Bundeschampionate Winning Ponies 10 Years later - Where are they now?

Author: Georgia Johnson, First year BSc Agriculture with Animal Science student, owner of The Overflow Farm Sport Pony Stud

The Bundeschampionate (German Young Horse and Pony Championships) held at annually at Warendorf, is an event spectated by horse and pony breeders and producers from all around the world. But how predictive is a young horse championship competition at indicating the success of the pony later in life? This post will look at all the ponies that won classes at the BuCha ten years ago, in the year 2013, and follow their progress since then in eventing, dressage and showjumping.

The classes are for dressage, 3yo Mares and Geldings, 4yo Mares and Geldings, 3yo Stallions, 4yo Stallions, 5yo Dressage ponies, 6yo Dressage ponies.

The classes for Show Jumping only start at 5yo and 6yo and mares, geldings and stallions all compete together.

There is only one class for Eventing, 5yo and 6yo's compete together, again both sexes compete together.

Winner of the 3yo Mares & Gelding Class: Carleo Go WE

Photo: Pferdestammbuch Weser Ems

By the Welsh B stallion Constantin (who was ranked #3 on my dressage pony sires list for 2022) out of a Hanoverian mare by Weltmeyer. His maternal half brother, Sogno D'Amore (by Sir Heinrich) has competed in FEI Young Horse classes.

Carleo Go has gone on to compete at two European Pony Championships ridden by Julie Sofie Schmitz-Heinen. He placed individual third in 2022 and individual fourth in 2021, and team gold in 2022. 

Winner of the 3yo Stallion Class: Cosmopolitan D

Photo Credit: Danicaduen.de

This FS Champion de Luxe son (who was ranked #2 on my dressage pony sires list for 2022) has also gone onto compete in FEI Dressage Pony classes from 2017-2020. 

He has also been a very successful breeding stallion..  So far has 24 approved sons and at least 6 offspring that have competed at FEI level, including Cosmo Callidus NRW, who individually won the European Pony Championships last year.

Winner of the 4yo Mares & Gelding Class: Bieni Bo HE WE

Photo Credit: selectponybreeding.com.au

This beautiful mare by Hilkens Black Delight has since been exported to Australia by Mary Hanna, and she is now owned by Select Pony Breeding. She has had 4 foals via embryo transfer - SPB Ginger Rodgers (by Noble Dancer), SPB Mona Lisa (by Movie Star) owned by Stokes Performance Horses, SPB Adele (by Movie Star) owned by Brockhurst Stud and SPB Mr Australis (by FS Mr. Right) owned by Vicki Chidgey and Kristen Lyons. 

SPB Mr Australis recently qualified for Dressage and Jumping with the Stars.

Bieni Bo competed herself up to Advanced level and rarely came home without a blue  ribbon (which is 1st place in Australia).

Winner of the 4yo Stallion Class: FS Numero Uno

Perhaps the most well known pony on the list, FS Numero Uno has gone on to compete up to PSG level with Marina Welbers, but he has had even more success as a breeding stallion. He has over 36 approved sons, two of whom have been exported to Australia (Numerus Clausus) and Canada (Numero Debonair).

He has at least 7 offspring already competing at FEI level.

FS Numero Uno's paternal half brother, 'Non Plus Ultra', is an FEI Dressage pony located in the UK.

Winner of the 5yo Dressage Ponies: Dimension AT

Photo Credit: reitpony.com

This red dun stallion is also an FS Don't Worry grandson. Dimension AT now has over 20 licensed stallion sons, with the best known most likely being Dating AT. 

After winning the 5yo dressage class at BuCha in 2013, he also won at the Westfalen Championships in 2014. 

Winner of the 6yo Dressage Ponies: Da Vinci HS

Da Vinci is by the Danny Gold son 'Double-Inn' out of a Welsh B x Hanoverian mare, who's dam's sire is Donnerhall. 

He has at least 8 approved sons, including Melli's Darmani, Melli's Dior and Melli's Dakari, who have all either competed or qualified for Bundeschampionate.

Winner of the 5yo Jumping Ponies: Magic Cornflakes

Magic Cornflakes, who perhaps is my favourite pony from Bundeschampionate 2013, has gone on to have a very successful show jumping and breeding career. He is by the Mentos son Miraculax, out of a Welsh x German Riding Pony mare called Cornflakes. Mentos is another popular German pony jumping line.  Mentos was by a pure Arab sire out of a Welsh x British riding pony mare, in the formative years of the German riding pony, when a consistent type was being establish.

He has competed up to Grand Prix/1.35m classes, first for Germany, then in the UK, and now in Ireland, where he has unfortunately now been gelded. He has not competed since 2020, and is believed to now be injured. 

He has at least 6 offspring that have competed at FEI level, including 'Marry the Night' who competed at the European Pony Championships last year, and 'Magic's Boy ST' who won two 1.25m classes at his last FEI show. 

His son, Million Reasons, who is a full brother to Marry the Night, is available via chilled semen in the UK. 

Winner of the 6yo Jumping Ponies: Nuno 6

Nuno 6 was exported to South Carolina, USA, where he competed in jumping and stood at stud for some years. However in 2021, after his owners, Patchwork Ranch, retired from breeding, he has now returned to Germany, standing at Gestuet Letter Berg.

Nuno's pedigree goes back to German pony jumping lines Nantano, Durello and Van Gogh R. 

Winner of the Eventing Ponies (5 & 6yo's): Nadeem 2

Photo Credit: Pauline Bernuchon, poney-as.com

After becoming a Bundeschampion, Nadeem 2 went on to compete at the 2016 European Pony Championships ridden by Libussa Luebbeke (GER), where the combination were individual 9th. His last FEI event was in 2019, ridden by Smilla Maline Philipp.

Nadeem's sire, Immenmoor Nova-Space, was exported to the US, where he won the USEF Pony Rider Dressage National Championship. Nova-Space's pedigree includes some German jumping pony lines such as Night-Cup and Mozart II. 

Nadeem was the last foal from his dam, Doerte, who was born in 1988.