Trakehner Breeding News

Trakehner Friendensfurst Put Dow

The promising Trakehner stallion Friendensfurst had to be humanly put June 7, 2001. The gorgeous chestnut stallion suffered a severe heart collapse earlier that week and did not recover from it. It was therefore that Gestut Vorwerk and the owner considered it best to put down Friedensfurst.

Friendensfurst was a very special stallion. Sired by Rondo out of Frieda III (Gelria x Altrek xx), Friendensfurst was born in 1990. He was the first Trakehner ever to be approved by the Hanoverian before his licensing with the Trakehner Verband. He completed his Stallion Performance Test in Adelheidsdorf with a total of 126.99 points, finishing 5th overall. His dressage score was 132 points, which ranked him third.

In 1997, Friendensfurst had 5 victories at M-level dressage competitions and quickly made a successful transition to Prix St Georges level. Stabled at the prestigious Gestut Vorwerk in Cappeln, Germany, Friendensfurst got assigned a new rider. Owner Joern Merzdorf and Gudula Vorwerk agreed upon Nicole Uphoff competing the stallion at top FEI level. In 1999 Uphoff showed the chestnut in the German Nurnberger Burgpokal competition (PSG circuit) finishing second in the finals. Mid 2000, Uphoff decided to leave Gestut Vorwerk and American Lisa Wilcox took over the training. She made a mediocre debut at the 2000 CHIO Aachen (picture) but the combination grew each month. At the 2001 Zwolle International Stallion Show, Friedensfurst made his last international appearance. He finished second in the Essent Best Stallion Grand Prix class behind stable mate Relevant (by Rubinstein).

Friendensfurst was an exceptional stallion, praised for his beautiful conformation he passed on to his descendants. His walk and trot were elastic and rhyhtmic, a quality which many of get is now showing too. A limited amount of frozen semen is still available.

Image by Astrid Appels - copyrighted for Phelps Photo