Stefan Lafrentz
Kiki Beelitz
SusanJSickle.com
Oldenburg Horse Breeders’ Society
Two Minnesotans Who Made a Difference By Holly Simensen
it is important to reflect on two very special people who have had a major impact on both our breeders and also the show participants. Lloyd Landkamer, a beloved bril-
W
liant show organizer and friend and partner to equally loved dressage judge Bill Solonges, sadly succumbed in the fall to his long battle with cancer. Although he periodically portrayed a stern exterior, Lloyd worked endless hours to accommodate horses, rid- ers, judges and volunteers in the most generous way. For his prowess in this field, he was without doubt the most sought after dressage show manager on our continent. But there was a little known facet to this most generous man that few knew. Lloyd had an extraordinary aptitude for breeding horses. Each year when we ventured to their lovely farm in Hamel, Minnesota, we were astounded at the quality of the two or three foals Lloyd and Bill pro- duced with painstaking detail to quality. His broodmares were always either imported Oldenburgs from excellent bloodlines or mares that he bred himself, also with care- fully thought out matings. He kept only the best for breeding. Ironically in his final year Lloyd produced his ‘piece de
Lloyd Landkamer
resistance,’ the North American champion foal Sangria. Tis superb filly, by the stallion Sezuan and out of the elite Royal Dance mare Lucille, was perfect in every way: very correct foundations, abundant loftiness, perfect rhythm, amazing engagement, an excellent walk and the presence of a queen. She didn’t require people to show her, she pre- sented herself. She easily could have won the German foal championship had she been born on the other side of the Atlantic. Lloyd will forever be sorely missed by everyone who had the good fortune to have him cross their path, and we are so sad that he is not here to see this extraordinary young lady grow up. Doug Leatherdale, beloved husband of Louise, also left a legacy unsurpassed anywhere in the horse world. A generous philanthropist to the arts, symphony, hospitals and countless worthy causes too numerous to mention, he is known in the North American equestrian world as
54 May/June 2016 SPECIAL Oldenburg SECTION
hile basking in the overwhelming successes of our Oldenburg horses at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival shows this past winter season,
the sponsor of Canadian team rider Diane Creech and her young daughter. Based at his farm in Long Lake, Minne- sota, Mr. Leatherdale was a native of Canada who never abandoned his roots and provided Diane with top quality horses, many from his own breeding program. Te German stallion sta- tion of Jens Meyer with its
Douglas and Louise Leatherdale
bevy of international quality stallions was also part of his largess. He became president of the American Hanoverian
Society because he felt that in his unbiased way he could add a new dimension to this great organization. His vision didn’t stagnate and he set out to find and promote top stallions, buying champions from Hanover, Oldenburg and the Trakehener licensings. We were most honored when he purchased the Oldenburg licensing champion stallion, Fairbanks, a horse with a great deal of presence, wonderful character, faultless conformation, beautiful balance and above all the highest degree of rideability. Al- though his foal crops were not too large because he stood outside his natural breeding area, and shipped semen is a rarity in Germany, his progeny were uniformly excellent. Tey have gone on to be superior riding horses and have excelled in both the jumping arena and in dressage. His vision for North American breeding was to import his many champion stallions to the United States and in doing so give U.S. breeders an unprecedented gift: the opportunity to use fresh semen from proven young Ger- man stallions of the very highest quality. For this he chose the central Kentucky stallion station, Bridlewood Farm, owned and managed by the most capable and well-respected Barbara Schmidt DVM. In his desire to help make the world a better place, Doug Leatherdale surely succeeded. We in the horse world are eternally grateful.
Te Oldenburg stallion Fairbanks (Flem- mingh / Inselfürst / Argentinus).
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