Christopher Hector reports from Frankfurt
Frankfurt’s Nürnberger Burg-Pokal is a vital cog in the sophisticated process that leaves Germany in the forefront when it comes to producing Grand Prix horses. But this gentle introduction to FEI classes is also a window on the German breeding scene, just which stallions are producing progeny that go on to the big sport? Most of the currently fashionable stallions are represented, but there is one surprise, and that is the only stallion with more than one finalist at Frankfurt – DiMaggio.
Ridden by his owner, British rider, Suzanne Davies, DiMaggio was the winner of the very first World Young Horse Championship in 2000 in Arnheim.
He was trained to small tour before laminitis ended his competition career. He was a popular stallion in Britain, but only really showed his worth when he transferred for Gestüt Vorwerk before moving on to the Böckmann stallion station. DiMaggio was the product of two of the pioneers of dressage breeding.
Don Primero
His sire, Don Primero was the first stallion star by Donnerhall. Don Primero was the Champion 5 year old Dressage horse at the 1990 Bundeschampionate and went on to compete at Grand Prix level with Karin Rehbein. Don Primero is a full brother-in-blood to the more famous stallion and Grand Prix performer, Don Schufro (whose dam Fiesta is a full sister to Don Primero’s dam Fantasia).
For a number of years Don Primero headed both the Hanoverian and FN dressage stallion rankings, although perhaps partly because he was based in Sweden for much of his career, he slipped down the list.
Cherie and Karin Rehbein
Don Primero appears in the 2010 Hanoverian Stallion book, for the last time. As of 2010, Don Primero had produced 438 registered competition horses with winnings of €537,763 – 385 in dressage (75 to advanced). His most successful progeny were Karin Rehbein’s World Young Horse champion, Cherie (€36,666) and Dow Jones with €26,834. Seven of his competitor progeny won more than €10,000.
World Cup I
Dimaggio’s dam sire, World Cup I, was another of the key players in the emergence of the modern dressage horse spreading the influence of his sire Woermann, without his difficult temperament. The first public appearance of the two-and-a half-year-old Woermann at the Hanoverian licensing in 1973 at Verden signalled a total turn around in Warmblood breeding. Woermann had been the new measuring-stick for type, riding oriented outline and construction, but particularly in movement – his elastic, rhythmic and elevated trot was unseen before. These impressions were confirmed in the 1973 stallion performance test. As expected, Woermann passed with flying colours, and the final report certifies: ‘energetic temperament, sufficient durability, very good rideability, jumping ability of good average, very good walk, outstanding trot, good canter – a very talented riding horse, most suitable for dressage.’ Which was timely since just about then, the sport of dressage was growing in importance and prestige and breeders were now looking to breed for that market.
Woermann
However there was a feeling that while Woermann could produce horses with a slightly difficult temperament, very few of them became top competitors. It was his most famous son, World Cup I, whose temperament was far more civilised, who really played a crucial role in the development of the modern dressage horse. World Cup was crowned Hanoverian stallion of the year 1996.
Isabell Werth and Welcome competing at World Cup level
His most famous product was Isabell Werth’s Grand Prix dressage horse Welcome who was sold to The Netherlands. He produced 16 licensed stallions, five of whom stood at Celle: Weltmeyer, Walt Disney, Warkant, Wogenspieler and Woodstock.
Half Moon Delphi
Dimaggio’s most successful offspring was the British bred Grand Prix horse Half Moon Delphi, who won team gold with Michael Eilberg at the 2013 European Championships and team silver at the 2014 World Equestrian Games. Dimaggio has sired 30 Grand Prix competitors, and they still keep coming seven years after his death in 2015.
Destello
One of the stars at the 2022 World Young Horse Championships was the reserve champion of the Seven Year old horses, Destello who is by Dimaggio out of a mare by Fürst Fugger.
The 2022 Nürnberger Finalists:
Susan Pape – V-Plus – (Vivaldi – Fürst Romancier (Fürst Heinrich))
Andrina Suter – Briatore NRW – (Belissimo M – Dresemann / Royal Diamond)
Juliane Brunkhorst – Elitist – (Escolar – De Niro / Akzent II)
Andrina Suter – Del Curto (Dimaggio – Wolkentanz II / Brentano II)
Dorothee Schneider – Dante`s Hit OLD (Dante Weltino – Sandro Hit / Rohdiamant)
Heiner Schiergen – Imperato Bonito – (Chin Chan (Samba Hit II/Junior STV) – Jazz / Uniform) replaced at the last minute by
Lucas Fischer – Querida Mia – Quotenkönig / Ravallo – This increased the representation of Quaterback to two entries – Quotenkönig is by Quaterback out of a Fürst Piccolo / Sandro Hit mare.
Marcus Hermes – De Massimo – (Dankeschoen (Danone I / Fidermark)/ Show Star (Sandro Hit / Feinbrand)
Jasmine Sanche-Burger – Deep Purple (Don Romantic (Don Schufro / Romancier) – Wolkentanz II / Rohdiamant
Lena Waldmann – Scarlett O’Hara (Scuderia (Sir Donnerhall) – Escudo I) –Laurentianer)
Janina Tietze – Da Costa (Dimaggio / Coriander / Amigo xx)
Thomas Wagner – Wynton’s Son – (Wynton / Latimer)
Dorothee Schneider – Quaterline T (Quaterback/ Hotline )
The future of dressage in Germany is in good hands, tactful, correct, sympathetic hands… that’s the obvious truth after the twelve horses competed in the first go round of the Burg-Pokal, a Prix St Georges competition for young horses entering the ranks of the big sport. It was sheer delight to see one after the other, young horses that were classically schooled and beautifully shown, and guess what, only one with a protesting tail, the rest looked serenely confident in their work…
Quaterback, sire of Quaterline winning at the Bundeschampionate ‘with his canter for a ten’.
It started with the first test, the Hannoverian gelding, Quaterline (Quaterback / Hotline) ridden by Dorothee Schneider. I find it hard to think of another really top class international Grand Prix rider who is also a mega-star in the young horse classes, but that is Dorothee, she is really special, she is also the master of rhythm, Quaterline’s trot is bouncy, and loose through the body, the big trot is so unhurried, so correct. A big clear walk, and a balanced, uphill canter, everything looks easy for the horse. They leave on a totally loose relaxed rein as do the overwhelming majority of horses in the class.
But a fresh face from Switzerland is not going to let Dorothee have it easy. Thirty-year-old Andrina Suter has another Hanoverian gelding, Del Curto sweetly flowing, they finish close in second on 73.682.
Dorothee and Dante’s Hit
But wait there’s more from this talented twosome. Dorothee came back with the Oldenburg gelding, Dante’s Hit really making it hard for herself to win the class. It’s more or less a carbon copy of the first test of the day: correct, accurate, expansive, and Dorothee has that quality of great riders, she is invisible but she’s there at the end of the test with a huge smile, she has just taken the lead with a score of 75.146 (I liked the first horse better, and so did three of the five judges).
Briatore
Let’s not forget Andrina, she came back with her ‘baby’ Briatore, a Westfalen gelding by Belissimo out of a Dreseman mare. The trot is deliberate, soft, loose, everything sings. This is a horse that has been classically educated, and it is no surprise to learn she has been working with the Swiss National coach, Oliver Oelrich, formerly co-trainer of the German Youth Team. They finish on a score of 75.146 and we have a tie for first going into the final!
Pretty amazing given that Andrina had never competed at Frankfurt before, and only entered a Burg-Pokal qualifier because her national coach said now she had good enough horses and she should try.
Try she did for an even better result in the final, finishing first on Briatore (77.146), second on Del Curto (76.097). Third place went to Thomas Wagner and Wynton’s Son (73.268). Susan Pape and V-Plus were fourth (73.024) with Dorothee and Dante’s Hit slipping down to fifth on 72.682.
It has long been one of the puzzles of the dressage world, just why have the Switzerland, once the home of world champions, and tough teams at every major event, more or less disappeared from the world stage. Perhaps Andrina is right when she hopefully predicts a revival:
“Dressage in Switzerland is not big but we have many good riders and good horses, I don’t know why our teams don’t go better, but I think with Oliver, we are in a good way.”
And your goal, Paris?
“For me it is a big dream and goal but I think it is a realistic dream.”
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Bellissimo
Sandro Hit
Escalito