Not just a feeling for the trends and requirements of the market, but also the implementation of experience gained from many years of tradition, all play a role in the history of Holtrup. For 70 years now, not far from the Oldenburg Auction Center in Vechta, significant sires and young stallions that satisfy high hopes have been available to breeders in Holtrup.
These included and have always included the names of stallions that have made a lasting impression with licensed sons, internationally successful sport horses and high-priced auction horses that make people sit up and take notice. The changes over time are underlined not only by the "reformed" perfection of modern-day stallions, but also by their names: Siegbert, Egon and Eutellus were the first sires to take up service in Holtrup in 1938.
They were imposing carriage horses bursting with power – the old type of Oldenburg horses. Ludwig Kathmann senior, the founder of the station, selected them. From the very beginning, he placed his bets on distinguished and elegant horses – and his eye for horses even attracted the attention of the British royal family and practically made him a supplier of fine horses for their carriages.
Well-known and popular as one of the best horse experts of his day, Kathmann senior was strongly involved in the reorientation phase of switching over from carriage horses to sport horses with a talent for dressage and show jumping. He was the first stallion owner to introduce Thoroughbred into the Oldenburg breeding area – through the noble Adonis xx. To do such a thing in those days was a landmark decision and set milestones, but there were plenty of people, who mocked and criticized the development. In spite of the gloomy prophesies, Adonix xx was accepted by the breeders and today you still find him in the pedigrees of many successful sport horses. However, Kathmann senior didn't just show the direction of modern performance breeding, the six-time four-in-hand driving Champion, also actively drove equestrian sport forward after the war and introduced first-class shows that were held in the Reiterwaldstadion in Vechta.
The sire, Feiner Stern, for example, made it possible for the Austrian rider, Victoria Max-Theurer, who was only 18 years old at the time, to become the youngest rider of all times to compete at the Olympic Games in Athens with his son, Falcao. Goldstern sired many great horses such as Holger Hetzel's Nations’ Cup winner, Gipfelstürmer. Akzent II also made himself immortal, among others with the Hamburg Dressage Derby winner, Amazonas.
Stallions from Holtrup are omnipresent in competition sport. Florencio, for example, who unites highly-proven dressage genes through Florestan I/Weltmeyer, fascinated the horse world with his convincing victory in the World Championships for five-year old dressage horses and again in the class for six-year olds. This stallion had already astounded everyone at the German Championships in 2003, when he received a 10.0 for his canter and finished as the Reserve Champion. He has meanwhile won St. Georges classes.
Sires from Holtrup are able to do great things. The "fine F" – represented for many years by the three main premium winners, Freiherr, Feiner Stern and Feinbrand, have become an eternal part of Holtrup’s history.