(Klein Offenseth) Dr Thomas Nissen, the long-serving breeding director of the Holsteiner Verband, was honoured during the Holsteiner licensing and auction in Neumünster. One of the four-legged “guests of honour” was the 29-year-old Holsteiner stallion Calido I from the Maas J. Hell stud farm.
“We were truly delighted to do this and did so with the utmost appreciation for Dr Thomas Nissen and his outstanding work for Holsteiner horse breeding,” said Herbert Ulonska, owner of the Maas J. Hell stud farm.
Three top-class stallions of outstanding importance to horse breeding had travelled to the Holstenhallen especially for the farewell ceremony for the globally renowned breeding expert Dr Thomas Nissen: alongside Calido by Cantus, there were also Casall by Caretino and Cascadello I by Casall. It was a wonderful surprise for the outgoing breeding director, who is set to retire at the end of the year after 32 years of service to the Holsteiner Verband. “We were happy to comply with the request from Head of Marketing Roland Metz as to whether it would be possible to have Calido present in Neumünster,” said Herbert Ulonska. “Throughout my years of membership of the Holsteiner Verband, I have come to value Dr Nissen not only for his expertise, but above all as a good adviser,” said Ulonska.
The snow-white grand seigneur of the Maas J. stud farm Hell – at 29, he is currently the oldest Holsteiner stallion still active in breeding – pranced cheerfully into the Holstenhallen oval, looking as spick and span as ever, having been prepared by his groom Friederike Bünning. Calido by Cantus out of Baroness by Coriander (line 5064) was born in 1991 at the stud farm of his breeder, Matthias Kahlen, in Neuendeich. The Holsteiner stallion, who was discovered and purchased at the time by Maas J. Hell, has 83 licensed sons; more than 300 of his offspring alone have achieved success up to international Class S show jumping. The total career prize money earned by his offspring, as recorded by the FN, now stands at around 4.3 million euros.
Prominent examples include the stallion Coupe de Coeur, who won the German Championships with Rene Tebbel and enjoyed success in the Global Champions Tour with Ludger Beerbaum; DSP Cashmoaker, Denis Nielsen’s Riders Tour-winning horse; the Riders Tour-winning mare Caleya (Kathrin Eckermann), and K Club Lady, Nations Cup winner in Aachen with Cian O’Connor (IRL). With Noblesse M (Pius Schwizer/SUI), California (Taizo Sugitani/JPN) and Cajak (Eiken Sato/JPN), Calido alone provided three Olympic horses for the 2008 Summer Games in Hong Kong. The most recent example of this successful lineage is Calido’s daughter Calanda, who won the Grand Prix in Opglabeek (Belgium) last weekend with Marcus Ehning.
The entire team at the Maas J. Hell stud farm wishes Dr Thomas Nissen a healthy and fulfilling retirement.
Press release from the Maas J. Hell Stud
Caption: The Holstein stallion Calido by Cantus was the oldest and most admired four-legged guest of honour at Dr Thomas Nissen’s farewell ceremony at the Holstenhallen in Neumünster.
Photo: Janne Bugtrup
