Flyinge State Stud Under Threat

Sat, 10/22/2011 - 18:26
Swedish Warmblood Breeding News

The breeding department at Flyinge, a former state stud in Sweden which is celebrating its 350 year anniversary this year, is under threat of closing down.

According to people close to the management, the general director and his team have received an ultimatum from the board of the directors, which owns the Flyinge foundation: "Find a solution or close down within two weeks!"

The board has assigned general director Marianne Lilja Wittbom and her team the task of finding a possible solution, which means a fresh investor or partner to run the stallion station, mare- and foaling department, semen handling along with the EEC-station for semen export.

The reason behind this drastic deadline is insufficient funding. The trotting industry has lost interest in warmblood breeding and hence given an extremely short time limit to find investors for a business which has existed for 350 years.

A meager consolation is that Flyinge experienced an increased number of coverings in an overall declining market this year. Swedish warmblood breeding went down 17 % this season. To increase under such circumstances is almost a Münchausen trick: doing the impossible.

General Manager Marianne Lilja Wittbom can only confirm that she has received an ultimatum.

"We have worked to strengthen the breeding business for quite some time but the very short time frame is certainly a surprise," she commented.

Breeders will certainly welcome potential investors from all over Europe who can keep the stallions at Flyinge for another decade or century.

Source: Tidningen Ridsport
Photo © David Svensson

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