The privately owned stallion Destacado FRH is awarded the 2025 Grande Prize. The likeable chestnut stallion, bred and reared by Heinrich Gießelmann from Barver, has had a picture-perfect career so far, leading him to the German Olympic squad. The Hannoveraner Verband has been awarding the Grande Prize to a young stallion between the ages of ten and twelve since 2009. It is associated with the hope that the prizewinner will have a lasting positive influence on Hannoveraner breeding.
The career of Destacado FRH by Desperados/Londonderry began in 2015 in the hand of Jan-Dirk Gießelmann on the triangular course at the Verden licensing. Destacado FRH, a young stallion with flawless conformation, thrilled with his movement potential the licensing commission, spectators and buyers. As a premium stallion, he found a new owner at the stallion sales and his breeding home at Gestüt Schafhof in Kronberg. Less than twelve months later, Destacado FRH was back in the spotlight in Verden. Under the saddle of Pascal Kandziora, he became Vice Champion of three-year-old stallions in the Hannoveraner Riding Horse Championships. They also remained unbeaten in Warendorf, securing the title of Bundeschampion.
In the summer of 2017, when Destacado FRH was four years old, Matthias Alexander Rath took over the reins – and has not let go since. The transition from one rider to the next went smoothly. At the age of five, Matthias Alexander Rath and Destacado FRH represented the Hannoveraner colours at the World Championships for Young Dressage Horses in Ermelo, easily reached the final and became Vice World Champions. The judge Maria Colliander called the final round ‘poetry in motion’. One year later, the path led to the final again at the same place, resulting in the ‘ungrateful’, but still excellent fourth place. At the age of five, Destacado FRH also completed his stallion performance test. His outstanding results in both parts of the sport test earned him the 2019 Weltmeyer Prize. At the age of seven, the chestnut stallion was one of the youngest horses to reach the final of the Nuernberger Burgpokal, which he won in front of a home crowd at the Schafhof. ‘Destacado FRH is truly a model student who takes it to the next level every year. It is so much fun to ride this horse and I am very grateful to be able to ride him,’ said Matthias Alexander Rath. Just one year later, the well-coordinated team celebrated their first international Grand Prix placings. Destacado FRH was only eight years old at the time. The couple's great results last year, including fourth place in the World Cup final in Riyadh, earned them a place on Germany’s Olympic squad.
Destacado FRH's successes indicate a stable build, good health and an unwavering willingness to perform. In terms of sport, he has already reached the highest level at a young age. These are qualities that make him particularly valuable as a sire. His bloodline is classic hanoverian. His sire, Desperados FRH, was an Olympic champion, a Grande Prize winner and Hannoveraner Stallion of the Year. The sire of his mother, Londonderry, also a Hannoveraner Stallion of the Year, brings noble blood through his father Lauries Crusador xx. The pedigree, conformation, health and performance of this chestnut stallion speak for themselves. Nevertheless, he has not been the focus of much breeding attention so far. In sport, his offspring are successful in young horse classes at the appropriate age and give their father an FN breeding value of 153 (85 per cent) for young horse classes. Destacado FRH will be honoured at the dressage stallion licensing in Verden in November.