Breeding for Success

For over 100 years the Westphalian mare has laid the foundation for quality and success in the Westphalian Stud Book.  To select the best quality of 3 and 4 year old mares from our region, an annual Elite show is held at Handorf,  one for riding and draft horses,  one for ponies.  In a final ceremony, all owners, breeders and of course the mares are honored with awards.

Many of our State Premium Mares and their offspring have produced outstanding results and confirm that the Westphalian Breeder’s association has built a successful foundation upon which to realize our growing success nationally and internationally.

Westphalien Elite-Mare Show for riding horse and heavy horse mares

 

Westphalia celebrates champion mares
Westfälisches-Pferdestammbuch honors the best mares

Münster: The best riding horse and heavy horse mares in Westphalia were honored yesterday afternoon during the Westphalian-Week. The winner of the dressage mares was the Benicio daughter Baroness Bibi. Ultimate Touch by United Touch S ranked right at the top in the final ring of the jumping mares. In the ring of heavy horse mares, the commission ranked Lyanna by Lindor at the top oft he podium.

Embedded between sport and foal auction, the elite mare show of the Westfälisches Pferdestammbuche e.V. took place as part of the Westphalian-Week. For every Westphalian breeder, the showcase of Westphalian breeding is one of the highlights of the year. Fortunately, this year the show could again take place in its usual setting. Numerous spectators were allowed to watch the best mares of their year.

50 dressage oreiented mares were presented to the commission consisting of Thomas Münch, Katrin Tosberg, Ralf Johanshon, Dr. Wolfgang Kluge, Kai Ligges and Dr. Evelin Schlotmann in seven rings. Out  of these, nine mares qualified for the final ring. Baroness Bibi finally came out on top of the strong field. The daughter of Benicio was bred and exhibited by Franz-Georg Ottmann, Saerbeck, out of the mare Dianann by Don Romantic. The strikingly marked dark chestnut mare was particularly convincing today with her riding horse points. Harmoniously constructed, she presented herself in trot with good flow and a lot of impression. Under the saddle, the Benicio daughter has also repeatedly attracted attention. She passed her mare performance test with a dressage-oriented final score of 8.7. On Wednesday, under the saddle of Bianca Nowag, she was the shining winner of the riding horse test for three-year-old mares and geldings with a score of 8.6.

For Joy by For Dance was celebrated as the reserve champion of the Westphalian Elite Show 2021. The dark bay mare out of St.Pr.St. Dressed in Black by Detroit was bred and exhibited by Andrea Krehenwinkel from Neuenkirchen. The mare with long lines lived up to her name during the presentation. She presented herself with an energetic footing and a lot of power and cadence. Already during the mare performance test, the mare delivered a great performance with a dressage-emphasized final score of 8.3.

In two rings, 13 jumping oriented mares were assessed by the judges. Five mares were allowed to show themselves once again in the final ring. In the end, the United Touch S-daughter Ultimate Touch stood at the top of the ring. Breeder and exhibitor of the bay mare is the ZG Könemann from Rhede. Already at her mare performance test she stood out with a jumping final score of 9.05. Breeding director Thomas Münch certified her not only capability in free jumping, but above all a striking reactions. With her alert expression and especially with her correct and sufficiently pronounced foundation she convinced the commission again.

Breeder and exhibitor Christoph Gehre from Weeze was pleased with the Reserve Champion Mare Cranberry G by Chacoon Blue. The gray mare was bred out of Calesie by Cachassini. With her harmonious body parts and first-class trot mechanics, this mare captivated the commission. The mare already proved her quality in jumping at the mare performance test in Münster-Handorf. She finished with a final score of 8.65 for jumping and received a 9.0 for free jumping.

The heavy horse mares also stepped onto the Westphalian stage at this event. Eleven Rhenish-German heavy mares were presented to the commission consisting of Thomas Münch, Katrin Tosberg, Rudolf Brocks, Gerhard Hegemann and Ralf Johanshon. Lyanna by Lindor was chosen as the champion mare. Thomas Müller from Olsberg bred the mare out of the St.Pr.St. Amanda by Astor. Exhibitor and demonstrator of the half-sister to the licensed stallions Nerius and Herbert was Matthias Müller. The charming mare pleased with her harmonious lateral appearance and very correct foundation. In trot, the mare showed good and practical movement with an active hind leg. The walk stood out in particular for its diligence.

As reserve champion Herda v. Hadrian received the silver medal. The mare was bred by Norbert Schulten from Gronau, who was also awarded for his first ste premium mare. The bay mare was highlighted as the strongest moving mare in the ring. The daughter of the Verb.Pr.St. Fine by Flemming convinced with good trot mechanics and ideal type expression. One wished only a little more female melting, so breeding director Thomas Münch. The mare was exhibited by Hermann Knüsting from Borken.

Out of the hands of Julia Fiene, the breeders of the honored mares received the gold or silver medal of the Westphalian Chamber of Agriculture.

"This year we were presented with a quantitatively and qualitatively strong vintage and it is especially interesting for breeders to be able to get an idea of the hereditary power of the stallions here", summed up Breeding Director Thomas Münch. He also thanked Dr. Evelin Schlotmann from Vechta, who was part of the commission as a guest judge and emphasized the excellent quality of the final ring.

 

Westphalien Elite mare show for riding ponies

 

Westphalia cheers for champion riding pony mares
Westphalian elite show for riding pony mares

Münster: Traditionally, the best riding pony mares in Westphalia were selected this morning as part of the Westphalia Week. The winning mare of the dressage riding pony mares was Dich zu Lieben W by Diamond Touch NRW. Paulina Sunrise by Primera Vez received the winner's sash for the jumping riding pony mares.

After the winning mares of the riding horse and heavy horse mares were honoures one day earlier, the riding pony mares competed for the winning titles. The best three and four year old mares of their vintage presented themselves to the commission consisting of Thomas Münch, Katrin Tosberg, Michael Recker and Reinhard Kramer (Weser-Ems). A total of 35 riding pony mares, including three jumping ponies, were presented themselves in five rings.

14 dressage pony mares qualified for the final ring. In the end, the title of Champion Mare was awarded to the daughter of Diamond Touch NRW/Orchard Boginov: Dich zu lieben W. The strong type palomino mare was bred by the ZG Familie Wiesmann from Lengerich and exhibited by ZG Weischer from Emsdetten. Already in her mare performance test, the noble and sporty mare convinced with a score of 8,35. On Thursday she qualified under the saddle of Jessica Süß in the riding pony test for the final of the Westfalen-Championat on Sunday. A great lateral appearance with a well-set neck as well as a beautiful face with an expressive eye characterize the mare. She stands on a correct foundation and trotted with excellent freedom of shoulder and mechanics. The walk was characterized by a lot of overstride.

Never before had the decision between the Champion Mare and Reserve Champion Mare been so difficult, emphasized Breeding Director Thomas Münch. In the end, nuances tipped the scales. The celebrated reserve champion was De la Candy AT by D-Power AT. As the name affix reveals, the mare comes from the well-known riding pony breeding house of Adolf Theo-Schurf from Bedburg. He exhibited his mare, which was bred out of the St.Pr.St. Hesselteichs Candy Queen by Calvin Klein. The strong type and feminine charm of the bay mare was particularly convincing with her impressive trot mechanics. With cadence, impression and unshakable balance, she excelled in the trot. Thomas Münch attested the mare a correct foundation as well as body parts without fault. Only in walk did the mare lack the very last looseness today.

The victory among the jumping ponies was finally decided between two mares in the final ring. Breeding director Thomas Münch saw in the mares presented an excellent foundation for Westphalian jumping pony breeding. The winning mare was Paulina Sunrise by Primera Vez/Nadler. The bay mare was bred and exhibited by the ZG Ulmker from Neuenkirchen. She has already passed an excellent mare performance test with an overall score of 8.0. There she was able to convince in free jumping with a lot of impression, overview and reflexes as well as a practically applied canter. The basic gaits walk and trot of this mare are characterized by tact and diligence. Well divided body parts and a correct foundation rounded off the overall picture.

The silver medal was awarded to the reserve champion mare Vienna by Vincent. The four-year-old dark chestnut mare was bred by exhibitor Klara Ackerstaff, Bad Bentheim, out of the Verb.Pr.St. Maja by Mentos. This outstanding dam line has already produced many internationally successful sport ponies and licensed stallions. In her mare performance test, the mare scored particularly well with her ability and reflexes in free jumping. She completed the test with an overall score of 8.08. Overall, one would have liked to see the mare a bit more developed and even more harmoniously presented. Nevertheless, she impressed with her ridingpony points.

The breeders of the honored mares received the gold and silver medals out of the hands of Nadine Frische of the North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture. Breeding director Thomas Münch was pleased about the broad quality of the type and expressive riding pony mares presented today. He appealed to the riding pony breeders to continue breeding true to the breed type in the future.