Damsey’s Son Licensed at the Hanoveraner Körung in Verden
/Verden, Germany - November 14, 2013 - A bay son of Leatherdale Farms’ famous approved stallion Damsey (HAN) has been licensed by the Hanoverian Stud Book during the traditional 129th Hanoveraner Körung. Along with this great performance by Damsey’s progeny, the show highlighted the production of Ria Grande (1991, by Ritual HAN), dam of Damsey and Daianira van de Helle, two top dressage champions.
The Stallion Licensing and Stallion Sales of the Hanoverian Stud Book took place Oct. 24-26 in Verden, Germany. Verden, famous all over the world for welcoming the World Dressage Young Horse Championships every year, also celebrates the best new licensed Hanoverian stallions.
The Stallion Licensing is only open to males registered in the Hanoverian stud book at their birth. At 2.5 years old, the best horses (103 this year) are presented to Stallion Licensing . The Hanoverian Stud Book and its Licensing commission, composed of renowned experts, approved the first son of Damsey, out of the Worldly/Laptop mare Wünsch Dir Was (“Make a Wish”) and named him Premium Stallion, a title only granted to 19 stallions at the licensing – 11 dressage and 8 jumping stallions. This stallion, bred and owned by Doug & Louise Leatherdale is based at Hengststation Jens Meyer in Dorum, Germany. The Leatherdales maintained ownership of the stallion.
After the stallions have been chosen to be licensed by the Verband, they can complete their licensing by taking either the 30-day testing or the 70-day testing. This is only after they are provisionally licensed.
Members of the Licensing Commission include Heike Kemmer (Olympic Champion 2004 and 2008, Individual Bronze Medalist in 2008), Peter Teeuwen (eventing rider), Hans-Heinrich Meyer zu Strohen (president of the Licensing Commission, head of the state riding school and national dressage trainer of junior and young riders), Dr. Werner Schade (breeding manager and managing director of Hanoveraner Verband), Hans-Henning von den Decken (successful breeder and trainer), and Martin Spoo (breeding manager and managing director of the Rheinisches Pferdestammbuch).
Ria Grande Hanoverian Mare of the Year 2013
Another evidence of the high genetic quality of Leatherdale Farms’ licensed stallion Damsey is his dam Ria Grande (Ritual / Grande), who has been named “Hanoverian Mare of the Year 2013.” Her breeder Kornelia Haak-Höring and her owner Dorit Kothe were honored by this award for the amazing quality of her progeny, especially the two top dressage horses Daianira van de Helle and the privately owned stallion Damsey. Ria Grande was presented along with her 2013 foal, a full brother of Damsey by Dressage Royal. This new honor confirms the choice made by the Leatherdale family, making them one of the most contemporary and reliable stud farms for Hanoverian horses in the world.
The D-line
The lineage of D goes back to Devil's Own, a Thoroughbred active from 1894 to 1906, through Detektiv, a stallion active from 1926 to 1943 to whom all of the D-line offspring approved today can be traced. The line is then divided into a main branch out of Dolman and another smaller branch out of Dwinger which produced Diskant, from which came Donnerhall, great-father of Damsey. Stallions out of this D-line are rare and much sought-after by breeders.
About Damsey
Damsey comes from the famous D-line, prominent for many years thanks to such sires as Donnerwetter, Duft II, De Niro, Don Frederico and Donnerhall. The 2013 European Champion Team all rode horses out of the D-line: D’Agostino 5, Don Johnson FRH, Desperados FRH and Damon Hill NRW. Damsey, born in 2002 at Hengsthaltung Kothe, Gestüt Alsenhof, in Wacken, Germany, is by Dressage Royal (Donnerhall) and out of Ria Grande (Ritual).
Licensed by the Hanoverian stud book in 2005 and then purchased by Leatherdale Farms, Damsey qualified for the 2006 Young Dressage Horse World Championships. He proved his quality in dressage competitions where his walk especially stood out, regularly scoring 9.5. Damsey’s sire, Dressage Royal (Oldenburg dam line of Fasse III), placed in the Federal 5-year-old Dressage Championships and has already produced numerous foals. Damsey’s dam Ria Grande also produced Daianira van de Helle (Dream of Glory) who finished 6th and 13th at the World Dressage 5- and 6-year-old Horses Championships. Damsey is licensed by Hanoverian and Danish stud books.
