the moose antlers - Trakehners Australia Inc.

A Platinum future for Rappenhof.Platinum vom Rappenhof *Pb*Winning at Vancouver Thunderbird Horse Park2010.Horst Kempter passed away from leukemia in 2001 and I was unsureabout the future of Rappenhof . Rather than closing down,Rappenhof extended its facilities to become also a popular ridingand boarding center with 32 box stalls. This was largely possiblebecause of the support of the love of my life, Canadian Steven Watson,a brother of a local Trakehner breeder. With long experience inthe horse industry, Steve stood behind me all the way and workedhard for Rappenhof’s future and the career of the farm’s next generationof mares and stallions. From 2003 to 2007 a Verband PremiumStallion we imported,made his mark as Rappenhofstallion: Guy Laroche(Verband Elite Stallion andGerman Stallion of the Year2006 Michelangelo –Donauwind-son Lucado)trained by Olympic andWorld Champion Uwe Sauer,now at stud in the USA.In 2000 I wrote in a Laudatio for Palma Nigra, just named winner of the ATA Gerda FriedrichsAward as most valuable broodmare: “It is Palma's youngest black son, Platinum vomRappenhof *Pb*, born in May 1998, whom we choose to try to fulfill our ultimate dream: tobe the successor to his now 25 years old sire Carino at Rappenhof and, beyond this, savethe paternal Perfectionist xx - Irrlehrer stallion line, made famous by Olympic medalistsNurmi, Adular and Afrika, which would become extinct with Carino. Platinum will be presentedat the 2001 ATA approval. We pray, that Palma reaches this double pinnacle of abroodmare career, being mother ofan approved ATA stallion and helpingto continue a sire line from Trakehnenhere in the New World.”Prince of Prussiahttp://www.americantrakehner.com/Stallions/PrinceOfPrussia.aspPrinz Habicht *Ps*,http://pineridgesporthorses.blogspot.com/Now more than a decade later, weare so blessed that both these dreams came true: Carino and Palma Nigraboth were honored with the ATA Elite titles. This couple did not only producedone ATA stallion together but four, plus an ATA Model mare, all ofthem black, successful in the show ring and through their offspring: Prince ofPrussia, Prinz Habicht *Ps*, Platinum vom Rappenhof *Pb*, Patras vom Rap-penhof and their sister Piroschka vom Rappenhof *M*, whose daughter-Parody became Champion Filly at the 2008 ATA Convention Show in BurbankCA. All made significant contributions to the Trakehner breed and theIrrlehrer line. All of the 12 living foals of Carino and Palma competed withgreat success, some at highest level. Among them were also two outstandingbreeding class horses, Priamos vom Rappenhof, Canadian Triple Crown SupremeGrand Champion in hand, andPaloma vom Rappenhof, ChampionMare of the ATA convention show Columbus, Ohio, both making their markunder saddle as well as dressage champions.In 35 years of breeding Trakehners in Germany, Australia and Canada I only once made a prophetic remark about a new bornfoal: Platinum vom Rappenhof was just a minute old and still lying wet in thestraw next to Palma, when I said spontaneously “This will be my next stallion”and he is. To become Carino’s successor in my barn and in my heart is atough act to follow, but Platy succeeded there, like he did in all four classicequestrian disciplines as well as in the approvals and stallion performancetests of ATA, CTHS, CSHA, CWHBA and Oldenburg.Platy became an instant success in eventing in 2003 , placing in each evententered and ending the season in 7 th place (of 27) at the Quebec Open ProvincialChampionships at Pre-Training level. Main objective was the passingof the ATA stallion performance test requirements. Long time Canadianeventing team rider Yves Landry saw in him a talent for the internationaleventing sport.The following year Platy passed the Canadian Warmblood Station Test forStallions with praise and highest marks from test riders Ann Zander(Canadian eventing team) and Erynn Ballard (Canadian Hunter Championand Canadian Jumper Champion). Ann gave him a ‘9’ and stated: “I never do‘catch rides’ in eventing, but with Platinum I would do it any day’.Patras vom Rappenhof