Thanks again to Sally Reid – her story was published in World Breeding News.
NZ Hanoverian classifications
The New Zealand Hanoverian Society’s 2019 classification tour, with assessors Werner Schade and Volker Ehlers, included mare and foal inspections, mare performance tests, mare families and – for the first time – approvals for colt and stallion licensing. Colts are still subject to veterinary sign-off; more about them in a future issue.
“The team was almost overwhelmed by the quality of the horses presented – and especially with the top horses,” says Robin Potter of the NZ Hanoverian Society. “They were also impressed by the quality of the Thoroughbred mares and could see that in our mare base, coming through.”
Mares
Three mares from the 20 inspected received Premium-level scores of 8 or more. The very beautiful River Park Waileah (Worldly – Remi London Attraction x Londonderry) was the top Young Mare and Best Studbook Mare. She is owned and was bred by Renai Hart of River Park Farm in Huapai, just north of Auckland, where her sire, Worldly (Weltmeyer – Boleisa x Brentano) stands. This stallion is very special; New Zealand is lucky to have him. He was bred by Rolf Böndel in Germany, and performance-tested in 2000 at Adelheidsdorf, scoring the highest marks in dressage and winning Reserve Champion overall. Worldly has sired 38 State Premium mares and 15 licensed sons: his gorgeous New Zealand daughter, RP Wailea, bears a strong resemblance to him. “I bred her to add to my broodmares,” says Renai Hart. “But she will be ridden first.”
Waileah’s dam, Remi London Attraction, was bred by Remi Stud in Queensland and, at her Hanoverian classification in Australia, scored 9.5 for type, 9.5 for walk and 9.5 for trot.
The Top Older Mare was Dolly Blue (Diarado – Chance For Ever x Chacco Blue), a very exciting import from Paul Schockemöhle’s Gestut Lewitz. Dolly is based with international eventer Clarke Johnstone, who competes her in show jumping. She is pure quality, and another German horse that we’re lucky to have in New Zealand.
The top Performance Test Mare was Matthews Hanoverians’ rising star Georgia MH (Gymnastik Star – Rain Dance MH x River Dance), bred by Judith Matthews. This six-year-old is ridden by Reece Downham, and has just won the Level 2 title at the NZ Dressage Championships.
Two other beautiful mares were performance-tested and received Elite Candidate status: Matthews Hanoverians’ Waimarie MH (Worldly – Remi London Attraction x Londonderry), who is a full sister to the tour’s top mare River Park Wailea, and Henton Class Act (Contendro – Henton Elite x Escudo I x Distelfink), bred by Dave and Bridget Sullivan of Henton Lodge.
Two super mares shared the top Rheinland honours, Diamond Diva (Donnerubin – Dazzle x Dynamit) bred by Sarah Catherwood of Matamata, and the lovely bay Isabelle (Anamour/Ramzes II) bred by Jenny Laycock of Nelson.
The top Thoroughbred mare, Jandella xx (Postponed xx x King Delamere xx) especially impressed the assessors, as did the standard of other NZTB mares presented for inspection. “They really liked the type and quality,” says Robin Potter. “And Jandella’s sire, Postponed, is a big hit with Kiwi eventers at the moment.”
Mare Family
For the second year in succession, the Family honours went to Stoneylea Farm’s wonderful German-bred Stoneylea Lusenka, this time with her outstanding Weltmeyer daughter Stoneylea Welt Princess, and her granddaughter Stoneylea Vitality (Vitalis).
Lusenka, who was awarded StPrA status at the mare show in Freiburg, belongs to Stoneylea’s John and Angela Smith. The couple particularly wanted a mare of modern type from the L line, and imported Lusenka as a three-year-old on the recommendation of Dr Ludwig Christmann.
Welt Princess was the top four-year-old at the National Young Horse Championships in 2017 – and the overall Young Dressage Champion. She is currently having time off to enjoy her lovely foal, Vitality, who was awarded Premium foal status at the inspections. Welt Princess herself now has Elite Mare Studbook status.
“Fürst” foal
Just a few weeks old at the time of her inspection, SF Furstin Star (Fürsten-Look – Sugar Babe x Samarant) stole the show and was subsequently named top Hanoverian foal of the tour, from the 31 assessed. Her sire, Fürsten-Look (Fürstenball x Londonderry x Weltmeyer) is a dressage performance-test winner, Hanoverian Champion, German Champion and champion of his Oldenburg licensing in 2014.
The stunning black SF Furstin Star was bred by Nikita Osborne at Seaforth Farm in Kerikeri and is a name to remember – as is Nikita Osborne’s. This Northland vet and dressage rider is a relative newcomer to the breeding scene, but two years of very hard work and research is now reaping rewards.
“Basically, I’ve worked and saved money to buy my two foundation mares, Sugar and Summer SW (Don Frederico/Anamour),” she says. “I now have five frozen semen foals – four of them are classified, and all of those are premium foals. The first foal I bred is now two; she wasn’t classified, as I was still too new to know what was involved!
“I work as a mixed animal vet with a special interest in horses – in particular, reproduction – and I also compete as a dressage rider, so can’t wait for my Hanoverians to be old enough. My 82-year-old step-dad, Mac, and I spend hours researching and choosing the stallions. A lot is limited to those we can afford! I also get a lot of guidance from Robin Potter and Angela Smith [NZHS Vice-President], then I do the AI work, foaling, branding and eventually – hopefully! – competing.”
Osborne purchased SW Furstin Star’s dam Sugar Babe (Samarant – Lanciade x Lord Sinclair) three years ago from NZ dressage rider Lisa Blackbourn. The mare was bred in Germany by Anke Borchers.
Jumping foals:
Two foals tied for top honours in this category. Judith Matthews of Matthews Hanoverians bred one them, and also bred the dam of the other: “An interesting achievement from our top dressage horse producer!” says Robin Potter.
One of the two foals, Copyright MH (Cornet Obolensky – Ma Mojo Padale xx x Grosvenor xx), a grey colt, is already sold; his grandsire on the dam side, Grosvenor xx, has long been admired here as a sire of eventers and showjumpers.
There is Thoroughbred blood in the other top jumping foal, too. This unnamed bay filly (French Buffet xx – Showtime MH x Gymnastik Star) was bred by Dave and Bridget Sullivan of Henton Lodge Hanoverians. Her dam Showtime MH is out of Judith Matthew’s wonderful mare Grandessa MH (Gymnastik Star – Grimalda x Graf Landau), dam of the current North Island 6YO showjumping champion, Enya MH, and NZ Level 7 dressage champion Belladonna MH (Brentano II).
With the approved Grand Prix stallion French Buffet xx on one side of her pedigree, and the Hanoverian performance-test winner (and prolific competition winner) Stolzenberg (Stakkato x Sandro x Sacramento) on the other, this little filly should have everything it takes to make a jumper.
Incidentally, Henton Lodge presented another foal by French Buffet xx, from an Escudo I mare; this baby was also given Premium status.
Rheinland foals
The top Rheinland foal from the 10 presented was the super-cute Nationalle EDH (Negro – Neversfelde Jazz Hit x Sandro Hit), a filly bred by Victoria Wall of Elite Dressage Horses near Cambridge – and better known at present as Daisy. “Daisy’s dam was imported from Australia four years ago,” says Wall. “I bought her when she was four, only as a broodmare. She had a bad injury a few months after being broken in, so they put her in foal to Negro and put her on the market. I did see video of her under saddle, though, and she was super!” That first foal is Nationalle EDH’s full brother, Nations Hit EDH, who is due to be broken in shortly.
Sire representation
Three New Zealand-based, German-bred stallions were represented: Swarovski (Sandro Hit – St.Pr.El.St. Hertzdame x Don Gregory), who was bred by Gottfried Wessjohann of Cappeln and stands at Renai Hart’s River Park Farm in Kumeu; Euro Sport Centavos (Escudo I – Staatsprämie Annabel x Argentinus) who was bred by bred by Heinz Schüette and stands at Euro Sport Horses in Tokoroa, and Grand Pilot I (Gambrinus – Goldfee x Pilot) – also known as Eurocommerce Pennsylvania – from Paul Ffoulkes’ Goldengrove Studfarm in Canterbury. Nine of the foals were by Swarovski, six by Euro Sport Centavos, and one by Grand Pilot I.
The most represented overseas stallion was Fürstenball with four progeny; Quantensprung was next with two. Other overseas sires included Don Index, Dante Weltino, Vitalis, Buckingham, Benicio, Sir Donnerhall, Heinrich Heine, Dancier, Graf Top, Dragon Hill, Diacontinus, Totilas, His Highness, Fürst Romancier and San Amour.
Of the 31 foals presented to the assessors, 26 received Premium status.
Stallions
Three horses received their licences, valid for one year, to go forward for the Performance Test.and lifetime licensing. They are still subject to Verband Veterinary approval.
The three-year-old SWE Dempsey (Damsey FRH – Neversfelde Suraya x Sir Donnerhall), bred by Sangster-Ward Equestrian and now owned by Astek Stud; is licensed for the Rheinland Studbook.
Euro Sport Kalaska (Kalaska de Semilly – Centa Quick x Centadel) a four-year-old owned by Euro Sport Horses, has been licensed for the Hanoverian Studbook. This very handsome young horse is already licensed with the Anglo-European studbook. He was bred in Germany at Paul Schockemöhle’s Gestuet Lewitz and is owned by Euro Sport Horses, the family-run stud of showjumper Claudia Hay and her parents, Vicki and Peter.
The third stallion is Jasmine Sketchley’s Grand Prix jumper, Bravado Ego Z (Balougran – Cresida Ego Z x Carthago Z). He was bred in Australia by Linda Mayer, and stands at Felixstowe Lodge in Whangarei. Not only has this very eye-catching horse proved himself in the competition rings, but he is the grandson of two jumping immortals: Carthago Z and Baloubet du Rouet. He is also a Principal Stallion with the New Zealand Warmblood Association.
