July 30th, 2022, was a remarkable day for NZHS and the Rheinland Studbook – here since 2014 – to produce a stallion and then to be able to have him licensed in NZ under the new regulations…congratulations to Victoria Wall to have the courage and fortitude to take him to Europe and now to succeed in the qualifying process for the YDH World Champion ships in Ermelo, Netherlands. The first NZ bred horse ever to achieve this feat. Furst Hit EDH (Furstenball Old. /Sandro Hit Old. / Jazz KWPN.)
We quote Victoria from her social media pages right after the event.
“Yay! I can’t quite believe I am saying this, but I am so excited and incredibly proud that Friday and I have qualified and been selected to represent New Zealand at the World Breeding World Championships for Young Horses in Ermelo in September!!!We achieved MER scores in both our tests at Neu Anspach CDI and we are so very excited to be representing NZ at this incredible event!
If that wasn’t exciting enough, he is the first NZ bred horse to qualify for this event, so I am doubly excited as breeder! He arrived in Germany a bit short on training, and then twice being very sick and needing nearly 8 Weeks off since arriving, it’s been a big ask … but he’s stepped up every single time I have asked ….I am so incredibly proud of him.
I wasn’t sure it was doable … but he’s improving so fast, and he tried his heart out this weekend. The last test he felt so wonderful, and it was his best ever. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Friday
Huge thanks go to Sebastian Heinze for your amazing training. You’ve just been a game changer and Andi Els who helps regularly at Sportpferde Im Brook.
Thank you so much for all your messages of support and thanks so much to my tribe who have been my lifeline during the tough times. Love you all “
At the end of August, Victoria announced the retirement from sport of her Grand Prix mare Letty Lei EDH (Limonit/Mantari xx). The mare did her level best for Victoria in her quest to gain MER scores for the World Championships in Herning, but that quest failed by a just a small margin, so the decision has been made to give her a well-deserved retirement. Letty Lei EDH was bred by the Wills family who stood Limonit at stud in his early days in New Zealand.
