Today, the first state champions of 2022 were crowned in Elmshorn, with the dressage horses kicking off the proceedings. The Ellerbrock family celebrated a fantastic double success: Sonja Marie Ellerbrock, the breeder’s daughter, rode horses from the family’s own breeding programme to victory not only in the five-year-olds’ class but also in the six-year-olds’ class.
In the class for five-year-old dressage hopefuls, it was the 2020 Holstein Dressage Mare of the Year, Kaviera by Zack-Aljano (breeders: Nina and Sonja Ellerbrock, Kayhude) from line 990, who secured victory. She finished with a score of 7.8 – the likeable chestnut mare scored particularly well in the trot (8.5), canter and overall impression (8.0).
The silver medal (7.5) went to Kesse Franzi by Franziskus-Aljano (Thomas Horns, Bredenbekshorst) and Sabrina Sievertsen-Nissen, ahead of Vasall by Voltaire-Cascari (Kersten Kühl, Seester), presented by Johanna Tabea Henze (7.4).
From the same stud as Kaviera and also out of an Aljano dam – albeit from line 7126 – comes the newly crowned Holstein State Champion, Lissara. Her sire is Lissaro van de Helle. Sonja Marie Ellerbrock was also in the saddle of the six-year-old mare. The judging panel awarded marks in the good range on two occasions: for responsiveness (8.5) and overall impression (8.0). The overall score was 7.8. Lissara thus repeated her triumph from last year, when she was also awarded the winner’s sash at the State Championships. Just behind her, with Christina Ellendt in the saddle, came the Oldenburg mare Bella Rouge H by Bordeaux-Don Primero, bred by Magret Heissmann (7.7) and the Hanoverian Duke Ellington by Dante Weltino-Alabaster (7.4/Daniela Steen), ridden by Janet Maas.
The highlight tomorrow, Friday, is the foal auction at 3.30 pm. But before the 27 carefully selected foals go under the hammer, they will be presented live at Herbert-Blöcker-Platz at 11.30 am. Full details of the foals can be found at www.holsteiner.auction .