The winner of the Itzehoer Versicherungen Championship at Hof Waterkant, an international show jumping competition over 1.50 metres, was named Holsteiner of the Month in September. The horse in question is Corsica by Connor-Corofino II-Calvadur, bred by Erich Westphal of Stipsdorf. This representative of line 4564 achieved her first competition successes with Mario Maintz and Frederik Knorren in Westphalia and the Rhineland respectively. She first really made a name for herself at the 2020 Holsteiner State Championships, which she won with Marten Witt in the saddle. Marten Witt, who rode the bay mare for just a few months on behalf of a friend, recognised even then that she possessed great ability, intelligence and potential for higher-level competition. “If she gets the right rider, she’ll make a name for herself in top-level sport,” Witt was already certain three years ago.
The mare, now ten years old, has finally found the right rider. With Rene Dittmer – who spent several years at the stables of Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Markus Beerbaum before setting up his own business at his parents’ facility in Stade around two years ago – Corsica has placed in Braunschweig, Hamburg, Sopot (POL), Wiesbaden, Frankfurt and Wiesbaden. The pair also competed at this year’s CHIO in Aachen. It will be fascinating to see where the journey of this up-and-coming pair will take them next.
Photo: Stefan Lafrentz
