The Ritual/Grande-daughter Ria Grande was nominated 2013 Hanoverian Mare of the Year.
Her breeder Kornelia Haak-Höring, Drochtersen, and he owner Dorit Kothe, Osten, happily attended the honour ceremony at the Gal Evening of the 129th Elite Auction in Verden. Ria Grande's two progeny Daianira van de Helle, and privately owned stallion Damsey FRH, impressivel highlight the hereditary qualities of their dam in the dressage ring.
Ria Grande entered the Verden show ring in the Niedersachsenhalle with sparkling eyes and an impressive personality, accompanied by her latest foal, a full brother of the Dressage Royal-son Damsey FRH.
Ria Grande was born with her breeder Kornelia Haak-Höring in Drochtersen in 1991. She already presented an impressive type, personality, conformation and amazing gaits as a foal. Ria Grande was first purchased by her today's owners, Dorit and Hermann Kothe. The qualities of the young mare also convinced Leon Melchior of the Zangersheide stud at the foal show on Alsenhof in Wacken, and so mare changed owner one more time. Ria Grande made some detours to return to Dorit and Hermann Kothe in 1997 where she then started her breeding career.
Bred to Dream of Glory and Dressage Royal, the breeders successful accomplished to breed extraordinary dressage horses. Her daughter Daianira van de Helle is maturing into an internationally successful dressage horse.
She competed in the Final of the 2005 World Breeding Dressage Championships for Young Horses in Verden with the Belgian rider Vicky Smits-Vanderhasselt, and both also won a number of Grand Prix-tests. Damsey FRH by Dressage Royal, born in 2002, has so far been the most outstanding foal out of Ria Grande. The sports career of the Premium stallion also included the Final of the World Championships of young dressage horses, but also victories in Grand Prix-tests with Steffen Frahm. He was honoured with the abbreviation of the Hanoverian Supporters Club FRH in August 2013. He also shows great promise when it comes to breeding.
Supported by the insurance company R+V/VTV Versicherungen, the Hannoveraner Verband has been nominating the *Mare of the Year” since 2007. This award,combined with well-endowed prize money, is meant to highlight the importance of mares for the Hanoverian breed.