For the eleventh time, the Hannoveraner Verband has awarded the Weltmeyer or Stakkato Prize to the young stallions with the best results in ther performance tests. The ceremonial awarding of the prizes in front of a large audience took place for six of the eight stallions at the show of privately owned stallions in Verden.
In Denmark, the Fürst Toto/Royal Classic son Fifty-Fifty (breeder: Arndt Schwierking, Barver, station: Helgstrand Dressage, Vodskov/Denmark) passed his 35-day-test as one of the best. Before that, the chestnut stallion from the dam line of Sukkade already convinced at the 14-day-test in Vechta, where the judges attested him a high willingness to perform combined with high quality of his basic gaits. Freigeist by Foundation/Competent (breeder: Dr. Michael Lühs, Wagenfeld, station: State Stud Celle) was still young when he was licensed in Verden in 2020. Two years later, the bay stallion justified the trust that Landstallmeister Dr. Axel Brockmann had placed in him when he purchased him at the stallion sales. At the 50-day- test dressage in Schlieckau, Freigeist showed his special qualities under saddle and shone with a final score of 8.49. The Rhineland-registered Asgard's Ibiza/Dimaggio son Ibiza Dream (breeder: Axel Windeler, Verden-Walle, station: Axel Windeler), who was already Vice Bundeschampion of four-year-old stallions with Sina Aringer two years ago, is spoilt for success. In the Niedersachsenhalle, the chestnut from the successful dam line of Schneiderin achieved the best result in the sport test dressage with a score of 8.81 a year ago. The fourth Weltmeyer Prize went to the reigning Hannoveraner dressage horse champion Va' Pensiero by Vitalis/Fürstenball (breeder: Zuchthof Düvel, Katlenburg-Lindau). With an ideal score of 10 for rideability in part I of the sport test dressage in Münster-Handorf, his final score was an outstanding 9.36. This is also thanks to rider Hannah Laser. The rider at Klosterhof Medingen, where Va' Pensiero has been available to breeders for the past two years, rode the bay stallion to eleven victories in eleven starts, including the Hannoveraner Championat and the Bundeschampionat ov three-year-old stallions. The stallion could not be present in the Niedersachsenhalle, his honour will be made up for at a later date.
Three Hannoveraner and one stallion from the Rhineland dominated the 50-day-test jumping in Neustadt/Dosse, all four were awarded the Stakkato Prize. For the second time, a show jumping stallion bred and owned by Norbert Bramlage, Dinklage, is awarded the Stakkato Prize. Like his sire, the Argento Vivo/Contendro son ArgentoConte convinced with rideability and very good scope, which was rewarded with a final score of 8.74 at the 50-day-test. The foundation mare Schneiderin managed the feat of producing a Weltmeyer and a Stakkato Prize winner in the same year. Besides the dressage stallion Ibiza Dream, it was the Quasimodo van de Molendreef/Quadam son Quasi Quadam (breeder: Henrik Schäfer, Köchingen, station: State Stud Moritzburg) who was honoured in the Niedersachsenhalle. The athletic bay stallion achieved an average jumping score of 9.25 and a final score of 8.84. Quentino by Qualito/Stakkato (breeder: Günter Keller, Bermatingen), who spent his youth at the Hunnesrück stallion rising station ranked just behind him with 8.75 and is a representative of the successful dam line of Norm, which includes numerous international show jumpers as well as Hannover's legendary sire, Servus. Coming last in the alphabetical order, United Power by Untouchable/Lux (breeder: Didier Jacquemin, Seny/BEL) led the quartet at the 50-day-test in Neustadt/Dosse. The grey horse, registered in the Rhineland, achieved a final score of 8.90 with high rideability and led the 38-strong starting field. This means that the breeders at the State Stud Moritzburg will have two Stakkato Prize winners at their disposal in the coming season.