There was quite a stir after Selten HW’s huge success as a Champion stallion at the Oldenburg Licensing.

A phenomenal black stallion being so successful is what everybody wants to have in the barn. It is with great proud and delight to announce that Selten HW was sold to a Pan Am rider and will be prepared for an international future with care and lot’s of love. We are sure we’ll hear a lot more about him and we wish him and his new owner all the best for their plans to show him up to the highest levels. He moved back to the place where he grew up and is at Hilltop right now. Michael Bragdell and the Hilltop Team are glad to have him back. It was quite a happy reunion.  Selten HW will spend his winter there and it is planned to move him to California in spring or summer. He will then be in training with his new owner and with knowledgeable people like Günter Seidel and Klaus Balkenhol (Coach USET Dressage Team). Congratulations and good luck!

Our home bred Selten HW is now (December 2007) officially added to the Oldenburg Registry North America & International Sporthorse Registry Website.  

Hey Irene!

Yes, I'm keeping Roman...he's just wonderful and I'm learning to ride him well. Roman has such big movements! Oh by the way...Catherine my trainer showed Roman at Level 4, 3rd test and took the championship at the Houston Dressage show in Katy , Texas in November!  In fact, we've showed him 3 times now here in the states and she's taken the "blue-ribbon" each and every time!  His lead-changes are awesome!

I'm telling every one I know that you have a keen eye for great horses!

Thanks, Bobbie

These bloodlines are RIGHT ON, another Sandro Hit x Donnerhall was Champion of the 2007 Oldenburg Stallion Licensing in Europe!

A Sandro Hit x Donnerhall x Classiker offspring was proclaimed Champion of the 2007 Oldenburg Stallion Licensing in Vechta, Germany, on Saturday November 24, 2007. The same pedigree combination (Sandro Hit x Donnerhall) also produced the licensing champion of the Hanoverian society in Verden last month.

The bay Oldenburg branded champion sold at the auction for Euro 340,000.

More congratulations to Lamborghini and Elaine!

Borderline Dressage Show, Tryon, September 2007 

Elaine took her horse to Tryon for a show and did very well! They keep the show rolling!

Elaine and Lamborghini:

• 64% Training 3

• 66% Training 4

• 70.4% Training 4 

Clinic with Chris Hickey, September 2007 

Elaine and Boghi rode in a clinic over Labor Day weekend with Chris Hickey, head trainer at Hilltop Farm and recent Individual Gold Medalist at the Pan Am Games. 

Selten HW (Sandro Hit/Hohenstein/Donnerhall/Bolero), 2007 Oldenburg Stallion Champion

Another milestone for HW Farm and the breeding program managed by Irene Höflich-Wiederhold. Selten HW and Sagenhaft HW moved in at Hassler Dressage with their rider and trainer Brooke Doss.

Barely one week after their arrival, Selten HW was called the Champion stallion of the Oldenburg inspection with the highest score of the day, a whopping 83%. With a 9 for canter, 8,5 for trot etc……more info to follow.

Congratulations and 1000 times thank you to his rider Brooke Doss and to Scott Hassler for presenting him and doing a wonderful job!

 His dam SPS High Princess (a special mare entered with the phenomenal score of 9 in the Hanoverian mare book!) is a last time in foal to Sandro Hit for spring 2008. We can’t wait to see the last full sibling to Selten HW, Sagenhaft HW, Skywalker HW and Soraya HW. The foal will be for sale if it is a colt, if it is a filly, it will stay with us. If you are interested to buy this quality foal in utero, don’t hesitate. If you are interested in a high quality FEI prospect under saddle, Sagenhaft HW will now become available for purchase.

Ribbons every time out! Donatella HW won/placed in all her classes at the November 2007 South West Dressage Association show, First Level three and First Level four and her highest score of the day was a 73,9 %. With this super result, Donatella HW and her rider Vivienne (16 years old) proved, that Donna is back in the game at her first outing after giving birth to the phenomenal colt Sundance HW in 2007. Donna was High Point Champion of the show and won a saddle pad and a Champion ribbon.
Way to go girls!

Sandro Hit x Donnerhall, 2007 Hanoverian Stallion Licensing Champion

October 28, 2007     

A Sandro Hit x Donnerhall offspring became the Licensing Champion at the 2007 Hanoverian Stallion Licensing in Verden, Germany, October 27, 2007. The dark bay stallion is bred and presented by Kerstin Albers-Büker and is by Sandro Hit of out Danea (Donnerhall x Alabaster). The young colt sold at the auction for the top price of 700,000 euro to the French millionaire Xavier Marie of Haras de Hus in France, the former owner of Poetin (most expensive auction horse at that time).

Hi Irene:

Now that the 2007 show season is over I thought I would give you the results for Dormellosohn ("D"- Dormello HW). At the final show of the season, our Regional Championships he was great! We placed 8th at the training level championships (it was the first test of the first day of the show which is never our best), then we placed 2nd in the NEDA training level sweepstakes with a combined score of training tests 3 & 4 of 69.2%,and placed 4th in the AA high score of the show championships with a 70.8%.  

I'm already making plans for next season, he has one qualifying score for the Regional Championships at first level already of 66.8%. Hope to put a freestyle together for next year also. Thanks. Kris

I decided at the last minute to try to qualify Faulkner for regional championships.  So I was lucky enough to get into the last show of the qualifying period, after the closing date even.  The show was in Claremore, OK, which is a 6 1/2 hour drive for us.  We arrived at the showgrounds and as I was unloading the trailer, I realized that the showgrounds were also gathering place for the HOMECOMING PARADE!  There were floats with streamers, and balloons.  Hundreds of children running around.  And, to top it all off, a MARCHING BAND!  Faulkner never batted an eye.  All of this was going on only a couple hundred feet from the lunging and warm up area, all within plain sight, and he paid absolutely no attention to it whatsoever.  He was equally good during the show on Saturday and Sunday.  On Saturday, he had the highest score of the show, with a 75+% in Training Level test 4.  We had a couple of small bobbles in First Level test 4, but still scored at 71+%.  He won both of those tests with some very good competition.  He was equally good on Sunday.  I only showed First Level test 4, he was nearly perfect, and scored at 74+%, winning the class again.  The judges gave him 8's on his gaits across the board.  One judge's comment was "Fantastic Horse!"  This horse only gets better as he is maturing physically and mentally.  His ability to focus and put his heart into his work is remarkable. Thank-you again Irene for finding such a talented horse.

Hanoverian Elite-Auction of Foals and Broodmares:

With Euro 41.000 (approximately  US $ 55,000) the most expensive foal of the first auction day was Caracas by Carabas/Prince Thatch xx/Lanthan. His Lanthan grand dam is also the dam of Santina HW and the grand dam of Donatella HW. Pamina by Prince Thatch, is a half sister to Wachau and was bred by the same breeders as Donatella HW, Santina HW and Wachau. Huge congratulations to them!

An e-mail just delivered updates on Donatella HW’s half brother Sandokan. Only 6 years old and by Santini out of Donatella HW’s dam Wachau, he is winning one class after another. He is competing at S-level dressage already, equaling approximately 4th level, he qualified for international classes after only 3 shows. He won 3 out of 4 classes, but will have to wait until next year to compete internationally because of age limits, which are restricting him right now. The results speak for the high ride ability which come naturally with these bloodlines and genes. We can’t wait to start Santina HW under saddle in spring of 2008, as she is out of Sandokan and Donatella’s grand dam and just looks as promising as her entire family. 

First and second place for Stephanie and Grafit, congratulations to them: South County Dressage Classic, First Level Dressage, 2nd place. SCS San Juan Capistrano, First Level Dressage, 1st place!

August 24th - 25th, 2007 - The 6th Oldenburg Elite Foal Auction and Foal Market in Vechta , Germany are a Huge Success

On Friday the Elite Foal Auction was started with an introduction of the foals outside on a beautiful sunny day. It was clear from the crowd's reaction that there were many top quality foals presented, and that the auction to follow was going to be an interesting event. The absolute highlight of the auction fell much later in the evening when Number 103, Säbeltanz (Sandro Hit x Wolkentanz II - Donnerhall), entered the arena. There had been a lot of buzz about this colt when he went floating around the grass in the parade earlier in the day, and that built up the anticipation and excitement as the price kept climbing. The hammer finally went down after an epic battle between South America and Denmark . South America prevailed buying the super colt for 127,000 Euro which is approximately $174,000. The breeder of this luxury foal is Lüder Lepenies, he is also the breeder of SPS High Princess and Sagenhaft HW (full brother to Selten HW, Skywalker HW and Soraya HW). Lüder just called and said he is more than excited with this result as Saebeltanz is now the overall most expensive foal at any German auction (all registries!) so far!

Click Here for the Highlights Video of Säbeltanz

Credit and copyright: www.Oldenburghorse.com

The text of the catalogue read as followed: Spectacular is also the last Sandro Hit son. Maximum movements with the highest degree of suppleness lend this obvious stallion prospect an aura that makes him special.

Erin showed Amerika in Springfield Illinois.  She won a large and competitive First Level Test 4 with a score of 67+. Congratulations to Erin and Amerika!

Fair hill breed show - Top Placings for Team Hilltop

The Fair Hill Breed Show, on August 11-12, is always a favorite show for Hilltop Farm.  Close to home, well-run, and a relaxed atmosphere make it a perfect outing to gain some important mileage for the younger horses.

Selten HW (Sandro Hit x Hohenstein), owned by Irene Hoeflich-Wiederhold, impressed in his undersaddle debut.  The young stallion's impressive movement created a buzz at the show as he won the 3 year old Colts & Geldings Materiale class and the judge specifically sought out Michael Bragdell after the class to tell him personally what a "super" horse she felt Selten HW was. He won the class with a huge distance to the second place (another Sandro Hit son) and he scored a 7,8 for walk, 8,3 for trot and an 8,5 for canter, which is an overall score of 8,2. The show was rather scored low, which makes these results even better! It was only his second show which he attended (at his first show he was in hand, being Reserve Grand Champion at Devon and more) and Fair Hill was his first show under saddle ever. What a outstanding boy, especially considering he was only 3 years and 3 months old at the time of the show.....

August 2007: Unbelievable, I just got a Blackberry message from Debbie about Lavarino (Let’s Dance HW), she wrote the following:

Lavarino won again last weekend! I think he likes competing!

More good news, Feldmark (Forrester) and Jennifer are staying busy showing off their skills. Congratulations to the following successes:

Spring Intro Dressage I: First Level Dressage, won both classes Spring Intro Dressage II: First Level Dressage, AGAIN, won both classes Fort Vancouver Dressage: First Level Dressage, placed 2nd and 3rd Fort Vancouver Dressage: Second Level Dressage, placed 3rd and won the other class It was also reported that Feldmark was High Point Champion and just a star as always!

Good news from Calvin and Mary, huge congratulations to this match made in heaven:

GHF/Collecting Gaits Farm Three Horsemen Dressage Show: First Level Dressage, placed 2nd and 3rd GHF/Collecting Gaits Farm Annual Dressage 1st Edition: Second Level Dressage, placed 1st GHF/Collecting Gaits Farm Annual Dressage 2nd Edition: Second Level Dressage, placed 4th

Congratulations to LeeAnn and Le Bob – what a great team:

Florida Dressage Concours: Third Level Dressage, placed 1st, 3rd and 6th Double Delight Dressage Festival I: Third Level Dressage, placed 1st and 2nd Double Delight Dressage Festival II: Third Level Dressage, placed 3rd

Congratulations to Lamborghini and Elaine!

Dressage at Lexington , July 2007: Several riders from LKN Dressage participated in the very large show at Lexington . Elaine and Lamborghini scored a 65.6% in Training Level Test 3 and came in at 3rd place.

Summer Highland Fling Dressage Show, Tyron, July 2007: We had a great show this weekend, Elaine and Lamborghini scored a 68% in Training Level Test 3 and placed second.

Summer Schooling May 2007:

This month, Elaine had the opportunity to ride a clinic with Chris Hickey, Director of Training at Hilltop Farm. Elaine rode Lamborghini and they worked on keeping Boghi’s alert mind focused on his work. Horse and rider were very enthusiastic about the learning experience.

Elaine and Boghi

Quick note to let you know Lavarino (Let's Dance HW) won again!!!! More info to follow as I am very tired. But he won another event, in a large division with quite a few pros with their young horses. He lead from the very beginning winning the dressage by five points and then jumping like a star.

Debbie

Lavarino (nicknamed Nino (Let’s Dance HW)) deserves to have me write a proper testimonial about him. He has been coming along beautifully! You knew he won at his first dressage show, but did I tell you that he did his first event?  He won that too!  Jumping boldly crosscountry and show jumping while totally loving his job.  He competes again in an event this Sunday, so please keep your fingers crossed for us.

Hope all is well,   Debbie

Hi Irene-

Just wanted to let you know that Frodo (Royal Touch) was a star yesterday at his first show. He did the FEI 4yr.old test and got a 7.8! The judge had many nice things to say about his gaits but her best comment was "very willing and allowed the rider's aids to flow so easily through his body." It's so true!

Thanks once again for a great horse, Cathy

Congratulations to Amanda Baily (owner and rider of Faulkner) – she is featured as one of the most fascinating people in North Arkansas !!! What a journey through life, enjoy!

June 2007, we just added a brand new video of our own and home bred Selten HW at Hilltop Farms to his page. He just turned 3 in May 2007, so you’ll see him just as a “baby under saddle” with Michael Bragdell on board, check his page for the clips and new pictures!!! He is out of our imported, overall 9 SPS High Princess. At the same time, his full brother Sagenhaft HW (now just turned 4) is starting serious dressage work with Brooke Doss in North Carolina . These boys can move with lots of airtime and elasticity, they are sweet, easy to handle and have super characters! So far we got 4 full siblings, the third stallion (Skywalker HW) was sold to Reid Sport horses in CA and will start his work soon and we have a filly at home, can’t wait for Soraya HW to be old enough to join the group. One very last foal by Sandro Hit, full sibling to these 4 is expected for spring 2008, stay tuned.

Hi Irene: "D" (Dormello HW) went to his first recognized show last weekend - Pine Meadow Farm in Ballston Spa NY. I rode Training Level Test 4 every day to try and qualify for the regional championships. Our first rides were quite exciting and didn't score well but he placed in his classes with a 64% and 62%. The second day of the show was much less exciting, he settled down and went to work - just one ride but he won his class with a 67.5%. Sunday was our best day, second place in the first class with a 68.4% and he won his last class with a 72.6%. We were high score of the show and won a great cooler with Training Level High Point 2007 on it. Next show is scheduled for the end of July, I'll keep you informed. Kris

Hello Irene,

Hope all is well. I wanted to let you know that Finn (Fly Away HW) was a true gentleman at his very first show. I had an assistant trainer ride him his first time and he was in a class with a very nice FEI 5 year old stallion who has been showing for one year. He did so well, he got a 71% at Training - Test 2 and came in second to the stallion who got 74%.

I am so proud of him and am waiting for some pictures which I will send to you. He is getting better and better! Take care, Yvonne

Hannahlea HW’s half brother qualified for the championships!!! He is by Sir Donnerhall out of Hannahlea HW’s dam by Rotspon and he just won the foal show in Wittingen/Germany with a super score of 9,08! He got 2 x 10 for movement and a 9,5 out of 70 foals! He is now qualified for the winner foal Championat. Huge congratulations to Torben!

Congratulations to Santina HW’s full sister: She passed her mare performance test with a total score of 8,13 with 9 for rideability! This result is another mile stone in the strong foundation of our mares. Lanthana (Santina HW’s dam and Donatella HW’s granddam) has now produced 6 mare performance tested direct daughters with super scores and four out of the six had 8,0 or better! What a very strong dam line – wow!

Huge congratulations to Debbie and her new partner Let’s Dance HW. They were competing the very first time here in the States and took the blue ribbon home in an instant last weekend, yes girl, way to go! Debbie reports that the young guy is better behaved as her older - much further trained competition horse and that she is having a blast with her new super star.

Hi Irene-

 Just a quick note to tell you how well Calito (now called “Calito WF)  is doing, and how happy we are with our purchase through you! He has a great attitude, and everything just comes easily to him. His trainer ( Paige Finnegan ) adores him. He is everything you said, and more. When we bought him in mid-January, you advertised him as a 2^nd / 3^rd level horse that had the ability to advance. He had a single change in each direction, but he had never done a pirouette or a tempi change. He showed a green PSG in mid-April, but still scored 63% and placed 4th. Last weekend at t GMHA he did PSG and Intermediate- I and got better each day. Although a new pair, Paige and Calito WF are becoming a “team.” Paige now knows that Calito WF needs very little warm up. He does best if you just take him out of the stall, do 10 minutes of warm-up and go!! The results of last weekend were as follows:  

 Calito WF was FEI reserve champion of the show!!!! He has already qualified for the Region 8 Championships at PSG. We expect him to qualify at Intermediate-1 too since he needs only one more score at one more show. Paige is also working on a freestyle. I will send pictures when I get them. The nice thing is that Calito WF has learned everything without pushing. He behaves the same way at the shows as he is as home…always a perfect gentleman.

What a nice horse!

 Thanks again!

Hi Irene: Sorry to take so long to get back to you. Dormellosohn (we call him "D") is doing great, I'm getting his stall and fencing ready to bring him home at the end of the month so every spare minute is busy. I have taken him to 2 schooling dressage shows and despite being a little silly (he's still a baby) he has won 2 classes and placed second in 2 classes with a reserve high score of the show. His scores have been from 61-69%. I've attached a photo from our last show. I've just been showing training level to get him used to going away from home but plan on getting him out first level soon and maybe the FEI 5 year old test if his canter gets a little stronger. Kris

Hi Irene,

I have been thinking of you and wanted to tell you what a wonderful horse Donicello is. We have started to show him in two shows now, and he has won 6 out of 8 tests (6 blue ribbons/1st place, 1 red/2nd place and 1 gold/3rd place) with scores in the high 60s. My trainer is showing him 1st level only so far, but we are very happy with him. I showed him at training level and we also won 1st and 2nd place! My first show in 35 years! (See photos of his 1st show attached.) He was surrounded by admirers at my show, with
everyone coddling him and he loved it. He felt like he had just been in the
Olympics I think!

My trainer researched his pedigree and I guess Cello's grandfather was in the Olympics in eventing and won some 250,000 DM in his career. So she is VERY in love with him and wants to share ownership of him with me so she can take him all the way up, as I learn. I want him to reach his potential.

Please let me know if I can help introduce you out where I live. Suzan

SWFDA (South West Florida Dressage Association) Newsletter: The Center Line

Spring 2007 - THE AMERICAN HANOVERIAN Magazine of the American Hanoverian Society

Donatella HW is now Elite Mare as she fulfilled the requirement to give birth to a foal within 2 years of her Elite mare candidate status, congratulations to the birth of Sundance HW!!!

Hi Irene,  

thank you so much for importing my Ramina, such a lovely mare!  She did SO well at the Hanoverian inspections.  There were 4 mares in the performance test.  During the under saddle test, I kept looking around and wondering if everyone else saw what I did: Ramina COMPLETELY outclassed the other 3 mares.  At the end, she was indeed the champion, and outscored the others by a huge margin.  This is the second year in a row that one of your horses was the Florida AHS champion, so HUGE congratulations to you too.  

Her performance test score was 7.4, with two 6.5s on her jumping (the judges commented she was very game, and clearly tried her heart out in anything she was asked to do.  Not too bad for a mare with impeccable dressage bloodlines!).  Her ridability score was 8.5! Actually, Maya said the judges were a lot pickier than last year, but I totally can't complain about her wonderful scores.  

So now she is home, and her main job is to cope with ME.  I'm having a super, super time with her. And speaking of HUGE CONGRATULATIONS, well, the same to you on your stallion at Devon .  WOW-EEE -- an 85.6% in the 2 year old class, AND Colt Champion AND 2nd in the Grand Championship???!!!  Do you think he and Ramina would make nice babies???  What are your plans him? Irene, thank you again for bringing me such a lovely horse.  And DO let me know your plans for Selten HW!  

Best Jill