To provide a winning foal in this "championship of championships" is an equally honorable and prestigious distinction for breeders: The R+V Holsteiner Foal Championship is a very special highlight in the hippological calendar. And the Holsteiner Verband stallion keeping GmbH team around executive director Sebastian Rohde is ever adjusting and fine-tuning it in order to make this already great event an even better one. For example last year a new category tailored to foals bred for dressage has been introduced. In 2023, the popular event is held at Elmshorn for the first time ever, on 20 August, starting at 1.00pm – and the number of entries is very good, indeed.
Just over 60 foals had qualified as championship contenders at the breeding districts’ foal inspection and award sites and 56 of them are going to have their big day performing at the Herbert-Blöcker-outdoor arena this Sunday. “So many breeders from all breeding districts willing to present their foals at the championship really emphasizes the significance of this event”, Sebastian Rohde is pleased to say. Three champions are going to be crowned at Elmshorn – a showjumping bred filly and colt, and a foal bred for dressage. Dr. Thomas Nissen (former Holsteiner Verband breeding director), Heinrich Behrmann (two times winner of the Fritz-von-der-Decken award) and Cor Loeffen (former senior KWPN grading inspector) have been won as judges. The breeders of the champion foals can look forward to high-quality prizes as each of them will be given 2,000 euros in prize money as well as an additional prize sponsored by the R+V general agency Birte Stapelfeldt. The other ranked participants also receive high-quality non-cash prizes given by the companies Bense&Eicke, ClipMyHorse.tv, LKD Hauke Ahsbahs and Salvana horse feed, as well as stallion keeping GmbH stud fee vouchers.
The local riding and driving club organizes classes for kids to be held already in the morning on 20 August, starting at about 10am. The championship outdoor arena provides the impressive scenery for them to show in lead line and ridden classes. Afterwards, a reading from the children's book Eliot B - a fascinating story by Susan Kröhnert - invites you to linger before the championship begins. Visitors are very welcome to spend this Sunday dedicated to bright young talents at Elmshorn.
Photo: Janne Bugtrup
