North Rhine-Westphalia State Stud Warendorf
The small town of Warendorf is a world-renowned horse town and a focal point for the German equestrian elite.
Contents
The FN and the Equestrian Olympic Committee have their headquarters here, and the German Armed Forces have also established their sports support group in the equestrian city in Münsterland. However, the oldest equestrian institution in Warendorf is the North Rhine-Westphalian State Stud.
It is THE breeding center for equestrian sport in NRW and is a guarantee for genetically interesting breeding lines and stallions across the state border. Around 90 horses, including around 23 cold-blooded horses, are kept in the historic stables of the listed facility. They are the focus of everyday life for the approximately 65 employees. The stud also offers 22 apprenticeships in the fields of "classical riding training", "horse breeding" and "horse husbandry and service".
It is owned by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the Ministry of the Environment, Agriculture, Nature Conservation and Consumer Protection is responsible. The stud is affiliated with the German Riding School, where regular training and examination courses are held for professional riders, amateurs and show professionals.
Upcoming events at the Westphalian State Stud Warendorf:
17.03.2024: Breeders' Sunday at Warendorf State Stud
Here you can expect a presentation of the highly interesting newcomers, sport stallions and top sires from the current stallion lot 2024. You can also get to know the stallions of the stud's cooperation partners on this Sunday in Warendorf and find the perfect stallion for your mare. If you cannot be in Warendorf on 17.03.2024, the livestream on ClipMyHorse.TV offers a good alternative and you can still get a good picture of the stallions of the Warendorf State Stud in order to start the 2024 breeding season successfully.
The state stud farm as a public institution has several tasks to fulfill:
Stallion husbandry
TheState Stud maintains 18 breeding stations and two insemination stations in Westphalia and the Rhineland.
The mission is to provide breeders with the semen of high quality stallions at affordable prices.
In the field of cold-blood breeding, the focus is on preserving the breed, which is threatened with extinction, and preserving valuable genes.
Tournament sport
The Warendorf stallions are also successfully presented at competitions and can boast numerous successes in dressage, show jumping and driving. This not only serves to advertise the state stud, but it also contributes to the good image of horses from North Rhine-Westphalia. In the disciplines of dressage, show jumping and driving, state stud stallions can boast numerous successes.
German Riding School
The German Riding School is affiliated with the Warendorf State Stud and offers advanced training and examination courses for professional riders and show experts. Courses and examinations ranging from driving badges to driving instructors are held at the Fachschule Fahren*****.
Training
The Warendorf State Stud offers 22 apprenticeships for Pferdewirte in the fields of "classical riding training", "horse breeding" and "horse keeping and service".
Performance Testing Institute
Stallions have been tested at the Warendorf State Stud for over a century. Cold-blooded horses have been tested in a one-day field test since 1997. For Haflinger stallions, there has been a 30-day test since 2009.
Events
In September, at the end of the breeding season, the Warendorf State Stud invites visitors to its traditional annual stallion parades. On two evenings at the end of August, things get glamorous at the State Stud. This is when the symphony of stallions takes place.
The ambience
The extensive complex with the now listed residential and service buildings as well as the large stables was built north of the Ems in 1884-88.
The unique ambience attracts thousands of visitors every year to the well-kept and spacious stud farm complex with its various simple yet imposing brick buildings from the imperial era.
Access is from the south from Sassenberger Straße. The entrance is marked by a representative gate and fence system.
The center of the complex is a single-storey, irregular three-winged complex made of yellow brick, in which the historic stables are located. Here, slender cast-iron columns support the cross-vaulted ceiling, giving the interior the aura of a cathedral.
In a representative garden roundel in the western part of the stud farm you can find the life-size bronze monument to the famous breeding stallion Paradox I, who lived here from 1964 to 1994.
The annual stallion parades take place in the large driving and riding arena.
The history of the North Rhine-Westphalia State Stud Farm
In 1826, the year in which the state stud was founded, Westphalia was one of the new provinces of the Prussian kingdom. After Napoleon Bonaparte's defeat in the Coalition Wars, Europe was redivided at the Congress of Vienna (September 18, 1814 - June 9, 1815) and Westphalia fell to Prussia.
The Prussians were great horse breeders at this time. As early as 1732, King Frederick William I founded the "Prussian State Stud Administration" in order to be able to offer good stallions to his peasant subjects (not entirely altruistically) for a small stud fee. At that time, good, strong horses were an economic factor. They ensured yields in the fields and made agricultural work possible.
As the Westphalians had always been horse lovers, they saw this as the prerequisite for successful horse breeding and requested the establishment of a royal breeding institution from Berlin.
At this time, an old barracks stood empty in Warendorf, which were made available as premises.
Thus, 24 East Prussian breeding stallions moved into the abandoned hussar stables at the western Münstertor in Warendorf. This was the foundation stone for one of the world's most successful stud farms.
Just 60 years later, the buildings were already too small and in 1885 the stud moved into the stables north of the River Ems, where there is still space for around 160 horses today.
In 1968, with the incorporation of the German Riding School, the unique institution that combined horse breeding and the training of riders and horses came into being.
Breeding with vision
From the very beginning, the Warendorf State Stud was focused on selecting good stallions and breeding lines according to actual demand, on strict selection and on providing semen at reasonable prices.
The Prussians realized early on that breeding can only be practiced effectively through good sires and therefore had strict criteria for the stallions used. Since the stud was not founded as a hobby or passion by private individuals, economic thinking and action had to be taken here as well.
Initially, the aim was to breed horses for the military and for use in war, as well as strong workhorses for farmers in the surrounding countryside and for agriculture.
However, the stud farm has mastered the transition from working horse to sport horse like no other.
Until about 1950, it was mainly the military that needed good horses. During World War II (September 1, 1939 - September 2, 1945), about three million horses and mules were used as riding, draft and pack animals for the German Wehrmacht. They performed incredibly, but not even 40% survived the war.
When motorization began in the early 1950s and horses were successively replaced by agricultural machinery, the breeding of workhorses in particular was in decline. A graphic illustrates the dramatic decline:
Graphic: ©Dinah Hoppenstedt | Why Diju
Although this decline also affected riding horses, the demand for horses for hobby, equestrian events and tournaments was opposite to that in agriculture. The demand for sport horses came only hesitantly, but then steadily. The then stable masters of the state stud were obviously very farsighted, recognized this tendency and started early to breed horses for the emerging equestrian sport with good stallions.
Initially reserved for an elite upper class, equestrianism later spread to all levels of society and became increasingly popular. Due to its proximity to the military, equestrianism was initially dominated by men. At that time, "normal" riders were not seen in eventing (military); only active officers were allowed to take part in the relevant tournaments. They primarily served the training program of the cavalry and were held at the end of the training of rider and horse. These events were also extremely interesting for the selection of horses for equestrian sport.
Over the years, however, more and more women also took part in heavy show jumping competitions. At that time, there were also pure Amazon show jumping competitions. Breeding also reacted to this and bred finer, less caliber show jumpers.
In order to be able to appreciate the foresight of the country stable masters of the time accordingly, a brief review of the major tournament events at the beginning of the 20th century will suffice:
- 1920 First German Show Jumping Derby in Hamburg Flottbeck
- 1924 CHIO Aachen started as the first riding and driving tournament of the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein - at that time still connected with a horse race.
In the early 60s, major sporting events followed one after the other:
- In 1951, for the 2nd time in Hamburg, the a driving derby was held in the eventing of four-in-hand. Driving was also changing. Whereas previously mainly powerful horses were needed to cope with transport, lighter and more agile horses were now preferred for the sport.
- 1952 the equestrian sport is listed as an Olympic discipline in Helsinki
- 1953 first European Military Championship
first world championship in show jumping
- 1966 first world championship in dressage
first world championship in eventing
- In 1969, driving was introduced as a regular competitive sport,
- The first European championship followed in 1971,
- 1972 the first world championship in driving.
This early response to breed good sport horses for the ever faster developing equestrian sport earned the Warendorf State Stud a top place in German horse breeding. The stables contained many stallions that have produced successful horses for international sport and the Olympic Games.
The State Stud maintains 18 breeding stations and two insemination stations in Westphalia and the Rhineland. Semen is collected daily from around 30 stallions and shipped to customers all over the world.
Semen is provided as fresh semen or frozen semen. There are also some stallions available for natural breeding. Because of the costly testing and determinations, semen for overseas transport is stored frozen only every few years.
Known stallions from the stud:
Since the stud is in public hands, it has to work economically. It cannot buy expensive champions, as private companies do, but must recognize the talent of the animals at an early stage. Again and again, horses from the stud make it to the top of the world, which increases their value as breeding stallions enormously.
Like Cornado and A la Carte, who are internationally successful with Marcus Ehning.
New in the line-up is the state-owned stallion Zoom with Helen Langehanenberg.
Well-known show jumping stallions from the Westphalian State Stud Warendorf:
Well-known dressage stallions from the Westphalian State Stud Warendorf:
2024 new in the stallion lot
Well-known stallions from the 2023 stallion lot
RED VIPER
Romanov/Sir Sinclair/Cabochon
He was the best dressage stallion at the 2022 Short Breeding Test (VA) in Warendorf and also offers genetically as interesting mating alternatives due to rare and highly proven Romadur II blood.
CONTADUR
Conteros/Hummingbird/Dulder I
Successful stallion of the extra class.
As a five-, six- and seven-year-old, he qualified for the Bundeschampionat and was a two-time finalist. As an eight-year-old, he won nine advanced (S*) and advanced (S**) level show jumping competitions. This was followed by victories in advanced (S***) level show jumping competitions as well as Derby wins and placings.
KWAHU
Millennium/Münchhausen/Sixtus
KWAHU has been ridden by Olympic rider Helen Langehanenberg since 2021. He has won several medium (M) level tests for young dressage horses, qualified for the Bundeschampionat in 2022 at the first attempt and is also the reigning dressage horse champion for 6- and 7-year-old Trakehners.
Rhenish-GermanColdblood
However, in addition to breeding sport horses, the Westphalian State Stud also has the public mission of preserving an old breed of horses.
23 stallions of the Rhenish-German Coldblood breed stand in the stables. They were once highly respected workhorses that provided money and prosperity in the time before industrialization, mainly in agriculture. Today they are threatened with extinction.
It is the task of the stud to also establish this genetic potential broadly enough to ensure the preservation of the breed.
Training at the Warendorf State Stud
The German Riding School is affiliated to the stud. It is the "center of professional riding" and offers advanced training and examination courses for professional riders, amateurs and show professionals. The training conditions are ideal and around 50 stallions and geldings belong to the school's stock of training horses.
It is therefore not surprising that the North Rhine-Westphalian State Stud is one of the most renowned and, with 22 places, one of the largest training facilities for horse managers in Germany. Training is provided here in the fields of "classical riding training", "horse breeding" and "horse husbandry and service".
However, this training has little to do with horse farm romance. It's a tough job that starts at 6:30 in the morning and demands a lot from the trainees, even physically. 150 horses have to be mucked out, fed and cared for.
The approximately 100 selected applicants undergo an elaborate selection process. Over the course of several days, 15 candidates are invited to ride different horses from the school under the strict eyes of the committee. For the "Classical Riding Training" specialization, you should already have a lot of experience in handling horses and be able to ride different horses safely.
Only those who have overcome this hurdle are then allowed to attend an interview.
The tough selection of trainees becomes understandable when you consider that this training does not only consist of riding, but primarily involves handling, caring for and looking after the stallions, which are the stud's capital.
What makes working at the stud attractive, despite the hard work, is the fact that you are employed in the public sector and all trainees have the opportunity to live in shared accommodation on the stud's premises.
Events
The highlight is the Warendorf Stallion Parade, which takes place in the fall. This event, which has existed for 120 years, concludes the breeding season in Warendorf. Months before, preparations are already underway for the selection of horse and rider, the planning and rehearsal of the shows.
In the end, a 3.5-hour program is presented to the audience:
Around 100 carefully and lavishly groomed horses show their skills in hand, in all disciplines under the saddle or in a wide variety of harnesses in front of historic carriages. Fast-paced show acts alternate with sensitive performances of the finest equestrian culture. By the way, the event will be commented by the presenter Carsten Sostmeier.
Around the parade ground there is a colorful culinary mix of delicacies for all tastes and arts and crafts and decorative offerings. The stables are also open for visitors to view.
In spring the "Garten & Ambiente LebensART" takes place on the premises. The organizer is the C & S GmbH.
High-quality garden design and the latest trends for garden, house & yard, table & table, fashion & country life are shown. Especially after the winter, this event is a special bright spot with the fancy plants, herbs and bulbs in abundance.
Here, too, the historic stables are open for visitors to view. In addition to stud and riding demonstrations, there will also be an interesting and entertaining supporting program. This includes the cold-blood quadrille with eight Rhenish-German cold-blood stallions.
Weddings
You can also give your loved one the civil wedding vows on the listed grounds of the North Rhine-Westphalian State Stud. The wood-paneled wedding room in the historic Landstallmeisterhaus can accommodate 20 guests. The unique ambience provides the perfect setting for your wedding photos.
This location is certainly worth considering, especially for riders.
Opening hours and tours of the Warendorf State Stud
Visitors are always welcome at the State Stud.
From March 1, the stables of the NRW State Stud will again be freely accessible during regular opening hours.
The outdoor facilities are accessible at all times.
Opening hours stables:
Mondayto Friday
(except Wednesdays)
9 - 12 o'clock
14 - 17 h
Wednesday
9 - 12 o'clock
Saturday
9 - 12 o'clock
Sunday
11 - 12 o'clock
Opening hours administration:
Monday till Friday
8 - 12 o'clock
Monday till Thursday
13.30 - 15 h
Guided tours of the stud farm can be booked at the tourist information office.
City of Warendorf
Emsstraße 4
Phone: +49 (0) 2581 - 545454
Or about
MECHTHILD ARF
Pumpery 3
48231 Warendorf
mobile +49 (0)175 - 8031866
Phone +49 (0)2581 - 63113