THE HANOVERIAN HISTORY

There can be no question that the Hanoverian horse today represents one of the most prominent breeds for riding horses in the world. The studbook comprises close to 19,000 active broodmares and 450 approved breeding stallions, and covers the largest homogeneous breeding area in Europe. In fact, Hanoverians are found in all five continents.

Today the Hanoverian horse represents the most important breed of sport horses in the world. Olympic as well as World Champions and the largest number of World Cup winners are from Hanoverian breeding. A huge number of top competition horses have the H brand - the Hanoverian trade mark - on their back left side, which takes its inspiration from the crossed horse heads at the gable of the breeding farms in Lower Saxony.

But not only top riders benefit from Hanoverian horses. The horses with the "H"-Brand also delight pleasure riders in many countries throughout the world.

The breeding aim is the Hanoverian - a rideable, noble, big-framed and correct warmblood horse, which, on the basis of its natural abilities, its temperament and character, is suitable as a performance horse as well as a pleasure horse.

On this basis the Verband strives for the breeding of talented sport horses for the disciplines.

The usual process is that breeders of common interests and breeding aims come together and form an association, start a studbook and establish rules and regulations concerning registration. That is, however, not the way it happened in Hanover. There, it all started with the foundation of the State Stud at Celle in 1735. Since this time the State stud has kept careful records of pedigrees of their stallions and the mares bred to them, so when in 1888 the Royal Agricultural Society officially established the "Hanoverian Warmblood Studbook" it already had an excellent basis on which to build from.

Foundation of the Studbook

In 1899 the Chamber of Agriculture took over the studbook as keeper, and carried on until 1922 when it passed these duties on to the Verband hannoverscher Warmblutzüchter (the Society of Hanoverian Warmblood Breeders), which came into existence that same year and is the governing body today.

Foundation of the Verband

(Verband hannoverscher Warmblutzüchter)

The "Verband" came into being in 1922 through the unification of 54 local breeding clubs in Hanover, some of which were more than 50 years old. Combined, they accounted for some 10,560 breeders. The idea was not so much to rob these clubs of their independence and their individual and peculiar character, but rather to co-ordinate their activities for the good of all.

Most of these local clubs still exist today, and they are the main pillars of the Verband. They determine to a far-reaching extent the choice of State stallions sent to their district and they organise the annual mare grading shows. The constitution of the Verband provides that in Lower Saxony each individual member must also belong to one of seven district societies, which in most cases cover the area of a country or similar governmental unit.

Breed Characteristics

Quality performance prospects are the result of the Hanoverian selection process. Each year the American Hanoverian Society organizes a national inspection tour to register foals, inspect and performance test mares and license stallions. In order for a foal to be registered, both the sire and dam must be AHS approved. German and American inspectors evaluate mares for type, conformation and gaits. The Mare Performance Test scores a mare's rideability, gaits and jumping talent. Mares are placed in various sections of the Studbook based on both their overall scores and their dam's Studbook placement. The very best mares can earn the title of Elite Mare upon successfully completing the Mare Performance Test.

All stallion candidates must be presented for physical inspection. If scores on  conformation, movement and jumping ability are sufficient, a temporary breeding license is  granted. Within two years, stallions must complete and pass the 100-Day Stallion  Performance Test that evaluates gaits, trainability and athletic ability in dressage, show  jumping and cross-country. Eligibility for breeding is verified annually.

Certain non-Hanoverian mares and stallions are eligible for inspection and entry into the studbook if they meet strict breed and pedigree requirements and attain sufficient scores upon presentation. A horse with only one AHS approved parent (either Main Studbook dam or an Elite Stallion sire) is eligible for a Certificate of Pedigree, which enables participation in the AHS Awards Program.

Diamont - (Durkheim/S.P.Babette (Bleep XX) - 1976; Bay - Hanoverian Stallion. A proven dressage sire, Diamont ranked 1st by USDF among Hanoverian stallions and 2nd among all stallions of all breeds for production of dressage horses in the U.S.

Wendekreis - Ferdinand/Domgottin (Domspatz)-1967 - Bay Hanoverian Stallion. Wendekreis is regarded as one of the most influential stallions of all time and is well known as a producer of riding horses with excellent trainability.

Liberty Gold -  Londonderry/Walida (Weltmeyer); 2001 - Chestnut Hanoverian Stallion.  Liberty Gold took the highest honors at his licensing in 2003 and at his performance testing in 2004. He scored 9.67 on rideability, 9.5 on canter, 9.33 on trot, 9 on character and temperament and 8 on walk.

Weltmeyer - World Cup I/Anka (Absatz)- 1984 - Chestnut Hanoverian Stallion -  Overall: 143.9 Dressage: 143.9 - Jumping: 141.4. He won his stallion licensing and he was champion at his stallion performance test

Rio Grande - Raphael / Wandra (Windhuk) 1986 - Bay Hanoverian Stallion - was the  winner of the stallion performance test at Novemberhill Farm in 1991  scoring

135 points with consistently high scores for jumping (134 pts)  and rideability (130pts.). He was part of Team  Canada that won the Nations Cup in New York and Toronto in 1995 

Domiro - Donnerhall / Pik Dame (Pik Ramiro) 1995 Dark Chestnut Hanoverian Stallion is out of the proven  successful breeding combination between Donnerhall and Pik Bube I.   Breed values place Donnerhall and his offspring on the “Top List of  Dressage Stallions.” 

Graf Top II - Graf Grannus / SPS Capries (CalysoII)

1997 Bay Hanoverian Stallion. His pedigree contains the finest jumping blood available in Hannover today. Graf Grannus (9th in the Top List Jumping Index) has an excellent character and well- above-average ability in all disciplines.

Idol - Inschallah /SPS Waldine (Magistster) 1984 Chestnut Oldenburg Stallion. Winner, 3 and 4 year old stallions and 3 year old under saddle, senior show champion, West Coast Classic. Winner, stallions 4 and over and dressage suitability, Los Angeles Breeders Classic 1989.

The stallions shown represent many of the bloodlines at Keller Farms

Pointmaker - (Pik Bube / Weltmeister (Cardinal xx) - 1991 Dark Bay - Oldenburg Stallion. Pointmaker is typical of his famous sire, the most successful approved son of Pik Koenig.

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