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by Judith Matthews - January 2005
Getting Started
Well in 1986 I bought a Witzbold horse to ride and enjoyed the big soft movement so much I thought that I would like a younger one coming on. I looked all over then thought it would be fun to breed one. In 1988 I bought a TB mare that had been aimed at a dressage career and then hurt herself in a fence. She was by Royal Noble and was a very good moving horse. So I put her to Genius. Unfortunately she died after the birth and I had an orphan to rear - hard work I must say. Well I had paid for a second service so actually bought a TB mare from over the road. Then went to the May broodmare sale at Karaka and bought a very nice in-foal mare by First Consul. She produced some very nice young stock for me and so we were started. Then I found a Witzbold mare or two and one by Allermund. But Hanoverian birth branded mares were hard to find in New Zealand.
We decided to go to the Hanoverian Breed Orientation Course in Germany in 1996. It was great and we were so impressed with the Hanoverian horses, particularly the mares that I thought it would be wonderful to bring one home.
After going to the Elite Auction I wasn't awfully sure we would be able to afford one! But off we went looking. I really wanted a Weltmeyer mare, but looked at several others and nearly bought a Wenzel mare - she was lovely. Then an English woman on the course heard about this black Weltmeyer mare just out of Verden, so we made an appointment and off we went to see her. This was State Premium Candidate Wel Kantje. We thought she was stunning and whispered to each other that we won’t be able to afford this one. So after she was shown to us, we were taken inside to look at all the dam’s family photos. It is a very good family. Her dam S.P.S. Pikantje by Pik Bube went on a Hanoverian promotion trip to America when she was young. Anyway we finally got to the price and yes it was within the budget.
Well, after that we got the bug. Diva Primero was bought over the phone in the middle of the night at the 100th Elite Auction. Dr Ludwig Christman helped there. It was scarey stuff buying over the phone, but she is very beautiful and we haven’t regretted it. Have since been and bought a second Weltmeyer mare, Welt Liebeswas, in a broodmare auction after a foal sale. She is out competing with Katherin Gorringe. We have done embryo transfer with her so we are still breeding and riding.
In between the German trips we looked in Australia and have purchased three mares from Kinnordy Stud. Two are by Graf Landau and one by Winterkonig. Also purchased De Niro and Wolkentanz II frozen semen from Holgar and sold some on and kept some. We also have Gymnastic Star frozen semen we sell. He is a very prepotent stallion and the youngsters are turning out very well. We also had frozen some River Dance semen, but it doesn’t see to freeze and so far we have had no success with it.
Not long before we first went to Germany, the Anamour syndicate was formed. At the time we were unable to bring in frozen semen and we were short of good riding horse stallions. We in the syndicate were very lucky to get a stallion that is producing such rideable and good moving horses. We break and ride the three and four-year-olds and sell them broken in. At the moment we are competing Dream World MH and Day Dream MH by Dream Boy. Dream World is an embryo transfer filly out of Wel Kantje. They are both doing very well and have wins and placings in Prelim. They were 1st and 2nd in the Horse Power Young Horse class at the Northland Championships. The 3yr olds are by Gymnastic Star, Dream Boy, De Niro and River Dance. We are pleased with them all. We have yearlings and 2yrs olds coming on by the same stallions and they lovery good in the paddock.
We are trying to breed correct young horses with a rideable temperament and of course with great paces. It would be great to see some go to the top, (Olympic Games or WEG) but as long as they are giving their owners enjoyment and doing what they had hoped they would do, surely this is what important.
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