“I simply love horses,” says Sonja Franzenburg-Much, who lives in Holstenniendorf in the district of Steinburg. Now aged 56, she inherited this love from her parents, who themselves bred Holsteiners for decades. This included Alassio, a son of Alacatraz, with whom the dressage rider previously enjoyed success up to Class S. However, the foundation for her own Holsteiner breeding programme was to be laid by a mare from the 1947 line.
Namely, Palucca II by Ramirado-Calido I (Claus-Wilhelm Kühl, Holstenniendorf), who was offered to her by the breeder via an acquaintance from the village. “She was apparently a bit difficult to break in and was therefore due to be sold,” smiles Franzenburg-Much. At the time, she had no idea how much this bay mare would one day mean to her. She was already living with her husband on the farm in Holstenniendorf – which is still her home today – and was running her own business training young horses. “Riding was my main focus back then, but Holsteiner breeding did appeal to me.” So she went to have a look at Palucca, took her for a trial ride and bought her. The very next year, she gave birth to a healthy filly by Carpaccio, who was named Ursa. “And what a filly she was,” enthuses the proud breeder. “She was beautiful, well-conformed and had superb movements. Ursa was immediately awarded a foal premium. And I thought, breeding must be easy after all – why does everyone make such a fuss about it? But I was to learn otherwise in the years that followed. For three years running, Palucca either failed to foal or had a stillbirth. That was terrible and depressing,” she admits. However, Franzenburg-Much didn’t think of giving up, because after the sense of achievement she’d felt with Palucca’s first foal, Ursa, she was determined to have more offspring from the mare. After those three failed attempts, she finally succeeded, and the Ramirado daughter went on to produce nine more foals: one by Cormint, another by Carpaccio, six by Cascadello I and one by Sandro Junior, before she passed away in 2021. One of Palucca’s currently highly successful daughters is Chiara II by Cormint, who has placed in S*** show jumping and is ridden by Leila Bingold. Among other achievements, the pair won the second qualifying class for young riders at last year’s German Youth Championships. “I am grateful for the foals that Palucca has given me, though today I do wish I’d once had the courage to try a Thoroughbred stallion. That would certainly have been a good match for this large, powerful mare.”
Lavinia by Cascadello I once won the trailer at the Foal Championships in Bad Segeberg; in future, she’ll be taking it to competitions.
The next generation
The 1947 line is now being continued by Sonja Franzenburg-Much with Ursa, who, as a three-year-old, went on to win the Elite Mares Show in Elmshorn and was herself successful up to M** level in dressage. She is currently in foal to the association-approved stallion Crunch and has so far produced five foals, two of which are by Cascadello I and one each by Catoo, Finest and Conditus. “Cascadello I passes on excellent basic gaits, and his offspring can become both dressage and show jumping horses,” says the breeder, explaining her choice of stallion, which she was so pleased to have made. Proof that she had the right instinct for this is provided, amongst others, by Let’s Dance by Cascadello I, who was crowned first reserve champion of the mare registration in the Steinburg licensing district in 2021. This bay mare went on to receive the State Premium at the Elite Mare Show during the Holsteiner Pferdetage in Elmshorn and, ridden by her owner Franziska Lucht, won the Holsteiner Future Cup for three- and four-year-old riding horses. They were subsequently nominated for the National Championships in Warendorf. “You can’t expect something like this, even with the most promising foal,” says the breeder modestly. Let’s Dance is already the fourth State Premium mare bred by Sonja Franzenburg-Much, who has bred a total of 15 Holsteiners, eight of them mares – a remarkable record. She also has high hopes for the last daughter of her Palucca: the four-year-old Lavinia, “even though she only received a district premium”, as she says with a laugh. The daughter of Cascadello I was once named reserve champion filly at the Holsteiner Foal Championships in Bad Segeberg and is now being trained by Sonja Franzenburg-Much’s son Kevin Much and her niece Rabea Franzenburg. Horses are simply a family affair here. Although her two other sons, Tim and Milan, have given up the sport, the next generation is already in the starting blocks with Kevin’s daughter, Leyla. “I’d be absolutely delighted if my granddaughter were to ride one of my horses one day.”
Sonja Franzenburg-Much introduces herself and her horses in the video:
About the ‘Breeders in the Spotlight’ series:
‘Breeders in the Spotlight’ is a series in which Holsteiner breeders talk about their experiences, greatest successes and most memorable moments with the Holsteiner horse. They showcase their offspring and explain their breeding philosophy. You can find part one of the series featuring the Oldekop family here, and part two featuring Andy Holdorf here.
