Traditionally, the Hanoverian Society honors the most outstanding young dressage and jumping stallions following their performance tests. The awards are named after the influential foundation sires Weltmeyer and Stakkato. This distinction was bestowed on five dressage stallions and two show jumping stallions at the very beginning of their breeding careers. Five of them were presented at the show of privately owned stallions in Verden.
Daan G. had already caused a sensation at his licensing in Verden, when he topped the stallion sales with a record price of € 2,000,000. “A horse that gives you goosebumps,” commented licensing commissioner Heike Kemmer at the time. The Donkey Boss/Don Olymbrio L son (breeder: Stutteri G., Lynge/DEN; station: Helgstrand Dressage, Vodskov/DEN) continues to impress under saddle. In August, he claimed the title of Hannoveraner Vice Champion of the three-year-old stallions, and in November he won the 35-day test in Denmark convincingly with a total score of 912.00 points.
In Verden, Daan G. was only narrowly beaten by DC-10 by Dynamic Dream/Escolar (breeder: ZG Rütten-Janßen, Mönchengladbach), who won the white and yellow champion’s sash. DC-10 also received a positive licensing decision from the Hanoverian Society. As a foal, he had already made headlines when he was auctioned off to a Dutch stallion owner as the champion foal of the Wickrath Foal Championship. At the Danish performance test, DC-10 followed closely behind his stablemate with 885.50 points.
Another Weltmeyer Award was presented to Lindenberg by Libertad/Destano (breeder: ZG Maak, Hamburg; station: Tobias Schult, Hünxe), the 2024 Bundeschampion of four-year-old stallions. The striking black stallion from the renowned dam line of Simse had already demonstrated his exceptional quality in part I of the sport test, achieving an excellent score of 9.07.
The Secret/All Inclusive son Sir Gribaldi (breeder: ZG Aronis and Janßen, Oederquart) achieved the best result of his age group three times in a row at Münster-Handorf. He completed the 3-day-test with 8.59, part I of the sport test dressage with 8.84 and part II with 9.01. Last year, the dark bay stallion, who traces back to the foundation mare Dodica, also competed at the Bundeschampionate for five-year-old dressage horses. He was discovered by Gestüt Sprehe at the Verden stallion sales.
The successful cooperation between the Celle State Stud and stallion station Hoffrogge was rewarded with another Weltmeyer Award: together they bought the premium stallion Venturo by Valdiviani out of a Belissimo M dam (breeder: Ulla Katzorke, Essen) at the stallion sales in Verden. Dressage talent is deeply rooted in his pedigree. His dam, St.Pr./performance mare dressage Bohemian Rhapsodie, was herself successful up to Intermediaire I level, while his granddam Rhapsodie Queen produced two further offspring competing at the highest levels of dressage sport. Venturo impressed in part I of the dressage sport test in Münster-Handorf with an outstanding final score of 9.19.
Two jumping stallions excelled at the 50-day test in Adelheidsdorf in December of last year and were rewarded with the Stakkato Award for their outstanding performances. Acorezzo by Arezzo VDL/Cornado (breeder: Antonius Schulze-Averdiek, Rosendahl) had already impressed as a premium stallion at his licensing in Verden. Richard Vogel and David Will secured the promising young stallion, whose dam is a half-sister to the internationally successful privately owned stallion Fire and Ice. At the 50-day test, Acorezzo justified this confidence with a final score of 8.41.
The second Stakkato Award was presented to Firecracker K by For Treasure VDL/Crumble (breeder: Martin Klintworth, Ohrensen). The grey stallion delivered a truly explosive performance in Adelheidsdorf, finishing with a final score of 8.48. His granddam St.Pr.St. Cintia was not only successful in show jumping competitions herself but also proved to be an exceptionally valuable broodmare. Her son Crumble Cheesecake FRH by Crumble won the Hannoveraner Show Jumping Masters in 2022 with Ole Klintworth. Two years later, his half-sister Hann.Pr.A. Cherry Fly K FRH by Chacfly PS repeated this success.
