British Breeder Magazine May 2020

Studbook - NEWS
Trakehners UK
News April 2020
With the show season ahead of us still looking
very uncertain at the time of writing this article,
we hope that all breeders are safe and we look
forward to seeing your pure and part bred
Trakehner foals as the year progresses.
We are very much hoping the Futurity series will
be able to go ahead as planned and we are
pleased to be able to offer members the chance
to get their mares graded alongside the Futurity.
Our judges will be available at all Futurity venues
from 11th to the 17th August. We are also looking
into options for stallion grading, so if you have
a stallion or colt that you would like to present,
please get in contact so we know what numbers
we are dealing with.
Even if you don’t have a Trakehner mare, if you
are planning to put your mare in foal this year,
then Trakehner stallions can offer so much to your
breeding programme.
The Trakehner was once deemed unfashionable,
especially in the UK, but for many riders and
breeders, once they have first-hand experience
of this fantastic breed, they are converted.
Trakehners are the Thoroughbreds of warmblood
breeding. They are brave and athletic with
stamina, a powerful combination for the eventing
world.
Top performers include Windfall who was an
international performer at the highest level with
Darren Chiacchia and is now producing 5 star
eventers himself.
Many UK breeders will regonise Fleetwater
Opposition who was a junior eventing gold
medallist who went on to sire many top
performers, and whose bloodlines are still
available in today. Grafenstolz is now flying
up the world rankings for eventing sires. For
dressage breeders Gribaldi needs no introduction
as one of the most eminent modern sires and
famous names such as Caprimond and Consul
can be found in many pedigrees.
Trakehners were originally bred in East Prussia
destinated as cavalry horses that needed to
be faster and tougher than their counterparts.
Thoroughbred and Arabian stallions were used
to add refinement and blood. After the second
world war decimated numbers, the Trakehner
Verband was founded in Germany in 1947 to
preserve these extraordinary horses.
The Trakehner studbook has always valued the
mare lines, with offspring being named with the
initial of their dam’s name. Trakehner breeders
can tell you all the details of the motherline of
their stock before expanding on the achievements
of the sire.
As the breed was dispersed around Germany,
it’s stallions in particular have had a significant
impact on the other German studbooks when
used as a refining influence. They are sensitive
and want to work, and riders who channel this
find they have incredibly loyal and talented
partners. Add in their charm and beauty and it is
no wonder once you own a Trakehner you tend
to find you are hooked.
Currently one of the highest ranked horses in
world dressage is the beautiful mare TSF Dalera
BB (Easy Game x Handryk) who already has
world and European medals under her belt. The
Latimer son Erlentanz has international results
with both Charlotte DuJardin and his regular rider
Sonnar Murray Brown.
In Denmark the approved stallion Aston Martin
(Monteverdi x Sixtus) was earning world ranking
points at CDI 5 star shows just a few months ago.
In eventing the previously mentioned Windfall is
the sire of world top ten Tsetserleg and another
top 5 star horse in Vandiver. Primero, a Polish
bred Trakehner, is one of the highest ranked
eventers in Eastern Europe with a number of top 5
placings at 4 star level in 2019.
There are a number of British breeders who will
have stock for sale this year if you are looking for
your next competition partner.
If you would like any advice on using a Trakehner
stallion or sourcing a mare to add to your
breeding programme then please
get in contact.
www.trakehners.uk.com
Godington Trasimeno winning at Cherwell earlier in 2020
40 | BRITISH BREEDER