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Hanoverian
Breeding News
Follow Up: Dr. Kerry Mack and Weltstar, A Challenging
Partnership
October 26, 2003
 It
was great news for the Australian dressage and breeding
community, when it became publicly known that Dr. Kerry
Mack purchased the delightful black Hanoverian stallion
Weltstar. The 8-year old trained Weltstar is by Weltmeyer
x Feiner Stern x Pik Bube II and was owned by Theo van
den Broeck and standing in the Netherlands. Dutch former
World Young Horse Champion rider Hans Peter Minderhoud
competed Weltstar at Fourth Level under the name Whisper.
The sale of Weltstar is a story filled with good fortune
and happiness. Dr Kerry Mack, who is known as the owner
of the KWPN Stallion Mayfield Pzazz (Jazz x Amulet x
Le Faquin xx) met Weltstar's owner Van den Broeck at
the 2003 Global Dressage Forum the first weekend of
October. "When I told him I was looking for a special
stallion to be a real asset to Australian breeders and
one that would be suitable for me to ride, he offered
me Whisper," Mack explained.
 Owner
Theo van den Broeck discovered Weltstar in Belgium.
"I purchased him as a 3-year old at Frank Van Dijck's
place in Belgium, where I've bought many more successful
youngsters." Van den Broeck kept Weltstar first
in training with Suzanne Miesner, who successfully competed
him in the Bundeschampionate, and then placed him under
the care of Hans Peter Minderhoud.
Minderhoud and Whisper had a terrific 2003 show season
together. They became Dutch Fourth level Champions and
won the Fourth Level Stallion Class at the CDI Verden,
which coincided with the 2003 World Young Horse Championships.
 Kerry
Mack not only enjoys owning top quality breeding stallions,
but she pushes through her ambition to ride them. Mack,
who's not the tallest female rider in the world, competed
Mayfield Pzazz in the 2003 World Championships for Young
Dressage Horses. This meant that her new stallion had
to be of the same rideability and quality as Pzazz.
Mack's biggest fear was that Weltstar would be too big
and strong for her to ride. However, "Hans Peter
reassured me that he is a gentle horse and my mentor
Suzanne Miesner also thought that we could be a good
match," Mack explained.
Kerry immediately fell in love with the stallion when
viewing him. "Of course he is beautiful and the
fashionable colour, but more important to me is that
he is breathtaking to ride: supple, scopey, responsive
and sensitive," she said overjoyed.
 Not
only Weltstar's athleticism appealed to her, but also
his bloodlines. "The depth of his breeding (Weltmeyer
x Feiner Stern x Pik Bube II) make him a sensational
match to the mares we have in Australia, which are often
thoroughbred or crossed to TB." She added that,
"we have some fantastic mares with soundness, toughness
and athleticism, and a go-forward attitude that comes
with the hot blood. Weltstar will contribute suppleness,
scope and trainability."
Mack is very much looking forward to riding and breeding
this stallion and she deserves the credit for taking
bold steps in her life. "It will be a challenge
for me to make a partnership with this special horse,
but I like a challenge, which I think is clear to people
from my efforts with Pzazz."
 Dr.
Kerry Mack was originally a show jumping rider, having
competed in the World Cup Qualifiers in Australia "in
my life BC (Before Children)," she joked. One of
her newly set goals is to ride dressage at FEI level.
With such talented horses as Pzazz and Weltstar it will
be a done deal!
Text © Astrid
Appels
Images copyrighted: Dirk
Caremans (Weltstar Pictures)
Related Links
Hanoverian
Stallion Weltstar, aka Whisper, Sold to Australia
6-Year
Olds Shine at 2002 Australian Young Horse Championships
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