Trakehner stud Gut Staffelde reports the death of the exceptional horse Helium

The Trakehner stud farm Gut Staffelde reported Helium’s death on its Facebook page yesterday. The stud is not disclosing exactly why, only that the painful decision had to be made in the horse’s best interests to allow him to go on his last walk. “And so it filled us with great pain in his last minutes to feel, to decide, Helium only wants redemption now,” it says on the page. The Millennium son was 13 years old.

Helium was gelded in 2024 after the breeding station at the Staffelde Trakehner stud farm was closed. They wanted to give him a more equine-friendly life as a gelding. “We always tried to put his welfare first, even when we were met with a lack of understanding. But it was above all these two steps in his final years that made his life so much richer: riding with Natalie Soujon, who became his best friend and confidante, and the decision to give him relaxed years as a gelding in the Staffelde pastures.”

In 2025, Helium still had placings up to advanced (S***) level with Natalie Soujon in the saddle.

Sports career

In addition to his stallion work, Helium was also used in sport. Lena Bammel presented him at the age of three and four. Numerous victories and placings in tests for young riding and dressage horses can be attributed to the black stallion, including at the Trakehner Bundesturnier. Helium also won his 14-day test in Schlieckau with a final score of 8.58. In 2017, he earned his stallion book I qualification as part of the sport test, which he completed with a score of 8.02. In the 2018 sport test part II, he was the second-best test candidate in the lot with a score of 8.15.

At the age of five, Pia Anina Gerullis took over his training and came second with him in the elementary class dressage test at the Trakehner Bundesturnier. As a six-year-old, Helium had numerous successes in medium (M) level tests for young dressage horses with Michaela Kronenberger. From 2020, he was accompanied by Natalie Soujon on his way to advanced (S) level, a partnership that lasted.

Breeding career

Helium’s achievements as a sire were particularly remarkable. He can probably be described as the most influential son of his sire Millennium in Trakehner breeding. His first crop already produced highly decorated foals. In 2019, he produced Ferrari Forever, the champion stallion at the Trakehner licensing in Neumünster. It was his first licensing year. The 2020 champion stallion by Helium, Rheinglanz, who was later also successful at the Bundeschampionat, is also descended from him.

He also produced a premium stallion in Dameron and the year’s champion mare in Helene. The following year, Helene’s sister Helena was crowned Champion Mare of the Year.

Helium produced his third champion stallion in 2023 with Kap Verde. He had already been the Trakehner Verband’s elite stallion for a year by then. In the meantime, several offspring have been successful in the advanced class, not only for the Trakehner Verband, but also for other warmblood breeding associations.

Ancestry

Helium’s sire Millennium is not only a stamp stallion in the Trakehner breed, but has also produced winning stallions in other populations. Just think of Morricone, who came second yesterday with Moritz Treffinger in the first class of the Piaff-Förderpreis in Mannheim.

Helium’s dam is a daughter of Induc, Bundeschampion of four-year-olds in 1994. Helium’s maternal family of Herba goes back to an Anglo-Arab line of the Polish main stud Walwice. The most important offspring of this family include the licensed stallions Henkel (advanced (S) level show jumping), the reserve champion Herakles, who was victorious in advanced (S) level dressage tests, and the riding horse champion Hertug.