Don Frederico - He set Standards
Stallion of the year 2012
A worthy setting for an outstanding stallion: Almost 3,000 guests celebrated Don Frederico, the Hanoverian Stallion of the Year 2012, in the Niedersachsenhalle which was filled to capacity. This prize is granted every year by the Hannoveraner Verband and the insurance company R+V/Vereinigte Tierversicherung to honor an approved Hanoverian stallion. This year, the Celle state stud stallion Don Frederico was given this honor. Breeder Angelika Westerhoff was happy to receive an oil painting by the artist Manfred Busemann and a well-endowed check.
Angelika Westerhoff from Bleckede bred her mare Cleopatra to the exceptional stallion Donnerhall: Don Frederico was born in 1997 and raised by Klaus Bünger, Oetzen. The black sire descends from the mare line of Schwanjungfrau that also produced the trademark stallion Lanthan. The sporty youngster delighted licensing committee and guests on the occasion of the stallion licensing in Verden in 1999, he was named Champion Stallion and sold to the Celle State Stud. Don Frederico shined again at his stallion performance test in Adelheidsdorf, finishing second overall and winning the dressage test convincingly with a partial score of 151.67 points. He competed at the Bundeschampionate in Warendorf at the age of five and six, and he was the first state stud stallion ever to participate at a Final of the Nürnberger Burgpokal; he won the opening competition in 2006. Don Frederico is today successfully competing with Obersattelmeister Ole Köhler in dressage tests up to S-level.
Don Frederico did an excellent job, not only when it comes to sport, but particularly also as regards breeding. The Bundeschampion Dantonisius and the Vice Champion Dark Carlotta, both out of Weltmeyer-dams, come from his first crop of foals on the ground. Current shooting stars made by Don Frederico are the silver medalist of the Olympic Games in London, Diva Royal with Dorothee Schneider, and Isabell Werth’s Grand Prix-horse Don Johnson FRH. 25 of his sons were licensed for breeding by the Hannoveraner Verband, among them the current bronze medalist of five-year-old dressage horses at the Bundeschampionate in Warendorf, Don Darius, and the World Champion of young dressage horses in 2008, Dramatic. More than 2,500 progeny are registered with the Hannoveraner Verband, among them 178 state premium mares and state premium candidates, 325 Hanoverians were sold at auctions.
Don Frederico was already honored with the Grande-Prize in 2009. Breeding manager Dr. Werner Schade summarized: “The award ‘Stallion of the Year’ is meant to honor stallions whose progeny are successful in international top sport. This is exactly the most impressive characteristic of Don Frederico. He scores with willingness to perform, power and ambition, and he passes on these important positive traits to his sons and daughters. He set standards.”
Don Frederico
Donnerhall - Consul - Gardeulan I
Don Frederico is a big-framed stallion with an impressive appearance. He was winner at his performance test where he showed remarkable riding horse features, and displaying uphill gaits. His outstanding rideability and basic gaits were exclusively assessed as ‘very good’ and ‘better’. At his performance test Don Frederico scored 9 for character, 9 temperament, 9 trainability, 9 conformation, 9.5 rideability, 7.67 free jumping, 9 walk, 9.33 trot, 9.33 canter, 8.84 for cross country. It is obvious that this stallion is quite outstanding and consequently was placed first in the dressage phase with amazing score of 151.67, and was second overall in his year with the dressage and jumping scores combined. Clearly he convinces by his excellent rideability and his very good basic gaits. Combined with his just as excellently marked mental qualities, Don Frederico stood out as a young stallion with a very great ability and trainability for dressage. He has had nine wins and many placements in dressage horse classes at the novice and elementary levels. The highlight of his young dressage career so far was his fourth place in the finals of the 2002 Federal Dressage Horse Championship. Don Frederico has meanwhile had successes up to Prix St. Georges. He received the Grande-Prize, a new award given by the Hanoverian Soc. to honour the breeder of an especially outstanding stallion aged 10-13 years who already has a tremendous influence on the Hanoverian breed as a comparatively young stallion.
His 2002 premiere as a sire resulted in a number of foals from his first crop being admitted to the Hanoverian foal auction. His debut at approvals came in 2004, with seven of his sons approved without exception. One of these, Don Marco was vice-champion and most highly remunerated lot at the price of Euro 440,000. The eighth son to be approved was Don Giacomo in Zweibrücken. Celle now stands one of his superior sons, Don Henrico who was Res Champion of his performance test in 2006. His progeny display lots of presence, ground-covering movements and fantastic riding horse qualities. His breeding score of 150 indicates that he ranks among the top 5% of all exceptional dressage stallions in Germany. He has 22 licensed sons, 239 auction horses, and 156 state premium mares.
Don Frederico’s sire, Donnerhall, is considered one of the most successful dressage stallions of the world. In 1986 he was the DLG champion in Hanover. He had many wins in Grand Prix, Grand Prix Special and freestyle classes at international level, and in 1994 he won the German Dressage Championships in Mannheim. He won the team World Championships and the individual bronze medal in The Hague under his permanent rider Karin Rehbein. In 1997 he won team gold and individual bronze at the European Dressage Championships in Verden. In 1998 he was once more included in the German world championship team and was a member of the gold medal team of Rome where he attained fourth place in the individual results. Donnerhall won the World Cup European League as well as being the Oldenburg dressage stallion of the year in 1997 and 1998 respectively. At the end of 1998 he farewelled himself from competition sport ‘fresh as a daisy’ at 17 years of age. His total winnings amounted to DM 341,800 (by the end of 1994 only).
Donnerhall’s breeding record is fantastic. Davignon 1 was the Federal Riding Horse Champion of 1992. His daughter Primavera was champion mare of the Oldenburg elite mare show in 1992 and champion riding horse resp. third in the federal championships. His daughter Hallo won the elite mare show in Rastede in 1994. Deutsche Einheit was second in the Federal Championships in Verden in 1992 and was the top-priced lot of all German breeder societies auctions (DM420.000). Full bother Duntroon was vice-champion stallion of the Oldenburg approvals in 1993 and in 1994 won the stallion performance test in Adelheidsdorf. The approved stallion Donnerschwee was top-priced lot of the Vechta sales. The approved stallion Don Primero and mare High Noon 15 have made outstanding dressage careers. In 1996 Donatello was highest priced auction horse. For years now Donnerhall has been at the very top of the FN breeding value rating for dressage. Grandsire Donnerwetter successfully competed in international Grand Prix dressage under H Rehbein. Until 1989 he competed for Belgium under the name of Descartes. His ability to perform and his inheritance are obviously stamped by his maternal line. Matador is damsire of Wenzel 1 and Der Lowe xx is the most important Thoroughbred sire in German riding horse breeding. Donnerhall’s dam Ninette is represented by the competition horses Discovery and Wilhelm Tell. Damsire Consul was sired by Swazi xx who is a descendant of the extremely successful Schwarzgold line of Schlenderhan Stud. Many descendants of this line are used in Warmblood breeding today, for example Shogun xx, Solo Dancer, Severus xx, Schiwago xx, Saros xx, and Schampus xx. The dam, premium-winning and DLG champion mare Cornau also produced the advanced dressage horse Corna, a federal riding horse champion.
In 1982 Consul was awarded a premium at the Trakehner approval in Neumunster. He won the riding horse championships in Wiesbaden in 1983 and 1984. In 1983 he won the Ia premium at the DLG show in Frankfurt. He passed the stallion performance test in performance rating 1. He is one of the most important Trakehner sires of our time with 9 approved stallions; including the champion of the approvals and three vice champions, many premium-winning mares and siring several top-priced lots through elite auctions. Consul is a versatile sire and his offspring successfully compete in show jumping as well as dressage up to advanced level.
