The Holsteiner line 2067 is one of the most traditional and particularly high-performing lines in Holsteiner breeding. Originally based in Dithmarschen, its genetics have long since spread beyond the borders of Schleswig-Holstein. Today, descendants of this line can be found in numerous breeding regions and at international show jumping venues. Its history is characterised by licensed stallions, successful broodmares and a remarkable number of top-class show jumpers.
The original branch of the Witt family is particularly significant. This branch of Line 2067 includes numerous horses that have set standards both in breeding and in sport. Particularly striking is the large number of successful offspring of the mare Salome by Goldschmied, who was stabled at Reimer Witt’s and played a central role within this branch.

Alraune – a key link
Alraune (Reimer Witt, Wellinghusen), a daughter of Capitol I by Sacramento Song xx, holds particular significance within the line. She is regarded as the foundation mare for several outstanding horses and thus links important branches of the line together.
Alraune’s progeny include, amongst others, Toni Hassmann’s Landstreicher by Landgraf I (Jürgen Hattebuhr, Winsen) and the two mares Elraune by Silvester and Galaune by Caletto I, with whom the Gerken family from Hammor laid the foundations for their current breeding programme in the 1990s and built on the success of the Holsteiner line 2067. Before moving to Hammor, Elraune produced one more foal by Corrado I whilst at Jürgen Hattebuhr’s: Cattani, who, ridden by Geier Gulliksen, was part of the Norwegian bronze-medal-winning team at the 2008 Olympic Games – a medal the team later lost due to a team-mate’s doping offence.

Elraune – the granddam of LT Holst Freda
In 1999, Hans-Joachim Gerken bred a daughter of Elraune born on his stud, Palaune by Lavaletto, to Casall. A few years later, he sold the resulting filly to the McIntosh family in New Zealand, who were establishing a stud farm at the time. Under the name LT Holst Andrea, this horse enjoyed success up to 1.60 metres – and, in partnership with Colman, produced LT Holst Freda (Harry Charles/GER), the double bronze medallist at the most recent World Championships in Aachen. Over the years, Hans-Joachim Gerken kept six female offspring of Elraune in his breeding programme. One of her daughters, Olraune by Cambridge, was bred by the breeder to Cassini I, amongst others. From this mare, in turn, he now owns a daughter of Cornet and two young Casall mares, in whom Gerken has high hopes for the future.

Coolio – a descendant of Elraune
Another horse that was among the medallists at the recent World Championships in Aachen can also be traced back to Elraune. We are talking about Coolio by Casalito-Quidam de Revel (Martina Wirtz, Hohenzieritz). Ridden by Marcus Ehning, the Holsteiner was part of the German team and played a key role in the team’s gold-medal success. And Elraune’s blood also flows through his veins, as she is his fourth dam. “It was with Coolio’s dam, Anka, whom we bought from Jürgen Hattebuhr, that we first ventured into breeding,” Martina Wirtz recalls vividly. The son of Casalito, whose fourth dam is also Elraune, found his way to Bavaria via a Holstein foal auction. The Marschall family discovered the gelding as a young horse, and their son Marcel trained him up to international level before Marcus Ehning took him over.
Coolio also has a half-brother, Unchained by Uriko, who is equally successful under the American flag up to 1.60 metres and carries the 2067 line into the world.

Denver – following in Elraune’s footsteps “He
was a large-framed and rather unremarkable foal,” recalls Pamela Brüning (Dinklage) of the birth of Denver by Diarado-Quantum. The Dithmarschen native bought Denver’s dam, Tarida (Hans-Jürgen Gerken, Hammor) – incidentally, a daughter of Olraune – some time ago, after having looked after her as a vet for several years whilst she was with her previous owner. “When he told me he wanted to sell the mare, I took a closer look at her pedigree and was thrilled. I found Capitol I and Sacramento Song xx particularly exciting.”
She presented Denver as a two-year-old at the preliminary selection for the Holsteiner licensing. “His jumping was already very good back then, but he simply wasn’t the type to be a stallion,” Pamela Brüning continued. And so he was gelded, trained for competition and qualified for the National Championships. “Denver was never spectacular, but he always did a good job.” This eventually convinced Guido Klatte and Maximilan Lill, who bought him at the age of six. At the age of seven, Betram Allen (IRL) presented the Holsteiner – whose third dam is also the famous Elraune – in Youngster Tour events, before he moved first to the USA and then to Michael Greeve (NED). The pair had already competed at the European Championships last year and now competed for the Netherlands at the World Championships in Aachen.
And at this stud farm, too, the Holsteiner line 2067 is being carried forward into the next generation: Pamela Brüning owns two full sisters to Denver.

Line 2067 on the international stage
Out of the Blue SCF by Verdi-Cassini I was also among the successful representatives of Line 2067 at the World Championships, finishing fourth with the American team in the Nations Cup. This mare, registered with the BWP, also traces her pedigree back through the descending line to the foundation mare Salmone by Goldschmied from Dithmarschen.

The Holsteiner Line 2067 is thus a prime example of what characterises a successful performance line: a long breeding tradition, a strong mare base and exceptional consistency in international sport – deeply rooted in the Land between the Seas. The list of outstanding sport horses and licensed stallions is long. Names such as Landstreicher by Landgraf I (Toni Hassmann/GER), Cazaro by Chambertin (Nisse Lüneburg/GER), Con Spirito by Contender (Theo Muff/SUI), Con Caletto by Contender (Mandy Goosen/GBR), Canturano I and II by Canturo, Cattani by Corrado I (Geir Gulliksen/NOR), Lordon by Lord (Luciana Diniz/BRA), Vita by Carinjo (Katharina Offel/GER) or United Pleasure by United Way (Lucas Wenz/GER) all bear witness to the line’s decades-long sporting significance.

Horses such as Coolio, LT Holst Freda, Out of the Blue SCF and Denver also demonstrate that this success story is by no means over. On the contrary: Line 2067 continues to cause a sensation at the very highest international level today.

Photos: Janne Bugtrup, Eva Kristin Struve, Julia Rau, Werner Ernst, Maximilian Schreiner