Here are the candidate profiles for the board election on 11 December

04. December 2024

The election of at least one member of the Executive Board is on the agenda for the delegates’ meetings on 11 December 2024. The delegates may elect a First Chairperson of the Holsteiner Horse Breeders’ Association (Verband der Züchter des Holsteiner Pferdes e.V.). Furthermore, motions have been received which could result in further elections to Executive Board positions. Here, (potential) candidates introduce themselves in alphabetical order in a brief profile.

Hanno Köhncke

Name and place of residence:
Hanno Köhncke, Badendorf

Age:
59

Main occupation and other activities in Holsteiner horse breeding, sport and trade:
Qualified agricultural engineer, farmer and horse breeder

Experience in voluntary work:

15 years as Chairman of the Stormarn-Lauenburg Breeding District
Chairman of the riding club
Deputy Mayor of his home municipality

Knowledge of breeding and sport:

As a young competitor, achieved success in show jumping and eventing
Member of the Holsteiner Verband’s Foal and Mare Commission for approximately 20 years
For around 20 years, head of the Holsteiner Verband’s Badendorf stallion station

My ideas regarding the development of the Association as a whole, stallion management and marketing:

In the Association’s current difficult situation, to regain the trust of breeders and staff in the work of the Executive Board and its members
Strengthen and modernise stallion management as a unique selling point amongst German breeding associations
Make marketing attractive to breeders and expand and maintain customer contacts

As a member of the Executive Board, I would like to achieve the following:
As Vice-Chairman of the Association, I would like to champion transparent, team-based work by the Executive Board to ensure that the Holsteiner Verband remains successful even 50 years from now.

Olaf Rörden

Name and place of residence:
Olaf Rörden, Witsum on Föhr

Age:
57

Main occupation and other activities in Holsteiner horse breeding, sport and trade:

State-certified farmer, running a farm specialising in dairy production, tourism, alternative energy and horse breeding
Station Manager, HV-Föhr
Partner in the Holsteiner Pferdefreunde Hörup civil partnership

Volunteering experience:

Long-standing deputy mayor and deputy fire chief in the municipality
Board member of the Holsteiner Horse Club Föhr
Substitute delegate for KBZ Nordfriesland
Former board member of the Holsteiner Association

Knowledge of breeding and sport:

Horse breeding for over 30 years, currently producing around 12 foals per year
Foals are sold privately as well as through association auctions and the auction in Hörup
Sport horses for sale are trained and developed for competition in Holstein
The use of modern breeding methods such as ET and ICSI is well established at the stud
In-house inseminator for 15 years

My ideas regarding the development of the Holsteiner Breeders’ Association, stallion management and marketing:

The Holsteiner Breeders’ Association must strongly promote the ‘Holsteiner’ brand externally
Stallion management is the ‘driving force’ behind the association. By purchasing sufficient foals and applying rigorous selection right through to licensing, the aim must be to bring at least five stallions to the pre-selection stage each year
The stallions must be presented at national and international shows in accordance with their age in order to arouse interest amongst breeders
Marketing and the trading stable are on the right track thanks to the number and organisation of auctions, etc., and can count on further support for new ideas.

As a board member, I would like to achieve the following:
1st Chair; you can’t keep reinventing the wheel! The current board has already done a good job, and the aim is to adapt this to the constant changes and challenges. We actually have everything: brilliant staff, fantastic riders, lovely riding facilities and, of course, the best horses. I want to bring all of this into harmony so that we can all pull together in one direction – forwards!

Philipp Schwartz-Hafter

Name and place of residence:
Philipp Schwartz-Hafter, Hochdonn

Age:
28

Main occupation and other activities in Holsteiner horse breeding, sport and commerce:

Asset Controller for shopping centres at ECE in Hamburg.
Managing Partner of Landpferdehof Schwartz-Hafter GbR
Treasurer and delegate for the Dithmarschen breeding district

Volunteering experience:

2013–2019 Committee member, Deputy Chair of JZ Pinneberg
2014–2020: Website manager and press officer, Elmshorn Riding and Driving Club
2015–2019 Youth Team, Schleswig-Holstein Equestrian Federation
2020–2024 Chair of the Hamburg Academic Riding Club
2022–2024 Vice-Chair of the ZSF
Since 2022: Treasurer and Delegate for the Dithmarschen Breeding District

Expertise in breeding and sport:

Breeding and training centre with approx. 50 horses
The world’s youngest Cor de la Bryère broodmare in breeding
Excellent training through the Holsteiner Verband’s young breeders’ programme
Top-priced foal at auction for three consecutive years (Waterkant 2021 -> dam of the top-priced foal at Warendorf 2024, Waterkant 2022, Elmshorn Elite Foal Auction 2023)
Top-priced foal at Waterkant 2021 – possibly the most expensive show jumping foal ever sold in Germany
Dressage horse breeding (two Oldenburg mares) alongside show jumping horse breeding (six Holsteiner mares)
Specialist presentations on horses’ performance records
Long-standing auction assistant; videos of foals and free jumping for the association
Work for various show organisers

My ideas regarding the development of the association as a whole, stallion management and marketing:

Making the association fit for the future for the next 10–20 years
Functional and practical management systems that do not hinder the managing directors and association staff in their core duties
A full-time post for a representative for new and young breeders to secure and expand the association’s membership numbers for the future
Driving forward digitalisation
Analysis of stallion management: How large should the herd be, and how many stallions are viable for the future?
Continuing the partnership with Bengtsson Stables
Establishing cost-effective marketing as a service provider for us breeders
Offering association staff a secure and sustainable job – with regular professional development
Maintaining the Holsteiner as a global brand
Maintaining stallion management and marketing
Advocating more strongly for breeders’ interests within the FN
Promoting new bloodlines in stallion breeding

As a member of the Executive Board, I would like to achieve the following:

Greater involvement of the licensing districts, their chairpersons and members in complex and forward-looking association matters
Strengthen and improve dialogue with the Young Breeders’ Executive Committees
Improve dialogue with the ZSF
Make better use of the expertise and specialist knowledge of the committees and panels
Good ideas from members should be heard on a regular basis, and working groups should be set up where necessary to implement these ideas – encouraging greater participation within the association.
In the long term, appoint at least one further female board member

I am standing for election as 1st Chair, as well as 2nd Chair and Committee Member, should these posts need to be filled by new elections. I am committed to being honest and addressing all issues openly. As a Committee Member and 2nd Chair, I see it as my duty to support our Chair. I will forgo my remuneration until we manage to get the association back into the black.

Matthias Wittke

Name and address:
Matthias Wittke, Klosterstraße 57, 51709 Marienheide

Age:
53

Main occupation and other activities in Holsteiner horse breeding, sport and trade:

Farrier (self-employed since 1998)
Delegate for the European Selection District since 2017
Chair of the European Selection District since 2019
Member of the Selection Commission since 2023

Volunteering experience:

Councillor for the CDU in the municipality of Marienheide since 2014
Chair of the Building Committee since 2020
Long-standing competition director at the Bergische Höhen e.V. riding club
Long-standing announcer at regional and national equestrian competitions (e.g. Balve); unfortunately, due to time constraints, this is now only possible on an occasional basis

Knowledge of breeding and sport:

Passionate breeder
Member of the Holsteiner Verband for 25 years
We rear the foals ourselves and then train them

My ideas regarding the development of the Holsteiner Verband, stallion management and marketing:

First, gain a detailed understanding of the overall situation
Hold staff appraisals to address any uncertainties or concerns
Communicate clearly with staff, customers and business partners
Highlight our strengths
Foster constructive collaboration within the Executive Board
Strike the right balance between transparency and discretion
Improve our public image
A strong association-run stud programme with stallions that generate demand (including through appropriate presentation and success at shows)
Ensuring the most harmonious coexistence possible between the association’s stud programme and private stud operations
Strengthening the ‘sense of unity’ and cohesion, particularly between breeders from outside the core breeding area and those from the core breeding area
Budget consolidation

As a member of the Executive Board, I would like to achieve the following:
If I am elected to the Executive Board (position: non-voting member), I would step down from my two current voluntary roles with the Holsteiner Verband.