Hannoveraner Verband honors dressage sire For Dance with Grande-Prize

The Hanoverian stallion licensing and the 2015 stallion market in particular were dominated by the sale of Westphalian Revolution to Helgstrand Dressage. Among other things, there was a smartly presented but still very young bay stallion who was definitely worth a second look, a son of For Romance I out of the St.Pr.St. Reverie by Rubiloh bred by Angela and Uwe Butkus in Overath. Although he was awarded a prize, he otherwise flew under the radar. Except for Gerd Sosath. He recognized the potential that lay dormant in this Rhinelander and brought him to Lemwerder.

For Dance’ own career

It quickly became apparent that Gerd Sosath was right in his decision. During his disposition test in Schlieckau, it quickly became clear that the stallion’s greatest strengths were not only to be found in his type and basic gaits. The inner values were assessed at 9.5, the rideability at 8.5 and the canter at 9.0, resulting in an overall dressage score of 8.2. A year later, For Dance passed his sport test with a score of 8.22 and here, too, he was characterized by his outstanding rideability.

As a four-year-old, he was already winning novice class dressage tests for young horses with a score of 8.8, but was also nominated for the Bundeschampionat, where he finished a somewhat thankless fourth behind his stable mate Devonport, among others. Both stallions were ridden by Rieke Harms, then still Schnieder. She also presented For Dance at the Bundeschampionat the following year, before Ninja Sosath, wife of junior boss Hendrik Sosath, took over the reins in 2020.

The pair became serial winners in medium class, including winning the German Amateur Championships in 2021. In 2022, they ventured into the advanced class together and collected one ribbon after the next here too. They are now victorious up to advanced (S**) level.

Inheritance

Parallel to his own career, For Dance was used at stud and also made a name for himself here. His oldest offspring are now nine years old. The most prominent For Dance offspring is probably the Westphalian mare Frieda NRW by Greta Busacker. The pair took silver at the Bundeschampionat for seven-year-old dressage horses in 2024 and impressed in the final of the Nuremberg Burg Cup in 2025, even if some things didn’t go as hoped. But one thing is clear: this is a pair with prospects and Greta Busacker praises the rideability and attitude of her dance partner, among other things.

The Oldenburg mare Fame and Glory OLD (dam by Farewell III) has been placed internationally at advanced (S) level for Spain under Maria Gomez Guzman. In para sport, the former Verden auction foal For Memory (dam’s sire Destano, breeder: Kurt Bolte, Okel), once a licensed stallion, shines with the US-American Cynthia Screnci.

For Dance’s qualities are no coincidence. His dam can point to a total of four licensed sons. One of them, Flanagan by Fidertanz, born in 2006, competed at Grand Prix level. His full brother First Famous also competed at Intermédiaire I level, as did another licensed brother like For Dance.

Pedigree, performance and heredity have already prompted the Oldenburg Verband to award For Dance the title of main premium stallion and “Future Sire”. The Hanoverian Verband has now followed suit with the Grande-Prize. The awarding of the prize is linked to the hope that For Dance’s offspring will have a lasting positive influence on Hanoverian breeding. “The stallion has the prerequisites, his use in breeding is recommendable,” says the Hanoverian Verband.