The Holsteiner Stallion Station in Haselau Germany. Inset: emblem over the entrance to the Stallion Station. Below: The hotel and restaurant “Haselauer Landhaus” is next to the Stallion Station and a popular gathering place for horse people. All Haselau photos courtesy
www.haselauer-landhaus.de and the Lienau and Mohr families
Verband.” So, when she needed a replacement for Constitution she knew who she could go to for guidance. “By this time my 20-year marriage had ended and there would be no way to compete in Florida and California as I had dreamed. So I turned my focus to breeding which fit like a glove.” She found Cicero by Cor de la Bryere thanks to the Holsteiner breeder Joachem Ahsbahs. Cicero was soon imported but she found that he preferred jumping and the breeding shed to dressage competition. “He was a very popular breeding stallion while I had him,” she remarks.
HOLSTEINER EDUCATION Anxious to learn more about
Constitution off in five years by breeding him to local mares. Constitution and I were going to pursue serious dressage,” she continues. “I rode him for about five years and showed him through third level. I was totally devastated when Constitution died of anaphylactic shock in 1990.” Trying to recuperate from her sad loss, Karen was still dedicated to the sport of dressage and had to find a suitable replacement. She wanted to find a dressage stallion that could compete, breed and pay for himself. Karen decided to shop in Germany because at that
time there were so few talented horses available locally. Karen says, “A few years previously my aunt took me to Germany on a business trip and, of course, I visited Holstein while she worked. There I met Norbert Boley, sales and marketing manager of the
Holsteiner breeding, in l986 Karen made many trips to Holstein to visit breeding farms and the Holsteiner Verband (Verband translates to Association). “Breeders were kind to me,” Karen recounts. “Over time I built relationships in order to learn that ‘soft knowledge’ of breeding—information that was invaluable to me that you don’t find in books.” This was all made possible by an American woman named Kaye Smarslik. Kaye was very fluent in German and had translated two important books into English: Stallion Book of the Holsteiner Warmblood Breed (Volume II, Stallion Approval Years 1952-1986) written by Dr Dietrich Rossow and Das Holsteiner Pferd (The Holsteiner Horse) written by Romedio Thun-Hohenstein. “I met Kaye Smarslik because I called her and said
I was coming to Holstein but didn’t really know too many people,” Karen recounts. “Kaye was very helpful and volunteered to introduce me to many breeders. When I arrived, she carted me all around Holstein…. and believe me Kaye could do this from dawn to dusk! She also taught me about proper German etiquette and customs of Holstein. The outgoing boisterous style that Americans are known for wasn’t going to work. She was an amazing resource for me but also became a great friend.” “Years later Kaye was diagnosed with cancer,” Karen
continues, “so the last year of her life was difficult for us both. I thanked her again and again for teaching me so much about the Holstein people and horses. She is buried right in Haselau in the church yard next to my favorite
Just above: Cicero, who replaced Constitution. At right: Kaye Smarslik with Holsteiner breeder Ewe Paul. Warmbloods Today 31
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84