Pommery Look OLD Wins the Bundeschampionat Qualifier for Four-Year-Old Mares and Geldings

The four-year-olds were or will be evaluated over three days: on Thursday for the building grade, on Friday for qualification, and finally—if they qualify—in the finals on Sunday.

Right in the first division of the National Championship qualifier for four-year-old mares and geldings—which featured 28 pairs—the two best horses were in the starting lineup: the fourth-place finisher in the 2025 three-year-old class, Pommery Look OLD, and the Westphalian mare Spezialeffekt.

Pommery Look

The Oldenburg mare Pommery Look OLD had already set the standard at the State Championships in Höven, where—just like this weekend in Warendorf—a riding test was held first, followed by a dressage test (Class A). The graceful, elegant black mare won the qualifying round there with a score of 8.5 and later the final with a score of 9.0, as did all of the Arns-Krogmann horses, presented by Alina Schneider.

The judges left no doubt that they want to see this delicate, light-footed mare in the finals in Warendorf as well. The Florida TN daughter out of a Sir Donnerhall dam (breeder and owner: Christine Arns-Krogmann) trots with plenty of freedom in the shoulders; she could channel her energy a bit more forward through her body (9.4). Her walk is regular and diligent, with good extension to the hand, but not very productive in terms of stride length and reach (8.8). At a canter, the mare leaps energetically under her center of gravity with good push-off and good extension (10.0). She is light in the hand but accepts the bit with confidence (rideability 9.5). Yesterday she received an 8.5 for conformation. Today she earned a 9.8 for harmony and functionality. Final score: 9.37.

Christine Arns-Krogmann’s successful breeding program is based primarily on two bloodlines: the Weihegold OLD line—arguably the most successful Oldenburg line at present—and that of the Anglo-Arabian mare Primera X by Inschallah AA-Praefectus xx. The latter produced both Pommery Look OLD and the second Arns-Krogmann horse in the competition, Princess Negra OLD by Santos-Desperados, who—also ridden by Alina Schneider—finished eleventh (8.31).

Spezialeffekt by Silberkurs

Second place went to the Westphalian mare Spezialeffekt, who moved through her body with great elasticity and enthusiasm, also showing beautiful contact. Thomas Schulze presented the Segantini-Lemony’s Nicket daughter on behalf of the Wehr and Schulze breeding association. She received a 9.0 in trot, an 8.8 in canter, and “only” an 8.5 for her stride, which was relatively generous by comparison. Rideability was rated a solid “Very Good,” while harmony and functionality received a 9.5. Combined with the 8.0 from the conformation evaluation, this resulted in a final score of 8.81.

Defending Champion, Third Place

Last year, the Westphalian Benicio-For Dance daughter Be My Sunshine NRW, ridden by Christiane Ulmker, was the acclaimed champion of the three-year-olds; today she placed third with a score of 8.76. The bay certainly doesn’t have the most impressive trot with endless shoulder freedom and mechanics. But she moves with elasticity and drive throughout her body and impresses above all with her rideability, which the judges again rated a 9.4 today. Added to this are her very ground-covering walk with perfect rhythm (8.4) and an energetically sprung canter (8.7). Her conformation had been rated 8.8 yesterday. For harmony and functionality, the judges awarded a 9.0.

Be My Sunshine is not only last year’s National Champion; she also won the title of Westphalian Champion in Münster-Handorf in July, where Spezialeffekt placed third. The mare was actually supposed to be sold at the NRW Elite Auction in the fall of 2025 and was officially listed as having been sold for 120,000 euros. However, the Ulmker family—who bred the mare—is still listed as the owner, and Christiane Ulmker continues to ride her.

Other winners

It wasn’t just these three horses at the top that received high scores. Two outstanding horses also competed in the second division. One was the Hanoverian champion Fair Game by Fair Deal-Escolar, bred by Ingo Könemann, owned by Helgstrand Dressage, and ridden by Mette Sejbjerg Jensen. The bay, who is actually more of a medium build (conformation 8.3), looks big when he moves; he possesses a high degree of elasticity and natural cadence, with great freedom of shoulder and an energetic hind leg that pushes off and lands firmly (trot 8.8, canter 9.5). The walk is satisfactory (8.0). The judges awarded an 8.7 for rideability, as well as for harmony and functionality. With a score of 8.7, the pair finished in fifth place.

Right behind her was the Oldenburg mare Emma Gold OLD, another talented daughter of Bon Vivaldi NRW, in this case sired by a Rohdiamant dam. She was bred by Heinz Ahlers and is owned by BG C. Thurner/M. It was also Moritz Gehrmann who presented the bay mare. She possesses an exceptionally hard-working hind leg that always seeks to stay under her center of gravity (trot 8.6, canter 8.3, walk 8.6). Although she broke into a cross-canter once during the canter, the judges awarded her an 8.5 for rideability. She received scores of 8.7 each for type and conformation, as well as for harmony and functionality.

Even better than these two was the Hanoverian mare Salvina, ridden by Leslie Rohrbacher—another daughter of the Pape stallion Santos and thus already a granddaughter of Secret, just as is the case with the Segantini daughter Spezialeffekt. The former Bundeschampion and World Championship runner-up was also represented in this qualifier by four of his own offspring. Salvina was bred by Hartwig Bulle, who had selected Santos for his Finest Desperados daughter. The black mare is owned by Rothenberger Ventures GmbH. Sönke Rothenberger was there in person and was delighted with the 8.71 score his mare received.

The judges scored the trot an 8.4, the canter a 9.0, and the walk an 8.8. The rideability received a 9.0. In terms of harmony and functionality, the judges awarded an 8.8, and the conformation had been rated an 8.3 yesterday.

You can find all the results from the four-year-olds’ qualifying round here.