Florestan has a very large percentage of good foals. Of course he has some which are not, but he is a 'stamp' stallion, he stamps his foals, nearly all of them have the type of their sire, you can recognize them. Here comes a foal - 'oh a Florestan!' This is something that makes it easier for a sire."

" The other thing is that the Florestans are easy to handle, easy to ride, even if they don't look harmonic, the riders say they feel good. This is the most important thing for the normal market, the rider who wants to ride of an evening after he has done his work, who wants to have fun, who wants to make a good picture on the horse. Florestans are easy to sit on, and that makes success."

"Florestan will also produce top sport horses. Top sport horses have to have a good character but they are allowed to be a bit more sensitive and so I think the good sport horses from Florestan will come from the mares with a lot of Thoroughbred blood. Horses that are a bit more hot, these will be the horses for the highest competitions, but Florestan has many other horses for the levels A, L and M and that makes many riders happy. He has the best chance of producing the top horses because he gets the best mares."

"There are some sires who should have the same chance but they don't get it. Some people ask where are all the Florestans in the sport, like the Rubinsteins for example, but they forget that Florestan has only been in the artificial insemination program for six years. So his first foals from this are five years old now. Before that he was in natural covering and he didn't have many mares. The people should wait a few more years and they will see the Florestans on Level S -I hope so, but we can't influence that, nature will show it."

The 2007 edition of the Hanoverian Stallion Book, records that Florestan has had 1620 competition horses for winnings of Euro 899,427. There were 846 dressage competitors (63 to S level) and 193 jumpers. Florestan's FN dressage rating is 146 against a jumping rating of 102.