Most Wanted Nero von Bellin, the silver medal winner at the 2025 World Young Horse Championships in Verden, will be taking a break from sport to focus on standing at stud at Gestüt von Bellin for the 2026 breeding season.
Owner Monic Schmidheiny took this decision after careful consideration together with rider Leonie Richter.
"We have decided to grant Most Wanted Nero von Bellin a well-deserved training break for the upcoming breeding season following his success last year," said Schmidheiny. "Most Wanted Nero is returning to the Von Bellin Stud where he will be available to our breeders this year with fresh semen."
Monic is looking forward to the home-coming of her prized stallion. "During this time, we will pamper our beloved Most Wanted Nero with plenty of wellness so that he can return to Leonie in July well looked after and refreshed," she said.
Illustrious Sport Career
The rising 8-year old Most Wanted von Bellin is a Dutch warmblood stallion by Morricone x Donnerball x Wolkentanz II.
He is bred by Carla Bruin in The Netherlands. He is licensed in Germany for DSP, Hanover, Mecklenburg, Oldenburg and Westfalen. In the 2022 Stallion Sport test in Verden he scored 8,38 points, while in the 2023 sport test in Munster-Handorf he earned 8.41 points, making him the second best scoring stallion in the field.
Most Wanted Nero began his sport career in 2023 and in his first two competition seasons he achieved remarkable success: from nine starts, he returned home with eight victories. He was a double finalist at the Dutch Pavo Cup in 2022 and 2023.
"In 2025 Most Wanted Nero von Bellin was crowned the best seven-year-old dressage stallion worldwide by claiming the reserve World Champion title at these World Young Horse Championships," said Monic. "For us it confirms his exceptional talent, rideability, and impressive consistency in the arena."
Leonie Richter shares this enthusiasm with heartfelt conviction. “What sets *Most Wanted Nero* apart is not only his much-discussed quality of movement but also his exceptional character," said Richter. "With the highest ‘submission’ score of 9.2 awarded among all competitors, we were able to convince the international jury of his work ethic and temperament. This combination is so rare—it is my greatest wish that we, as a team, will make it all the way to the top.”
Breeding Achievements
Of 60 foals born, 12 were accepted to the auction; more than 20 were named Oldenburg Elite, Westphalian Gold, Hanoverian Gold, or DSP Championship foals. Five of his offspring qualified for the German Foal Championships, with two earning Champion Foal titles.
"Most Wanted Nero reliably passes on his noble type and expressive presence," said Schmidheiny. "His progeny show long-legged elegance, well-shaped necks, beautiful heads, and correct foundations. With exceptional shoulder freedom in trot, an uphill, rhythmic canter, and an elastic, ground-covering walk, he stamps his foals unmistakably. These traits confirm his qualities as a modern and consistently prepotent dressage sire. "
Pedigree
Most Wanted Nero von Bellin unites in his pedigree the most successful bloodlines of both Dutch and German dressage breeding. His grand dam Wensie descends from the renowned KWPN performance dam line Merrilijn 172 / Breeding Family 500*, which has produced nine Grand Prix horses, sixteen PSG/Intermediaire I performers, and five licensed premium stallions — amongst them Cosmo, the Olympic team medal-winning partner of Sönke Rothenberger.
Break from Competition
Therefore, in 2026 as in 2024, Most Wanted Nero gets to enjoy a well-deserved competition break and will be available to breeders during the 2026 breeding season via fresh semen.
"Following the breeding season, during which he will benefit from intensive welcare, physiotherapy, and gymnastic work, Leonie Richter will once again take the reins of her black stallion for his return to sport — while our breeders eagerly await their Most Wanted Nero foals the following year," Schmidheiny explained.
Richter is not without Bellin stallions to ride. Monic's 5-year old Hanoverian licensed stallion Louis Löwenherz von Bellin (by Lord Europe x Don Index x Wolkenstein II) will focus fully on sport in 2026 and not stand at stud. The Hanoverian, Mecklenburg, and Oldenburg licensed stallion won bronze at the 2025 Bundeschampionate in Warendorf after placing second at the Hanoverian Young Horse Championships in Verden.
Related Links
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Photos © Astrid Appels - private - Stefan Lafrentz