The World Championship dice have been cast: 24 horses have been selected to represent German horse breeding at the FEI WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championship for Young Horses. From 6 to 10 August, the World Championship candidates will present themselves in the World Championship arena, which has been renamed Horse24 Arena, and compete for World Championship medals.
The German contingent consists of eight Hanoverians, eight Oldenburgers, five Westphalians, two German Sport Horses and one Trakehner. Among them are several horses that have already made a name for themselves – here are a few examples...
Among the five-year-old candidates is, for example, the Hanoverian Secret son So Special, who secured the silver ribbon with Jessica Lynn Thomas in the supporting programme of the 2024 World Championships for four-year-olds. A year earlier, the stallion had excelled as Vice-Champion at the Bundeschampionat in Warendorf. The five-year-olds also include the third-placed horse in the Bundeschampionat for four-year-old riding horses, Because of You OLD, ridden by Beatrice Hoffrogge, and a son of Olympic team champion Wendy de Fontaine (Isabell Werth), Ferdinand de Fontaine, ridden by Finland's Merita Hagren
Five-year-old World Championship candidates at a glance::
- Because of you OLD, Oldenburger Stute v. Benicio – Dimaggio (Z.: Zuchthoff Hollen/Jan Calender, R.: Beatrice Hoffrogge)
- Estelle PS, Westfälische Stute v. Escalito – Wynton (Z.: Peter Spelsberg, R.: Lena Haßmann)
- Ferdinand De Fontaine, Oldenburger Hengst v. Franklin – Sezuan (Z.: SCEA Domaine Fontaine L’Abbé, R.: Merita Hagren)
- So Special, Hannoveraner Hengst v. Secret – Bon Coeur (Z.: Pia Sophie Wahlers, R.: Jessica Lynn Thomas)
- Valentin, DSP (Bay) Wallach v. Vitalis – DonSchufro (Z.: Jutta Steidl, R.: Johanna Wadenspanner)
- Viva Diamond OLD, Oldenburger Stute v. Vitalis – Don Diamond (Z.: Zuchthof Alberding, R.: Linda Weiß)
- Viva Diamond, DSP (BaWue) Hengst v. Viva Gold – Don Diamond (Z.: ZG Herbert und Ursula Linz, R.: Lisa Wernitznig)
- Viva las Vegas RS, Hannoveraner Hengst v. Viva Gold – Foundation (Z.: Reinhard Baumgartner, R.: Charlott-Maria Schürmann)
Among the six-year-old World Championship candidates, last year's Bundeschampioness and Vice-Bundeschampion stand out. Both Felice FRH by Fürst Samarant and Endorphin FRH by Escolar are ridden by Greta Heemsoth, rider at the Pape stable. ”This is of course a very nice way for us to build on each other's success after the two horses won gold and silver in the five-year-olds at the Bundeschampionat in Warendorf last year,” explains Ingo Pape. He deliberately decided to present the horses in Warendorf in 2024 and did not have his sights set on the World Championships. ”The Bundeschampionat already has a considerable status within Germany. This year, the World Championships are back in Verden, which is great. We have celebrated many successes in Verden in the past and are incredibly happy that the World Championships are taking place there again. Don't forget: these are the best young horses in the world.” With the two-time Vice Bundeschampion Endorphin FRH, a horse bred by Ingo Pape will be competing in a World Championships for the first time. The horse was also trained at his stable and continues to live there as a stud horse. ”He combines absolute sporting genetics,” emphasises Pape. ”With Escolar as his sire, who was himself a squad horse in Germany, with Don Nobless, Nations Cup stallion owned by my wife, and then there's Rousseau, who also stood at our stud and, through his sons and grandsons, is certainly one of the most successful dressage sires ever.”
Six-year-old World Championship candidates at a glance::
- Endorphin FRH, Hannoveraner Hengst v. Escolar – Don Nobless (Z.: Ingo Pape, R.: Greta Heemsoth)
- Escaneno, Hannoveraner Hengst v. Escamillo – Veneno (Z.: Tobias Schult, R.: Lisa Lindner)
- Felice FRH, Hannoveraner Stute v. Fürst Samarant – Riverside (z.: Rene Jansen, R.: Greta Heemsoth)
- Füchtels Hailey, Oldenburger Stute v. Don Martillo – Damon Hill (Z.: Andrea Gräfin von Merveldt, R.: Patricia Seddig)
- La Jolie SW, Oldenburger Stute v. Escamillo – Londonderry (z: Sabine Wehle, R.: Carina Scholz)
- Schatzmeister MZ, Oldenburger Hengst v. Secret – De Niro (Z.: Mändy Zimmer, R.: Ann-Christin Wienkamp)
- Vitamin B, Hannoveraner Wallach v. Valverde – Christ (Z.: Hedda Ottmann-Droege, R.: Charlott-Maria Schürmann)
- WinHorses Eleven, Westfälischer Hengst v. Escamillo – Den Haag (Z: Roukaz Soufiah, R.: Flore De Winne)
Among the seven-year-olds selected, there are many familiar faces from last year's World Championships, including the best-placed German-bred horse, Segantini FRH. The Secret son finished fifth last year under his rider Dorothee Schneider and once again impressed in this year's selection. Also with World Championship experience are Elliot the Dancer by Escolar under Stefan Wolff, seventh in the 2024 World Championship final, and the Oldenburg mare Füchtels High Light OLD by Floriscount, ridden by Patricia Seddig, who finished eighth at last year's World Championships
Seven-year-old World Championship candidates at a glance::
- Elliot the Dancer, Westfälischer Hengst v. Escolar – Vitalis (Züchter: Leo Hermanns, R.: Stefan Wolff)
- Füchtels High Light OLD, Oldenburger Stute v. Floriscount – Damon Hill (Züchter: Andrea Gräfin von Merveldt, R.: Patricia Seddig)
- Gaspard, Trakehner Hengst v. His Moment – Imperio (Züchter: Angelica Lauritzen, Cecelie Hedegaard)
- Rocketeer, Westfälischer Hengst v. Rock Forever I– Franziskus (Züchter: Thomas Holling, R.: Laurin Hofmann)
- Rumours, Hannoveraner Stute v. Revolution – Bequia (Züchter: Michael Procter, R.: Maren Müller-Bentes)
- Segantini FRH, Hannoveraner Hengst v. Secret – Fidermark (Züchter: Christine Feichtinger, R.: Dorothee Schneider)
- Zewano, Oldenburger Wallach v. Zackerey – Romanov Blue Hors (Züchter: Alessandro Alemani, R.: Franz Trischberger)
- Zulu GV, Westfälischer Hengst v. Zarathustra MT – Sorento (Züchter: Gestüt Vorwerk/Inh.Elisabeth Max-Theurer, R.: Laura Strobel)
OnLive Foal Auction
On Saturday evening, 9 August, at around 7 p.m., eleven selected foals will be presented at the OnLive Foal Auction in the Horse24 Arena and will be looking for new owners. ‘In these foals, we find a very current and broad mix of sire lines,’ explains auction manager Wilken Treu. ”On the dam's side, we also frequently encounter World Championship-successful ancestors. Genetically, this selection is extremely interesting.” The foals will be shown for the first time on Saturday afternoon in the Horse24 Arena, and bidding will be possible both live on site and online at Horse24 during the auction in the evening.
Tickets for the FEI WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championship for Young Horses from 6 to 10 August at the show grounds on Lindhooper Straße in Verden are available from Ticketmaster at:
https://www.ticketmaster.de/artist/verden-international-tickets/981934?camefrom=de_va_pverd
