horse, according to Otto, was a light riding horse of elegant type. In fact, when the Trakehner breed was founded, 160 Zweibrücker stallions were imported to Trakehnen for breeding. Many of those Zweibrücker horses ended up in the Trakehner stud books marked as ‘most influential.’ “Te Zweibrücker was never a really heavy horse,”
Otto goes on to say. “Unlike many other regions, we had to actually build more size and body, rather than really refine.” “Some people mistake us with the Rhinelanders,”
says JoAnn Cohn of the RPSI. “Our brands are different—our horses have a bridge with a crown while a Rhinelander horse is branded with an antler mark. We’re two different registries.” Tere are some excellent Zweibrückers in sport
here in North America, including L’Etoile, Paradox and Cedric ridden by Wilhelm and Teo Genn, and Horses Unlimited’s Grand Prix dressage stallion Leonberg, among others. Now the North American- born Zweibrückers are really starting to make their mark in the show ring, Otto Schalter says. EWSZ’s Qualle, by Quebec, is ranked in the top USEF five- year-old jumpers, and Sympa (Sabotage x Summit Peak) has been a top competitor in the Grand Prix.
Moving into the Future Te RPSI is proud to be an accessible and forward- thinking registry. When Otto, Ernie and JoAnn saw a need in America for a universally-accepted stallion test, they planned for over a year along with PRPS officials to put on the first U.S. 30-day stallion test, held in Connecticut in 2005. It was to run under the same exact standards of the tests in Germany. “Stallion owners here in the U.S. absolutely
needed a route to get their stallions’ licensing requirements fulfilled,” Otto recalls. “It was necessary to start an open, ethical test as a way to make licensing both cost and time-effective for stallion owners.” Ernie adds, “We handed over the reins, and now,
there are both a 30-Day and 70-Day Stallion test, run by an independent organization and accepted by the major Warmblood breeding organizations in this country. We’re proud to have been in on the testing from the very beginning.” For 2012, the RPSI is looking forward to
introducing a free jumping championship series, run in conjunction with the annual inspection tour and based on the German championships for three and four year olds. “In an uncertain economy, we as a registry want to make every effort to support our breeders,” Ernie says. “We want to provide more education, and more opportunities to market horses.”
OTTO SCHALTER: BRIDGING TWO CONTINENTS
in a cowboy hat. Otto Schalter, stud book director of the PRPS and RPSI, is hard to miss. Not only is he a seasoned Keuring judge in Germany and in America, but he also announces professionally for auctions and shows in Germany, and he is a virtual encyclopedia of sport horse bloodlines and pedigrees. He may forget a human face but rarely a good mare, foal or stallion. He’s a kind of conduit between Zweibrücker horses and breeders in the U.S. and Germany—seeing the best, and the worst, that both continents have to offer. Otto reflects that joining the American tour has changed his life. “It
A
kind of fell from the sky,” he recalls. “My work in Germany is part office, part travel and shows, but close to home. Here in the states I’m traveling big distances every day, but still there’s paperwork, emails and phone calls in the evening. It doesn’t feel like a road trip, anymore—it’s just my life.” “My favorite part of the American tour is seeing the progress,
especially the positive changes in breeding programs and results on farms that I’ve been visiting over the years.” What has he learned along the way? An appreciation for the
landscape and grand distances across North America, for one thing. Also, some perception into the world of breeding and showing hunters (they don’t exist in Germany!), and the realization that the basics of selecting breeding stock, for all the disciplines, are still practically the same. He still always appreciates a good Toroughbred and stresses the importance of a quality mare base in developing a breeding program. What is his wish-list for American breeders? To continue breeding
and be selective in their mare base, stallions, and bloodlines. To present their horses in a professional manner giving them the opportunity to move forward freely in hand, both in walk and trot. And most importantly, to keep only the best mares for breeding. Speaking of falling from the sky…when asked about the most
memorable part of the 2011 tour, Otto answers, “Tis year’s tour was kind of special. We inspected during an earthquake in Maryland, a hurricane in New York, and then I made the mistake of asking what’s next… an asteroid? A few weeks later we saw on the internet that a piece of space junk fell in Okotoks, Alberta, where we’d just had an inspection.” He laughs and adds, “I guess its timing was just off by a day…”
SPECIAL RPSI SECTION
sk anyone who’s been to an RPSI inspection what their first impression was. You’ll very likely get an answer involving a German
Warmbloods Today 45
Rheinland Pfalz-Saar International
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