De Havikerwaard's number one dressage breeding stallion Welcome is moving to the United States. The massive liver chestnut Hanoverian will be standing at Heike Albert's GW Ranch in Valley Center, California.
Albert is very pleased to bring over Welcome. "He needs blood mares, so the U.S. is perfect for him," Albert explained, also adding that his pedigree and his competition record were a vital decision factor to chose him. "He is also approved in multiple registries (Hannover, Westfalian, Oldenburg) and fully approved KWPN with top performance test results."
Welcome was born in 1987 and is bred out of very old and famous Hanoverian lines. Sired by World Cup I out of Grebina (by Grande x Artur), Welcome came in training with Isabell Werth at the age of three. Between 1995 and 1998, Werth and Welcome were multiple Grand Prix test winners throughout Europe. In 1999 the stallion was sold to the Dutch stallion station De Havikerwaard in De Steeg, The Netherlands, where he came under the care of Leida Strijk. A succession of riders competed with the stallion: Leida Strijk, Ebba von Essen, Coby van Baalen and Bart Veeze; under all of them, he stayed a consistent Grand Prix scorer.
Welcome started breeding in 1998 and has a small crop of foals in The Netherlands. His get performed well at breed shows and was wanted at foal auctions. One of his offspring (dam sire Weltmeyer) has been selected for the 2003 Stallion Licensing in 's Hertogenbosch.
Welcome will arrive in California in December and will be up for stud for the 2004 breeding season. He shall be stallmates of Feiner Stern, Coromino and Routinier.
Text © Astrid Appels
Image copyright: Mary Phelps/Phelpsphotos
Related Links
Welcome and Welt Hit II's Come Back on the Show Scene
World Cup I Passed Away