Premium: Tolstoi (ex Tampico) by Kostolany out of ESt Tugend III by Burnus AAH - Gunnar - Pindar xx (photos by Countess Dohna (1,3) and Erwin Escher (2))

Damline: O70A Tenia (Scheffler-Neuweide / Neu Wingeruppen)

Breeder: H. Brüggemann, Dülmen, Germany

Owner: Gut Schwaighof, Fam. Zeising, Germany

Tolstoi was the first Kostolany son to be approved in Neumünster and was a very impressive model of a sport horse with powerful movement. He had a first class pedigree. Besides his sire (back then, Kostolany was young and had been crowned as champion in Neumünster), it was his dam Tugend III, a bay Burnus AAH daughter, who had a unique production record. Her son Trenk Quattro and her daughter Tiflis were both FEI show jumpers; her daughter Turandot had produced the approved Turnus (sire of Hamlet Go); and her daughter Titania later produced the approved Tycoon, one of the most overlooked, yet successful stallions in the breed. Tolstoi passed his 100 day test, but was never competed and only lived the life of a breeding stallion. Tolstoi's career began at Gestüt Schwaighof, where he still resides today. He has made a name for himself as a top movement producer with one of the highest indeces for "trot" in the entire breed. Tolstoi was pretty popular over the years and criticism was voiced more than once that only a few of his offspring really excelled as performance horses. Just another overused beau with little to show for in the end? Not quite true. While it is indeed true that only two of his many offspring have reached S level in Germany (in dressage), Tolstoi was able to found a very strong sire line, and produced several excellent daughters that carry his trademark movement on into the next generation, certainly a useful thing. Tolstoi's first sons appeared in NMS in 1995, and of the three presented, one was approved: the premium Saint Tropez. His story is somewhat tragic, but nevertheless very interesting, so we will make you wait for our 1995 report. This exceptionally beautiful stallion is the first Trakehner at the State Stud in Warendorf after almost 25 years of Trakehner "abstinence". From the same crop, the bay Kashigi was not approved, but is a successful M level show jumper these days. A year later, in 1996, the champion stallion in Neumünster was sired by Tolstoi: Farinelli. And in 1999, another champion stallion was by Tolstoi - in fact, Freudenfest was a full brother to Farinelli. Freudenfest already has three approved sons in the breed today. Also approved in Neumünster were the Tolstoi sons Dvorak and Davidoff Classic, again two full brothers, and interestingly, both out of the elite mare Domina by Habicht, whose son Donaukönig was approved in NMS in 1991, the year we're covering right now. Check out his bio further down!

At Gestüt Schwaighof, Tolstoi was often crossed with the C-line mares that stood there, and the resulting daughters were often highly ranked at their respective inspections, more than once fetching a perfect 10 for their trot, while type and elegance were not necessarily strongholds of this group. However, out of this breeding program, the mare Courage II produced two premium stallions for the Northrhine-Westfalian breed. One is stationed in Sweden, the other, Fuerto, is a State Stud stallion in Warendorf.

Premium: Chardonnay by EH Rockefeller out of Cera II by Mahon - Marsilio xx - Gunnar (photos by Wolfgang Grützner (1) and Werner Ernst (2))

Damline: T14L1 Ceres (Poll-Hörem)

Breeder: Lars Baumgürtel, Haltern, Germany

Owner: Cornelia Bus, Rheinland-Palatinate, Germany

Chardonnay was the second son of EH Rockefeller that was approved in Neumünster. The chestnut stallion of medium frame comes from a branch of the excellent Corrida family of the main stud Trakehnen, and shares his roots with stallions like EH Consul, Connery or the Russian show jumper Almox Prints, who competed at two Olympics! Chardonnay is a tremendouly powerful mover with a great hind end, and was soon winning under saddle.

He won the National Trakehner Riding Horse Championships in Cologne and won a bronz medal at the Bundeschampionat as well. As a 7 year old, he already won S level in dressage. In fact, Chardonnay was Germany's most successful 7 year old dressage horse in 1996, winning more money in competition than any other horse in the country (any breed).

However, after his rider, Nicole Gläseler, no longer trained him, he changed trainers and riders too often, unable to continue his career. The stallion was briefly ridden by the Olympians Michele Gibson (USA) and Caroline Hatapla (AUS). As a sire, he stood to a small book of mares, but managed to produce the excellent Alter Fritz (see 1997 report), who is owned by Gestüt Hämelschenburg, and sired an approved son himself. Chardonnay then vanished from the breeding scene for many years, and only since 2006, is back in business, now leased to the Schneider Stud in Rhineland-Palatinate. In 2007, Chardonnay received the title "Elite Stallion" from the Trakehner Verband in Germany.

Premium: Guy Laroche by EH Mahagoni out of ES Galante V by Lucado - Ordensglanz - Trautmann (photos by Countess Dohna (1) and Bernd Eylers (2))

Damline: O326 Gundula (Poll-Hörem)

Breeder: Gestüt Heinen-Bönninghardt, Issum, Germany

Owner: Connie Kempter, Rappenhof Stud, Mt. Lazare, QE, Canada

1991 truly was the year of Michelangelo. Not only did he sire the champion, but also the premium stallion Guy Laroche, who, like Michelanlo, came froom the most successful breeding program of the Heinen family is Issum.

Guy Laroche won many young riding horse classes under saddle as a 3 and 4 year old and was later trained all the way to S levels, but never competed. The stallion, who stood with the Schneider family (see Chardonnay) made a name for himself as a good broodmare sire and for some time, was in the German Top Ten of mare producers, along with his sire Michelangelo and his brother Kennedy. This ranking is based on inspection scores acquired by mares at central inspection sites in Germany.

Guy Laroche's dam line also stands for the champion stallion Guter Stern, the reserve champion and top sport horse producer Guter Planet, the recent eventing superstar Grafenstolz and several of the best mares in the breed, .ike Gute Sitte, Gute Welt and others. This is also the line of Gipsy King, one of the most versatile sport horse sires of our time.

In 2003, Guy Laroche was sold to Connie Kempter in Canada, where he stands at stud now and enjoys great popularity among the North American Trakehner breeders.

Premium: Soulman (ex Stechlin) by EH Caprimond out of Silhouette IV by Hortus - Komtur - Herbststurm (photo by Countess Dohna)

Damline: O170A3 Stelldichein

Breeder: Peter Elxnat, Hohenkirchen, Germany

Owner: Andrea Wicki, St. Aubin, France

Soulman was one of two approved sons of Caprimond that year. He passed his stallion performance test in Germany but nevber stood at stud. He was predominantly used as a riding horse with success up to FEI levels in dressage. Today, he is back in the breeding business, standing at stud in France, but fully entered into the Trakehner Verband books.Soulman had a rather unusual pedigree on his dam side, with very old Trakehner blood via Hortus and Komtur that otherwise seldomly surfaced in approved stallions. His dam line is one of the most known of the breed and is a branch of the big Schwindlerin family. Stelldichein's line produced such stallions as Samländer, Sleipnir, Sedan, Solist, Stubbendorf, Spirding or Shamane.

The story of Donaukönig is a most interesting one. This highly interestingly bred colt was approved and impressed people not only with his classic pedigree, but also with his powerful and very engaged movement and his presence. Granted, he was not the prettiest stallion of the year, but his riding horse qualities were most apparent. Donaukönig carried a great dose of TB blood, and especially his sire, the Holsteiner Verband owned Königspark xx, was known for exceptional performance horses. He had already produced the Trakehner stallion Herzruf in NMS. Donaukönig's dam was the famous elite mare Domina, who had the approved Donaufeuer in the ring a year before (see 1990), and was later to produce the approved stallions Dvorak and Davidoff Classic.

As a three year old, Donaukönig stood at stud and bred a few mares, and then passed a rather miserable 100 day test. Unfortunately, it is often the stallions with higher amount of special blood that end up falling through the net. Donaukönig was gelded immediately. A rather premature decision as we know today ... Only a year later, he emerged as one of the top sellers at the famous PSI auction, organized and run by Mr. Kasselmann and Mr. Schockemöhle in Germany. Over 400,000DM were paid for the now gelded and re-named "Dernier Cri". He moved on to qualify for the Bundeschampionat, participated and placed, and finally went all the way to FEI. Dernier Cri had many riders during his long performance career. And even today, at age 18, the tall chestnut is still competing, carrying yet another young rider to great success at FEI levels in Europe. He is an example of willingness to perfom, rideability, soundness and a clear mind. Mostly things that were attested as questionable in his 100 day test. He is just another example that test scores mean nothing in real life. And his offsping? Of the few foals that were born, several ended up as good competition horses with a clear dual talent and at least 5 mares were entered into the stud book in Germany.