Remembering Kerstin Aronis (1965

Breeding

Germany

-- by Maren Engelhardt for Eurodressage

Last week, the horse world had to say goodbye to one of its quieter behind-the-scenes supporters. Kerstin Aronis grew up riding show jumpers in Westphalia and worked her way up to national level already as a teenager. After finishing law school and starting a family, Kerstin amazed with her keen eye for a good horse spanned breeds, disciplines and many friendships.

Breeder

As a breeder, she produced a number of S-level show jumpers from her Holsteiner and Hanoverian foundation mares Comtesse (by Contendro I) and Grand Coeur (by Graf Grannus), the latter also started her own branch of an international show jumper family.

Yet it wasn’t ‘only’ show jumpers that Kerstin produced. With her signature combination of gut feeling and pedigree expertise, she acquired a weanling filly in 2008, Light my Fire (by Lauries Crusador xx x Weltmeyer), who as a 2-year old old was proclaimed mare show Champion in Kehdingen, and a year later, won the Reserve Champion title in her class at the Herbert von der Decken mare show in Verden. Light my Fire became a foundation mare for Kerstin’s dressage breeding program, which she very successfully continued in partnership with Heiner Janssen until today. The partnership’s latest success was the approved Hanoverian Sir Gribaldi (*2020) by Secret out of Ashanti by All Inclusive/T., a daughter of Light my Fire. The Sprehe-stationed stallion won both his performance tests and has a string of young horse successes, including at the Bundeschampionat, under Beatrice Arturi.

Keen Eye for Quality

Kerstin’s knowledge of horses went beyond smart breeding decisions. She had the ability to pick up weanlings and youngsters that would later turn out to be great sport horses, auction horses, or in fact, approved stallions across various stud books and disciplines. She discovered the approved stallion Hohenfels (Hanoverian by Hohenstein/T. x Consul/T.) and his paternal half-brother Heaven (dam by Argument/T.). Both competed at advanced levels in dressage up to Grand Prix under Swedish riders.

Kerstin also spotted and developed the grey Laganscho (Holsteiner by Lennon x Capitol I), who she not only got performance tested and approved, but who enjoyed a highly successful international show jumping career for many years. Kerstin repeated that feat with his younger maternal half-brother Cyrus (by Calido I). At the 2006 Trakehner foal auction in Neumünster, she acquired the colt Iskander (by Le Rouge – Hohenstein), who became the 2008 Champion stallion in Neumünster.

Fontana Syndikat

In 2005, Kerstin founded the Fontana Syndikat, named after her first English TB mare Fontana die Trevi xx. With that mare came a newfound attraction to horse racing and breeding eventers from TB mares. Kerstin’s enthusiasm for eventing led to the acquisition of the promising grey Trakehner youngster Virginian Sky (by Best Before Midnight x Limbo xx), who ended up in the US, and is now an approved stallion with a record in eventing and Prix St. Georges dressage with Natalie Brady.

Avid readers of the Eurodressage website may also recall her reports from the Hanoverian stallion approvals in Verden, which she wrote between 2013 and 2023, just like she thought – straight forward, her critical eye focused on issues of general debate, and never apologizing for an honest opinion.

Heart

What can’t be measured in numbers, statistics or “success” is Kerstin’s big heart, her unwavering principles and her quiet support of countless riders, breeders and friends spanning three continents. She had spent the last few years of her life in her adopted home country of South Africa, and her deep love for the environment and the peoples of Africa are reflected in her fantastic images and videos from this part of the planet.

May you run free Kerstin, Godspeed!

Remembering Kerstin Aronis (1965 – 2025)

Breeder

Keen Eye for Quality

Fontana Syndikat

Heart