Wenzel
Born 1976 died 2001 Liver chestnut, 168 cm

Wenzel - parading outside the Stedebergen breeding station
(just outside Verden) where he spent his entire life.

Bred by Walter Wiechert
Stood at the State Stud Celle

One of the first of the ‘Dressage’ sires, Wenzel was always a somewhat controversial stallion, and there are those who suggest that he did not throw horses with the most cooperative temperaments (blamed on his grandsire, Don Carlos), and he was certainlythe producer of ‘roarers’. Still the results are on the board, and there are not many stallions that have been so successful as Wenzel with 612 competition horses in Germany alone, with winnings of DM880,000 - and almost all of that in the dressage arena. On the World Breeding Standings he currently has seven international competitors listed, which puts him 10th on the rankings for the period 1992-2001. Wenzel was one of the first sons of Woerman to shine, and was out of a mare by Matador/Don Carlos/Frustra II.
Wenzel was raised at Hunnesrück, the property owned by the State Stud, and at his performance test in 1979 looked underdone compared to the others who were primarily from private studs. However his performance was excellent and he finished first of 31, beating notable opponents, including Genever, by Gotthard, and Eiger II by Eisenherz.
He became the Best Sire of 1980, and the 1982 Reserve Champion at the DLG. In Hannover alone, he left 1,208 progeny, including 350 broodmares, 68 of them state's premium mares. At the elite auction he was represented by 80 offspring. Eight riding horses and one approved son sold for more than DM100,000 - the first to break the 100K barrier was Walk On Top, prepared for the auction by Inge Schmezer, who later won the 1998 World Cup final with Sweden's Louise Nathhorst. At the 2001 European championships, his son, Weldon Surprise (below) - a real typical ‘Wenzel’ - performed excellently for his Portuguese rider, Daniel Pinto.
Wenzel was also an excellent sire of stallions (Wousselt, Western Star. Westerland, Westbury) and through Western Star is the grandsire of Jongger’s Weyden.
He was to his dying day, a grand old horse, with that air of someone who knew he was very special, andwith just a touch of wickedness lurking in that big eye!