And this is how this year’s prize winner is seen by her owner. “She is special,” says Gaby Huntemann from Wagenfeld when being asked about Donna Carara. Donna Carara by Drosselklang II/Vollkorn xx is 23 years old and has her 15th foal at foot this year. Three of her progeny are successful international competition horses. Six of her offspring qualified for the Bundeschampionate. The pedigree already reveals a lot about the chestnut mare who was bred by Wilhelm Sprado from Wagenfeld. Apart from Drosselklang II and Vollkorn xx, Wendekreis and Czardasz ox can be found further down in her pedigree, more time Hanoverian performance blood and thoroughbred influence. Which means: nobles, strong nerves, toughness.
Galaxi Gräfin by Graf Top is her third foal. She qualified for the Bundeschampionate of showjumping horses at the age of five and six and was then successful at the advanced show jumping level under Frank Lugge. The first of four successful advanced level jumpers out of Donna Carara until today.
Golden Gun’s career was quite similar, the one year younger full brother of Galaxi Gräfin. Golden Glenn was his name when he qualified for the Bundeschampionate. Austrian Dieter Köfler started to ride him in 2009, and his name was changed into Golden Gun. Both celebrated international show jumping successes, they recently earned a high placement at the CSI**-horse show in Wiener Neustadt in August.
The bloodline combination with Contendro proved to be particularly successful. Contendro is known for producing extraordinary horses when being bred to Hanoverian mares with a tough genetic performance background. As is the case with state premium mare Daily Sun by Contendro, born in 2005. She achieved her biggest successes until today with Mario Stevens who competed with the Donna Carara-daughter for two years, earning high placements in the Balve and Wiesbaden Grand Prix. Leonie Böckmann started to ride Daily Sun at the end of the last season, and she already achieved more international placements. Copperfield is one year younger than Daily Sun, and he is also by Contendro. He was trained at the breeder’s site and celebrated successes with Christian Temme, Andreas Kreuzer and now with Philip Rüping. Both recently won the Geesteren Grand Prix in the Netherlands a couple of months ago.
The younger progeny of Donna Carara also show great promise. State premium candidate Quinelle by Quicksilber was the best participant at her mare performance test at the age of three in the Hanoverian regional breeding district, she wins jumper classes up to M**-level and will now be the successor to her dam at her breeder’s site. Ventus by Valentino is five years old, and he was also qualified for the Bundeschampionate this year. Julia Lange was the first rider of Ventus, as she was with almost all Donna Carara-progeny at the beginning of their sports careers. This is why she perfectly knows and appreciates the hereditary qualities of this special mare. Her comment about her offspring: “They all have their own character, a lot of Drosselklang II-influence. This means more work in the beginning, although they are always handsome. But later on, they present an incredible work ethic, caution and willingness to perform.”