Herzensdieb: Refinement, Rideability and Quality

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Herzensdieb. Photo by Kiki Beelitz. 

Dorum, Germany – December 15, 2014 - Herzensdieb was the licensing champion and crowd favorite at the 2005 Trakehner licensing in Neumünster, Germany. Breeding manager Lars Gehrmann commented on his basic gaits with the following words: “movement wouldn’t do it justice: he dances.” Herzensdieb finished the stallion performance test as Reserve Champion and, in the same year, won the Trakehner Championship for 3-year-old stallions. Successful qualifications for the National Championships were further milestones in his training. Meanwhile, he has trained up to advanced level. The fact that he is passing his natural qualities on to his offspring is reflected in the genetic evaluation of 142 points with 92 percent certainty. 

History and resilience

Herzensdieb in Verden, Germany. Photo by Kiki Beelitz.

Herzensdieb, ridden by Steffen Frahm. Photo by Kiki Beelitz.

In the winter of 1944, only a few survived the dramatic eviction for man and horse across the frozen lagoon and the over 1000 km march to the West. Of the original population of 30,000 animals, only 1,500 horses were left. This was the saddest and hardest selection breeding has ever seen. The surviving mares and stallions were extremely stress-resistant, tough and willing to perform, parameters that guarantee a breeding advantage.

What does this history have to do with Herzensdieb? A lot. One of the most important stallions of the Trakehner breed was Totilas, born in 1938. The mighty dark brown horse was born in 1938 in East Prussia and, after flight to the west, was used as a sire at the Panker stud farm. This Totilas stock was successfully maintained over decades at the oldest Trakehner stud farm, Gut Panker (1947). This is where Herzensdieb was born in 2003. “In his day, Totilas was one of the most important stallions,” confirmed the stud manager, Ms Veronika von Schöning.

Only the best Trakehner genes

The father of the top athlete is the elite stallion Tambour. The noble black stallion combines the best Trakehner performance blood in him and is one of the most influential descendants of the dressage dynasty of dressage stallion Arogno. Besides Herzensdieb, Tambour delivered the stallion performance test winner and German National Champion of Versatility, Herzog. In the estimation of breeding value, Tambour is among the top five percent of all dressage stallions in Germany. Tambour descends from Hohenstein I, who himself was successful in dressage sport up to the Prix St. Georges. Insterbur TSF, Münchhausen TSF, Hochadel and His Highness are just some examples of the immense power of the inheritance refinement of Hohenstein.

Tambour’s mother is the state premium mare and elite mare Tänzerin V (by Consul), who was chosen as the best mare in Schleswig-Holstein and in Warendorf in 1994 at the German National Mare Show as Ia winner. She gave birth to the licensed stallions Travell and Thalys.

In the third generation, the Herzensdieb pedigree boasts the line founder and dressage sire Consul by Swazi xx. The DLG champion and elite stallion of the Trakehner Association delivered several licensed sons, such as the champion stallion Seigneur and Reserve Champion Rockefeller.

Herzensdieb’s mother Herzensfreude is one of the pillars of the breed at the Panker stud farm. This elite Herz lineage is known for the excellent riding characteristics of its offspring. The mother of Herzensfreude, Herzenslust, was champion mare in Schleswig-Holstein and winner of her mare performance test.

In addition, there have been numerous licensed stallions from the H line from Panker stud farm, such as Herzenkönig, Herzbube and Herzfunke. The champion stallion Donauruf bred by Panker should be mentioned in considering the H line. He was the undisputed champion stallion and crowd favorite at the 50th Trakehner licensing.

“Totilas was an powerful, energetic stallion,” confirmed the stud manager and contemporary witness of the expulsion from Trakenen, Ms Veronika von Schöning. This East Prussian sire is found three times in the pedigree of Herzensdieb, and this is what makes him so valuable.

Outstanding quality for dressage

“A dressage horse of the first order,” agreed Herzensdieb’s rider Steffen Frahm and stallion owner Jens Meyer. The stallion came to Frahm for training as a five-year-old. “He made a trusting bond with the rider and wishes to do everything right,” Frahm said.

Because of his charm, spectators, judges and breeders alike are enthusiastic about him. “With his intelligence and rideability, he learned the technical lessons such as flying changes and half passes very quickly. That’s why preparing him for the upper levels is so fun,” said Frahm about the training.

Breeding expert Jens Meyer goes into raptures over the beautiful Trakehner - and not without reason. The three-year Herzensdieb daughter, Helmi (owned by Leatherdale Farm), has already been able to come away from the arena as winning mare at several breeding shows. Frahm has been training Helmi for only a short time and gushes that “she is our great new hope.”

Master rider Johann Hinnemann is equally enthusiastic: “I’m a Herzensdieb fan because I’ve already had some offspring from him and still do. What I’ve seen thus far in offspring from Herzensdieb is truly something special. “

Strong breeding performance

Herzensdieb is a refiner in the form of an elite stallion. In recent years, he has delivered outstanding foals. His very first foal crop has earned him an excellent breeding value of 150 points. 

He passes his high rideability on to his children.  Herzensdieb’s daughter, Elfenzauber (dam of Budde Brock), yielded the best test result at the Hanoverian mare performance test in Elmlohe. Herzensdieb sired two mares presented in the Herwart-von-der-Decken Show. The Herzensdieb daughter Heartbreaker earned a very respectable second place for the proud owner from Australia.

Five daughters of Herzensdieb have become winners at mare shows. Two sons were licensed in Neumünster (Laxdoyen by Herzensdieb-Inster Graditz) and in Verden (Herzenswunsch by Herzensdieb-White Star). The father Tambour, a premium stallion and Trakehner elite stallion, sired two licensed sons. The mother St.Pr./ El.St. Herzensfreude earned her SLP with a record overall score of 9.11. The grandmother St.Pr./El.St. Herzenslust is half sister to the premium stallion Herzkristall (by Goldino). In all his offspring, a type and rideability refinement can be seen.

Master trainer Jonny Hilberath is impressed with Herzensdieb

“He is well along his way in training,” Hilberath said. “His offspring are making a splash. It is striking how many offspring of this stallion can be seen in foal markets, auctions and breed licensings. In young horse and novice tests, an improbably high number of Herzensdieb offspring are appearing. He is leaving an outstanding legacy in Trakehner breeding, Hanoverian breeding and overall in warmblood horse breeding.”

When asked about Herzensdieb’s significant ancestors such as Hohenstein and the highly concentrated bloodlines from the Trakehner stallion Totilas, Hilberath responded, “Herzensdieb is a very tough horse and passes on his mental strength in a positive way. All the Herzensdieb offspring that I have seen so far make a very bold impression. In addition, they are extremely rideable and performance-ready horses. Precisely because he has this noble ancestry, he passes this nobility on to his offspring. He is an absolute refining stallion.”

Due to the attractive gaits of Herzensdieb’s in-demand offspring, the international master trainer is convinced that “the affable elite stallion is passing on the quality of the basic gaits but also their potential for collection.”

When asked about further siring performance, Hilberath said: “He is indeed very well received in warmblood breeding. He produces big horses with a very good and correct foundation, and they all move very elastically and uphill. Herzensdieb is also wonderfully uphill built. You can set him up and see how correct he is. And they can hardly make him more beautiful. So, as I’ve said, I’ve seen many very good Herzensdieb offspring.”

“It is no coincidence that many reputable training facilities, such as those of Johann Hinnemann and Klaus Balkenhof, have stocked up with Herzensdieb offspring and been very satisfied with them. I hear that the horses give glimpses of their talents very early on in the in-hand work. So I think that we will be hearing quite a lot from these offspring in the future,” said the Herzensdieb fan Jonny Hilberath. 

Dressage Newcomer Mike Suchanek Wins Reserve Championship at US Dressage Finals

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Mike Suchanek and Hero L. Photo by Mary Adelaide Brackenridge.

Lexington, KY – November 20, 2014 – This is Mike Suchanek’s first year competing in dressage, but you wouldn’t know it from the results he’s been achieving. At the US Dressage Finals Nov. 6-9, he showed he’s just as comfortable going down centerline as any of his fellow competitors with decades more experience in the sport.

Mike Suchanek and Fleur de Lis L. Photo by Mary Adelaide Brackenridge. 

Suchanek made the 16-hour trek from Minnesota to Lexington, Kentucky, to compete at the Finals with two young horses owned by Doug and Louise Leatherdale of Leatherdale Farms, and he certainly made an impression in his biggest show to date. 

He rode Fleur de Lis L, a 5-year-old Hanoverian mare (First Dance-EM De La Rosa, De Niro), to reserve championship honors in the Training Level Open division as well as the High Score Breed Award for an American Hanoverian competing at the national levels in the Open division. With Hero L, a 7-year-old Hanoverian gelding (His Highness-Waterlily L, Wolkenstein II), he took fourth place in the First Level Open Championship. 

“The competition was hard, but it was fun,” Suchanek, who has just 14 months of formal lessons under his belt, said of his experience at the US Dressage Finals. “I enjoyed competing against these professionals and showing off the horses for the Leatherdales. It was great to see everyone congratulating and supporting each other. I really enjoyed the camaraderie.”

Putting on tall boots and a show coat to compete in dressage at the national championships might not have been in Suchanek’s thoughts when he sent his resume to the Leatherdales four years ago: at that time, he had never ridden in anything but a Western saddle. But his hard work and natural talent have put him on the fast track.

He has rapidly learned the fundamentals of the sport, guided first by the Minnesota farm’s performance horse manager, Jessi Lash, and then by international dressage trainer Alison Sader Larson. At the US Dressage Finals, Suchanek was rewarded with several collective marks of 8 for the rider’s position and seat as well as correct and effective aids. At other shows this year, including the Great American/USDF Region 4 Championships, he and the Leatherdale horses racked up four perfect scores of 10 for leg yields and a halt.

“Mike is like a machine,” Larson said. “If you tell him to do A, he does A. If you tell him B, he does B. It’s like you type it into a computer and hit enter. It’s that easy because of the feel and the horsemanship that you can’t teach.”

Larson has taught countless riders, but she feels Suchanek stands out for his incredible aptitude and ability to immediately apply what she’s explained to him.

“I taught him how to do walk pirouettes on one horse one day, and I came back a week later, and all three of them had it,” Larson said. “It’s that easy. It’s really hard to find any rider who can pick up on something like that.”

Suchanek, whose mother teaches centered riding, grew up on a farm in southern Minnesota. He learned to ride on horses around the farm, and according to his mother, he was so comfortable in the saddle as a child that he would fall asleep while mounted.

By age 15, he began buying horses and training them to resell. From the beginning, he focused on starting young horses under saddle and producing balanced, confident, uncomplicated mounts.

While Suchanek’s work at Leatherdale Farms has taken him beyond the trail riding and small local shows he’d done before, his strong basics and natural ability made for a successful transition. He rides a couple of schoolmasters so that he can get to know the feel of the different movements and pass on that knowledge to the young horses he brings along.

“I always had a centered base of riding, so I think the transition from my plain old riding to a dressage purpose has been fairly simple for me,” Suchanek said. “It’s been amazing to have these types of horses to ride every day and learn from and teach them what they need to know to show. Having Alison as my coach has been great – she has kept the work fun and interesting, and I look forward to my lessons every week.”

He is grateful for the chance to learn a new discipline and ride some of the most promising young horses in the country while doing so.

“I want to thank Doug and Louise Leatherdale for giving me this opportunity and trusting the team of us with the care of the horses,” Suchanek said. “I’m very proud of the horses and very thankful to have Alison on our team.”

Young Leatherdale Farms Horses Stand Out at US Dressage Finals

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Lexington, KY – November 13, 2014 – Two young horses bred and owned by Doug and Louise Leatherdale of Leatherdale Farms made a big impression at the US Dressage Finals, held Nov. 6-9 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. Mike Suchanek rode Fleur de Lis L and Hero L to top placings in the horses’ first major championship outing.

Mike Suchanek and Fleur de Lis L. Photo by Mary Adelaide Brackenridge.  

Fleur de Lis L, a 5-year-old Hanoverian mare (First Dance-EM De La Rosa, De Niro), captured the reserve championship in the highly competitive Training Level Open division with a score of 74.667 percent. The championship class, held on Friday, brought together 18 of the top Training Level horses from around the country. 

For her great effort in Kentucky, Fleur de Lis L won the US Dressage Finals High Score Breed Award for an American Hanoverian competing at the national levels in the Open division. Another highlight of the show was the mare’s outstanding score of 77.800 percent in a non-championship Training Level Test 3 class.

Mike Suchanek and Hero L. Photo by Mary Adelaide Brackenridge.

“She comes out with a winning attitude and wants to show herself off,” Suchanek said. “She’s a pretty simple, straightforward mare, and she keeps progressing. I was very pleased with how she performed here.”

Fleur de Lis L inherited several of the outstanding traits of her sire, Leatherdale stallion First Dance, who stands at Hengststation Jens Meyer in Dorum, Germany. Her eagerness to work and rideability have helped her succeed at a young age. 

“I’ve been so impressed with all of the First Dance babies on the farm,” Jessi Lash, performance horse manager at Leatherdale Farms’ Minnesota facility, said. “They’re very smart and really uncomplicated, talented and willing. We’d like more of those!”

Also performing well at the US Dressage Finals was Hero L, a 7-year-old Hanoverian gelding (His Highness-Waterlily L, Wolkenstein II). He scored 71.882 percent for a strong fourth place finish in the First Level Open Championship and earned a respectable 70.133 percent to take ninth place in the Training Level Open Championship. While in Kentucky, he also won a large Training Level Test 3 warm-up class with a score of 72.800 percent. 

Hero L’s success at the US Dressage Finals was made all the more impressive by his minimal experience in the show ring: the Finals were just the third show of his career. In an atmosphere that put many more seasoned horses on edge, Hero L stepped up to the challenge with no trouble. 

“He’s got the good His Highness brain,” Lash said. “There’s not much that surprises him. Like his sire, he is smart, willing and talented.”

Hero L earned his name by overcoming a challenging start to life. His dam rejected him, but with a Belgian draft nurse mare giving him plenty of love, he matured into a promising young horse. 

He competed in his first show in August 2014 somewhat by chance – Lash had an extra spot on the trailer and decided to bring him along to see how he would do in his first outing off the farm. He rewarded his connections by earning two scores over 83 percent at Training Level and First Level and qualifying for the Great American/USDF Region 4 Championships, where he earned his ticket to Kentucky for the Finals.

“He learns quickly,” noted Suchanek, who has brought Hero L along since the gelding was 3. “He’s grown so fast that his body is just catching up to his mind. This is only the third show for him, but it just fell into place.”

Competing either horse at the US Dressage Finals seemed unlikely at first given that Suchanek’s wife had a baby just four weeks ago.

“We were absolutely not going to come here – Mike had some other things on his schedule,” Lash laughed. “But the night before he competed at Regionals, I thought, ‘I’ll just nominate them, just in case.’ And then I thought, ‘I’ll just declare, just in case.’ Like Mike said, it’s fun to win! Let’s keep going!”

Suchanek said they decided it was worth the trip to give the horses experience as well as show them off for their owners.

“The Leatherdales have been really pleased and happy with their progress,” Suchanek said. “I’m very honored to be here and thankful for the opportunity from Doug and Louise Leatherdale to show their horses.”