The Austrian Warmblood society has created the "AWÖ" predicate to celebrate successful Austrian Warmblood bred sport horses. Michael Bugan's international Grand Prix horse For President is the first to receive the predicate.
Following the German Example
The Austrian Warmblood society is following the example of the major German breed societies, who all bestow a suffix (FRH, OLD, NRW, FBW and TSF) to those horses who are successful in sport.
Two decades ago, this suffix was an exclusive title for rising Grand Prix level horses and involved financial support and training for the riders of those horses.
Nowadays it has become more of a honorary title and even young horses who have barely made it to FEI level are granted to suffix so they can promote the breed with an easily recognizable suffix behind their names on the starters' lists. Each breed society connects different conditions and support to the title and the prestige of it has become lost with many of them.
In February 2022 the Hanoverian society, for instance, added no less than 48 (!!) horses to their FRH list in one year time.
AWÖ
The Austrian Warmblood society has now bestowed a first horse with the AWÖ predicate: For President.
Bred by Eva Buchar, For President is by Fontane x Brentano II. He is competed by Slovakian Michael Bugan and represented his country at the 2019 and 2021 European Dressage Championships. The pair made its international small tour debut in 2015. They scored their first international victory in Samorin in 2021.
A special celebration for the AWÖ breeding achievement was held last weekend at the CDI Stadl Paura.
Photo © Astrid Appels
Related Links
Michael Bugan On the Road to the 2017 European Dressage Championships
Quick Notes from the Grand Prix at the 2019 European Dressage Championships
Hannah Erbe's Gold Medal Winner Carlos Bestowed with FRH Suffix
Dante's Peak Added to the FRH-Programme