Top athletes become VTV stallions

On the occasion of the Oldenburg Stallion Days this year, a dressage stallion and a show jumping stallion were again traditionally decorated with the VTV sash at the Oldenburg Horse Center in Vechta. This year, the two stallions Morricone and Checkter received this highly endowed award for their top sporting and breeding achievements. The R+V VTV Generalvertretung Heiko Meinen, which specializes in animal insurance, did not miss the opportunity to reward the breeders and owners Heinrich Vahle, represented by his son Theo Vahle, Friesoythe, respectively the stud Bonhomme GmbH & Co, Werder, as well as Böckmann Pferde GmbH from Lastrup, with a generous check for 1,000 euros for their breeding excellence.

VTV dressage stallion: Morricone
Whether own tournament successes, price tops at auctions, licensed stallions, champion foals or brilliant ring mares: Morricone, born 2012, by Millennium/Trak. a.d. Hartima by Rubin-Royal - De Niro - Rubinstein I, breeder: Heinrich Vahle, Friesoythe, b.: Gestüt Bonhomme GmbH & Co., Werder, has already achieved almost everything at the age of nine and advanced to a sought-after star sire in recent years. Already on the occasion of his licensing at the Oldenburg Horse Center in Vechta in 2014, the beautiful black stallion advanced to the title of Champion Stallion. A flight of fancy that was just beginning: In 2015, Morricone was celebrated as the outstanding dressage winner of his 30-day test in Adelheidsdorf with a final score of 9.33. Due to his outstanding hereditary power paired with his outstanding inherent performance, the black beauty, who provided several price tops at various elite foal auctions in Germany as well as abroad, was named the main premium winner in Vechta in 2016 and delivered no less than three licensed sons in his debut year, including a premium stallion in Vechta. As a seven-year-old, Morricone then led his first lap of honor in the heavy class. "Morricone himself has ground-covering, springy movements in every gait and, above all, a perfect stride. Furthermore, the brilliant bobcat shines with a fantastic, balanced disposition, alert intelligence and absolute fearlessness, as well as a riding comfort and attitude that you couldn't ask for better," said stud owner Rebecca Gutman. Great and important qualities that the stallion also passes on to his offspring. Last year, his sons Mister Universe, born in 2016, by Morricone I - San Amour I - Fürst Heinrich, bred by Dr. Gisa Löwe, Meyenburg, who was sold at the 3rd Oldenburg Online Special Edition for 340. 000, and the licensed Movie Star, born in 2016, by Morricone I - Bentley - Rubinstein I, breeder: Ines Lohmann, Extertal, who found a new owner at the 92nd Spring Elite Auction for 250,000 Euros. Furthermore, the reserve winner of the Elite mare show Evita by Morricone I - Sandro Hit - Feiner Stern, breeder: Günter Lüschen, Wardenburg, danced her way to the title of Oldenburg Vice Champion Mare in the four-year-old mares and geldings in Rastede this year under Uwe Stradtmann. Currently, Morricone, whose full brothers Morricone II and III were also licensed in Vechta, celebrated victories and placings in Intermediaire II tests in Verden, Hagen, Balve as well as Rastede under his permanent rider Lena Waldmann and is well on his way to the top class. The origin of these great successes can certainly be found in the Hornbeam line, which has produced Donnerhall's dam's sire Markus, Weltgeist I, San Remo as well as numerous Grand Prix-successful horses, among others.

VTV Jumping Stallion: Checkter
Checkter, OS, born 2013, by Cellestial out of Ilonka by Lord Pezi - Ile de Bourbon - Lord Liberty - Gotthard, licensed in 2015 at the Oldenburg Horse Center, Vechta, Z. u. B..: Böckmann Pferde GmbH, Lastrup, is setting new standards in show jumping breeding. After the gray stallion passed the first part of his stallion performance test Sport in Munich-Riem in 2017 with a top score of 9.66, which had never been achieved before, he also belonged to the absolute top group of his year in Verden the following year with a score of 9.13. Carefully and gently built up, but nevertheless decorated with victories in show jumping tests for young horses in classes A** to M, also internationally, under Heinrich Holtgers, Leonie and Gilbert Böckmann, Checkter was awarded the Ic main premium at the Oldenburg Stallion Days in 2018 due to his sporting development and above all the quality of his first foal crop. In 2020, he sired his first two licensed offspring with Checkorado, OS, born 2018, by Checkter out of Paula by Pilothago - Diarado, breeder: Peter Engel, Hünxe, as well as a beautiful dark bay stallion, OS, born 2018, by Checkter out of Utasha by Ustinov - Contender, breeder: Arndt Schwierking, Barver. This year, the phenomenally jumping gray stallion made the jump to the advanced level and placed third in Mühlen under Leonie Böckmann, who also placed internationally with him for the first time in advanced (S**) level show jumping competitions in Pinneberg. The origin of this success can be found in his exemplary performance pedigree, which is like a firework of international show jumping genetics: His sire Cellestial placed highly in Nations Cups and was one of the best German show jumping sires ever with 77 advanced (S) level successful and 25 licensed offspring. Dam Ilonka, who was a finalist at the 2005 Bundeschampionat, was herself successful in advanced level show jumping and gave birth to none other than the licensed and 1.60 m successful 2018 World Championship participant in Tryon Check In by Cordalmé Z, 2005 Reserve Champion of the OS licensing, under Samantha McIntosh as well as the S-successful Check Up by Cordalmé Z under Vincent Elbers. This mare family also produced the well-known stallions Carridam PJ, First Gotthard, Fürstengold, Firth of Lorne/Marcus Ehning, Kashmir van Schuttershof, who was internationally successful at CSI5* level under Philip Lejeune, and several internationally successful show jumpers.