Oldenburg Dressage Licensing Preliminary Selection: Many offspring of Vivaldi and Bolero; Bon Esprit and Viva Gold Have the Most Sons

The catalog for the preliminary selection of dressage-oriented (OL) stallions for the Oldenburg Stallion Days, held November 23–25 in Vechta, listed 138 two-and-a-half-year-olds. Almost exactly half—68—were approved for licensing.

Vivaldi Dominates the Dressage Group at the Oldenburg Appraisal

With 20 offspring, Vivaldi is the stallion from whom the most promising young horses are descended. In addition, there is a son of Las Vegas who, on his sire’s side, can be traced back to Krack C, Vivaldi’s sire. Viva Gold, who enjoyed international success under Isabell Werth, provides the largest contingent in this genetic group with five sons. His son V-Power is represented in the licensing group by a quartet of offspring.

Bon Esprit has the most direct offspring

Most

of the sons from the debut crop of the champion stallion Bon Esprit made it into the licensing program. The Bon Courage son, based at Gut Schönweide near Eutin in Schleswig-Holstein, has six offspring in the program. His sire, Bon Courage, has three sons in the competition, while Bon Bolero has two. A total of twelve of the stallions trace their lineage back to Bolero. Eleven sire lines—if the Furioso II line is divided into those descending from Florestan and Jazz—are represented in the Körlot with potential breeding stallions.

Dressage stallions for the Oldenburg Stallion Show, listed by sire line

. The numbers in parentheses indicate the number of offspring.

VIVALDI (20)

, Dynamic Dream (4), Dutch Dream (1), Obsession Taonga (1), Va Bene (1), Vitalos (1), Vitalis (1), Viva Gold (5), Viva Vitalis (1), Von und zu (1), V-Power (4)

BOLERO (12) (see profile of the Hanoverian stallion)

, Bon Esprit (6), Bon Courage (3), Bon Bolero (2), Baron (1)

ESCOLAR (9)

, Escamillo (3), Escanto PS (3), Expectation (1), Extreme U.S. (1), Entertainer Number One (1)

GRIBALDI/Trak. (8)

, Mc Laren (3), Most Wanted Nero (3), Tie Break (2)

FERRO (6)

Opoque (1), (via Zack): Proud James (1), Sebastino PS (1), Sir Gribaldi (1), So Perfect (1), St. Emilion (1)

FLORESTAN (6)

Federer (2), For Dior (1), For Romance (1), Fürst Wilhelm (1), Kyton (1)

DONNERHALL (2) ( see profile of the Oldenburg breeding legend)

, Der König (1), Nashville Star (1)

SANDRO HIT (2)

, Skyline to B (1), St. Schufro (1)

KRACK C (1)

, Las Vegas (1)

JAZZ (1)

Global Dancer (1)

RUBINSTEIN (1)

Springbank II (1)

Escamillo – Escolars, Lord’s Seal Keeper

. Escolar is the progenitor nine times over. All the stallions trace their lineage back to Escamillo, who is himself represented by three contenders. His son Escanto is also sending a trio to Vechta.

Gribaldi and Ferro

Eight stallions trace their lineage back to the Trakehner Gribaldi. Six of them are descended from Morricone, whose sons McLaren and Most Wanted Nero each have three stallions competing in the licensing trials. The Olympic stallion Ferro appears six times in the pedigree, five times through his son Zack, who also competed in the Olympics.

Donnerhall— two stallions that trace their lineage back to De Niro via Desperados—are throwing their hats into the ring for the Oldenburg legend. Sandro Hit is represented by two offspring, while Jazz and Rubinstein each have one.

Stallions from Six Breeding Regions at the Oldenburg Dressage Stallion Licensing

Of the 68 stallions born in 2024 whose owners are hoping for a positive licensing decision, 40 are Oldenburgs. Twelve stallions are registered with the Dutch Warmblood Breeding Association (KWPN). Nine are Hanoverians, three come from Westphalia, two from Sweden, and two are Danish Warmbloods.

Information about the 2026 Oldenburg Stallion Show