Learning about bloodlines

So three months after my last blog we all know that this year will be different than all the years that we have had so far. No matter how old we are, we are in a unique situation that makes us humble. If we want it or not, we are in this together.

I had and have so many plans… I wanted to go back to Normandy to see some of my favorite breeders and horses again and to go to a stud where I could learn so many things but this has to wait. Instead the article that I wrote about Clinton was posted on the website of L’Eperon. For a different article for de Hoefslag about the connection between Dutch breeders and Westphalia I wanted to call Dr. Gerd Lehmann. Who was 30 years Landstallmeister of Landgestüt Warendorf and who is still following very closely what is going on in the breedingworld. He is 86, but I could listen to him all day. I am reading currently books that are written more than 100 years ago. Dr. Gerd Lehmann said: “People ask me why I never wrote a book. I believe that everything that I have done is already written in the books. You just need to read those books.” Trust me, German is not my mother language, so reading old German is very hard. The conversation I had with Dr. Gerd Lehmann shifted to Trakehner bloodlines and I had to call him again. It was so interesting what he told me about the history of the Trakehner horse. My head was glowing from all the information I received. I already had my article about Clinton published in Breeding News for Sport Horses and it was about to be published on the website of L’Eperon. After I talked to Dr. Gerd Lehmann I started to write his son and eventually we called too and he told me to buy the book -The Flight Across The Ice: The Escape of the East Prussian Horses – Patricia Clough-. So I did and I learned so much about the black pages from the history of this breed. Meanwhile I have ordered more books about the Trakehner breed, because in several stallions we see that their motherline is coming out of East Prussia. By normal mail I have send my article about Clinton to Dr. Gerd Lehmann and I was very happy when he called me a few days later to congratulate me with the article. Even when I think about it I turn red.

From the history about East Prussian bred horses I made the jump to Holsteiner bloodlines who turned the Irish showjumping and eventing breeding upside down. I worked very long on this article because it was a very special story. The first time I came to Holstein, now 17 years ago, I met Inken Johannsen now Inken Platen-Hallermund. She became one of my early friends here and her parents bred actually this particular stallion. From this story I shifted to French bloodlines and for both stories I have been talking with some very passionate breeders! Oo yes! How can I forget… In my research about the Holsteiner stallion I have send a brilliant retired Irish vet an email and he promised me to send me some information. Well … This was a first with all the amount of information I received!!! I was speechless and the information filled some important gaps.

In the coming weeks/months I will have publications in German and French magazines. I will continue to get new ideas for the Hoefslag and Breeding News of Sport Horses. I am also very thankful to have found Anima Translation Service. My German in writing is kind of interesting… and I don’t need to bug one of my friends anymore who has enough on her mind ;). Today I became friends on Facebook with the owner of a full brother to Hannah I and Inken I. She also admires the character of the horses from this damline. Their full brother Charmander turned 22 today and is still in very good health. I miss the horses that I know from this line so much, but I am happy with the photos and memories I have! Meanwhile I am using my time to read, learn, listen and write about the bloodlines that have shaped and are shaping the sporthorse. I would like to thank all my editors and friends who became very special to me in this world!!

Photo is made by Remco Veurink