Read Warmbloods Today Magazine 2012 article on German Riding ...

Left to right:
their suits and hats in the
(1) Timo Coldewey
center of the ring. And
presents a
then enter the stallions,
stallion at the
braided and groomed to
<strong>2012</strong> licensing at
perfection, trotting boldly
Neumünster.
next to their white-gloved
(2) A pony free
handlers…some of them
jumping at
reaching just up to the
Neumünster.
handler’s knees. It can be
hard to keep a straight face!
Adding to that humorous
scene are the names—there
are ‘shrunken’ versions of the biggest names of the Warmblood world, including
Donnerhall, Chambertin and Numero Uno.
Timo Coldewey is heir to the successful German breeding farm Kastanienhof,
which has been home to foundation stallions Brillant (sire of For the Laughter),
Kennedy, Kaiserjaeger and Halifax, and more recently, FS Cracker Jack, Hot Cream
WE, The Breas My Mobility, Olivier K, Makuna Matata and Cockney Cracker. The
young Coldewey is a big name in the German pony world and a seasoned pro
at preparing and presenting both his own and outside-owned young pony and
Warmblood stallions for licensing.
“People who are competing don’t always look for the same things as breeders
when they attend the stallion licensings and auctions,” Timo explains. “Riders want
the product, and they want to work with what they have. Breeders want to know
how did they do it? How can I do it?”
“We’ve had people shopping for hunter ponies look at a pony, trained as we do
it here, and say this is no hunter… and then later, the pony becomes a successful
hunter! They look for the product—they should look for the talent! If you see talent,
and make the product, it’s not so expensive that way,” he explains.
“I think the hunters want flat movement but also big, slow movement—the
same slow movement we are looking for too—but for dressage we like them to go
more over the knee. If you ride a horse or pony slowly, with a long neck, for a long
time—he won’t continue moving over the knee. But remember that a good trainer
knows what he can change and what he can’t,” he concludes.
Ann Daum Kustar
Antony Quinn in Germany (1), and
then here in the U.S. ridden by
Dianna’s 12-year-old son Charlie.
Quite the contrast!
Ann Daum Kustar
Courtesy Dianna Orona
Courtesy Dianna Orona
American Breeders Tackle the Market
Timo Coldewey has some advice for the Americans too. In a huge country like
yours,” he says, “breeders and riders need to sit together.” He smiles. “Riders and
breeders are connected to each other. As long as you keep that disorganized, and
don’t reward the breeders of the winning ponies, and don’t get together the riders
with the breeders, then you Americans will need to keep buying from us!”
In fact, some U.S. breeders of German Riding Pony are bringing the big names
from across the ocean, utilizing the successful pony lines already here, and working
to create top hunter ponies on American soil.
Dianna Orona, owner of Fox Creek Farm in Manhattan, Kansas, offers North
America’s most extensive list of top pony stallions available by frozen semen. She
stands seven pony stallions, including the German Riding Ponies FS Daily Hero (FS
Don’t Worry x FS Pavarotti), Chicco B (Chantre B x Nansen), Benno’s Dream (Blue Star
x Askan), Foxcreek Diamond King (Dance Star AT x Kennedy) and Adonis (Argentino
x Voyage), who was recently champion of the <strong>2012</strong> 30-day pony test in Oklahoma.
Dianna’s breeding program is unique in the U.S. for the strength of its mare
herd—she’s imported pony mares from the best mother lines in Germany, many of
them States Premium, and often carrying a unique in-utero foal sired by stallions
not currently available by frozen semen in the U.S.
“From the beginning our emphasis has been on the quality of our mares,” Diana
explains. “Why re-create the wheel? The German ponies have been selected and
Chanel, bred at Whispered Wish
Farm, is showing in the hunters.
Courtesy Heather Luing
Courtesy Heather Luing
<strong>Warmbloods</strong> <strong>Today</strong> 85