Don Frederico Honored With the Title "Hanoverian Stallion of the Year"

A worthy setting for an outstanding  stallion: Almost 3,000 guests celebrated Don Frederico, the Hanoverian Stallion of the Year 2012, in the Niedersachsenhalle which was filled to capacity. This prize is granted every year  by the Hannoveraner Verband and the insurance company R+V/Vereinigte Tierversicherung to honor an approved Hanoverian stallion. This year, the Celle state stud stallion Don Frederico was given this honor. Breeder Angelika Westerhoff was happy to receive an oil painting by the artist Manfred Busemann and a well-endowed check. Angelika Westerhoff from Bleckede bred her mare Cleopatra to the exceptional stallion Donnerhall: Don Frederico was born in 1997 and raised by Klaus Bünger, Oetzen. The black sire descends from the mare line of Schwanjungfrau that also produced the trademark stallion Lanthan. The sporty youngster delighted licensing committee and guests on the occasion of the stallion licensing in Verden in 1999, he was named Champion Stallion and sold to the Celle State Stud. Don Frederico shined again at his stallion performance test in Adelheidsdorf, finishing second overall and winning the dressage test convincingly with a partial score of 151.67 points. He competed at the Bundeschampionate in Warendorf at the age of five and six, and he was the first state stud stallion ever to participate at a Final of the Nürnberger Burgpokal; he won the opening competition in 2006. Don Frederico is today successfully competing with Obersattelmeister Ole Köhler in dressage tests up to S-level. 

Don Frederico did an excellent job, not only when it comes to sport, but particularly also as regards breeding. The Bundeschampion Dantonisius and the Vice Champion Dark Carlotta, both out of Weltmeyer-dams, come from his first crop of foals on the ground. Current shooting stars made by Don Frederico are the silver medalist of the Olympic Games in London, Diva Royal with Dorothee Schneider, and Isabell Werth's Grand Prix-horse Don Johnson FRH. 25 of his sons were licensed for breeding by the Hannoveraner Verband, among them the current bronze medalist of five-year-old dressage horses at the Bundeschampionate in Warendorf, Don Darius, and the World Champion of young dressage horses in 2008, Dramatic. More than 2,500 progeny are registered with the Hannoveraner Verband, among them 178 state premium mares and state premium candidates, 325 Hanoverians were sold at auctions.

Don Frederico was already honored with the Grande-Prize in 2009. Breeding manager Dr. Werner Schade summarized: "The award 'Stallion of the Year' is meant to honor stallions whose progeny are successful in international top sport. This is exactly the most impressive characteristic of Don Frederico. He scores with willingness to perform, power and ambition, and he passes on these important positive traits to his sons and daughters. He set standards."