The major two-day show of the British Hanoverian Horse Society (BHHS) on 28th & 29th August 2024 at Moreton Morrell College, Warwickshire featured an extensive program, which included, a foal show, mare show, mare performance test as well as ridden tests for horses of all ages.

A major highlight was the Gala evening which was very well received. The Gala evening was dedicated to very much missed Ted Green, former President and Chair of the BHHS.  Ted’s son, Andrew Green, had travelled from Scotland for the evening and gave an entertaining talk about his father, who was always good for interesting stories.

Dr Ludwig Christmann from Germany was Head Judge and also paid tribute to
Ted Green’s achievements: “After Ted Green was elected Chairman of the BHHS in 1998, he succeeded in uniting the Hanoverian breeders in England. He had an irresistible British sense of humour and a clear idea of what needed to be done. He was a good speaker, but also a hard and convincing worker. He received great recognition from the German Hannoveraner Verband for his achievements. At the 2011 Delegates’ Meeting, he received the Verband’s Golden Badge of Honor for his services.”

The highlight of the Gala Evening was the foal finale.  During the day, the five best colts and fillies were selected. These were absolute top foals that would have deserved this distinction in Germany as well. The Champion foal was Lord of the Dance, a long-lined, typey son of Lord Europe out of a dam by Sir Heinrich bred and owned by Stena Hoerner. He always lived up to his demanding name and really impressed in all three basic gaits. The best filly was a very feminine, light-footed daughter of Fürst Zonik PS out of a Weltmeyer dam line, who showed no weaknesses in any of the four evaluation criteria: type, foundation, trot and walk. She was bred and owned by Roslyn Palmer, who, together with her husband, was a BHHS  breeder from the very beginning of the Society’s formation. The Palmer’s have now retired from breeding, so it was fitting to say goodbye with such a prestigious event.

One of the attractions of the Gala evening was the presentation of four approved dressage stallions under saddle. These included Don Dante, the Dancier/Salvano son born in England in 2007 and offered by Stratton Stud.  He was sire of the highest scoring mare in the mare performance test at this show. Don Dante was successful up to Inter I level.

Other stallions presented were Timolin, born in 2011, by Totilas/Sion, successful in dressage at Grand Prix  and Intermediate eventing, from Jennie Loriston-Clarke’s Catherston Stud.  Jennie Loriston-Clarke, a grande dame of sport horse breeding and equestrian sport, has bred and produced many top horses and represented Great Britain at four Olympic Games.

Sezuan’s Donnerhall, born in 2015 by Sezuan/Sir Donnerhall and Galaxico, born 2010 by Grand Galaxy Win/Samarant were both presented by the influential British Stallion breeding Company Elite Stallions. Sezuan’s Donnerhall was originally presented in Germany by the Schockemöhle station.   Galaxico comes from the successful mare line of Claudine and was bred by Willem Klausing.

Seven dressage mares were presented in the mare performance test, most of which were presented by experienced dressage riders. With new rule changes they chose not show themselves in free jumping. Nevertheless, there were differences in the quality of the presentation, particularly with regard to correct contact. Correct riding was  rewarded by the judges. A good example of this was the mare test winner Donna Danita by DonDante/Fürstenreich, who impressed above all with her excellent rideability and attitude. She was presented at the Gala evening together with the reserve mare,KF Serafina by Sir Donnerhall/Dimaggio, a five-year-old, long-legged and strong-moving mare bred and owned by Hilary Macdonald.

The Mare Show took place the following day.  Twenty six mares were presented and two mare families were shown. Vitalis proved his sire qualities in the UK, as well as in Germany after his success at the Herwart-von-der-Decken show in Verden.  He sired the Champion mare in England – the five year old Vitalia T out of a dam by Dankeschön/Flamur, who was also the mare performance test winner the previous day.  The chestnut mare is big framed with substance and three excellent gaits and very good rideability as seen in the mare performance test the day before. She was also the Champion mare and Supreme Champion in 2023.   Many congratulations to the Hoerner family, who also bred the Champion colt foal.

The Reserve mare champion was the 12 year old dark bay Safari, by the Sandro Hit son Santana out of a Dutch jumping mare by Concorde, owned by Nick Lawson. A dash of jumping blood is always useful when breeding dressage horses.

The winning mare family was the family of the Zack/Londonderry daughter Zsa Zsu (breeder Sara Lucas, owned by Rachel Crook)with her class-winning yearling daughter Fernanda by Franz Ferdinand bred by Carsten Sandrock and owned by Sean White and the four-year-old Wavavoom daughter, Beaumont Valentina bred and owned by Rachel Crook.

Other class winners included:

Premium candidate, Newton Dancing Sands by Damaschino/FirstChoice, bred and owned by Elite Dressage won the two year old class.

Premium candidate, Fabiola by Feinrich/Quattro breeder Pauline Jaggs and owned by Jamie Reynolds, won the three year old class.

Premium candidate , Who’s That Girl by Wild Child/Supertramp, breeder Lynne Crowden and owned by  Zoe Leigh-Finch won the four year old class

Hann.Pr.Fenella by Flammengold/Buddenbrock, breeder Katy Holder-Vale and owner Peter Vousden, won the six to nine year old mareclass.

In  the class for yearling colt, considering stallion selection, Denise Mitchell, a regular customer of the Verden Foal Auctions, won the class with Venice by Vivaldos/Danone bred by Felicia Wehrenpfennig ahead of  Bonaggio by Bonhoeffer/Dimaggio bred by Heike Indenbirken.

Dr. Ludwig Christmann