American Hanoverian Society Announces Representation of Rhineland Studbook in the U.S.

The American Hanoverian Society (“AHS”) is pleased to announce that it will adopt and administer the Rhineland Studbook in the United States. This positive development follows the merger of the Rhineland Studbook in Germany with the German Hanoverian Verband (“HV”). In this expansion of its services, the AHS will: 1) maintain the American Rhineland Studbook (“ARS”) as a separate and distinct entity from the Hanoverian Studbook; 2) adopt and implement breeding rules for the Rhineland Studbook in the U.S similar to those for the Rhineland Studbook in Germany; and 3) provide membership services for American Rhineland breeders, including inspection tours for breeding stock.

AHS’s oversight of the Rhineland Studbook offers significant benefits for current Hanoverian and Rhineland breeders, as well as opportunities for non-Hanoverian, non-Rhineland and new breeders. These benefits are derived from the fact that the Rhineland Studbook offers more liberal breeding criteria in the inspection, approval and licensing of breeding stock than does the Hanoverian Studbook. In addition, the Rhineland Studbook accepts breeding stock from a wider breeding population than that of the Hanoverian Studbook, recognizing most WBFSH studbook/registry members, provided certain pedigree and performance requirements are met.

Specifically, Hanoverian breeders will benefit from having increased options in their stallion choices, with the ability to use the Rhineland Studbook to register foals resulting from breeding to stallions not licensed/approved for Hanoverian breeding. In addition, breeders with mares ineligible for approval by the Hanoverian Studbook, due to pedigree or inspection criteria, may now find those mares eligible to be approved under Rhineland Studbook criteria, with the resulting offspring eligible for registration with that studbook. Further, since Rhineland-registered stock may meet the requirements for Hanoverian eligibility, breeders will have the additional option of registering future generations of such stock with the Hanoverian Studbook.

For non-Hanoverian and non-Rhineland warmblood breeders, non-Hanoverian and non-Rhineland warmblood mares that have previously been accepted by another recognized registry may be eligible to be entered into the Rhineland Studbook without additional inspection. Similarly, non-Hanoverian and non-Rhineland stallions that have been licensed by another recognized registry, and have met certain pedigree and performance requirements, may be eligible to be entered into the Rhineland Studbook without additional inspection.

Beginning with the 2016 inspection tours, the AHS will inspect breeding stock for both the Hanoverian and the Rhineland studbooks. This provides breeders the opportunity to attend a single inspection in order to have their breeding stock considered for inclusion in either studbook. Additionally, the Rhineland Studbook will commence registering foals based upon pedigree approval and submission of required fees. Streamlining these processes, coupled with the benefits highlighted above, will result in significant savings of time and money for breeders.

To assist the Society in this new endeavor, the AHS has engaged Heather J. Stanley of Aiken, SC. Ms. Stanley recently retired after 18 years as the Director of Administration for the Virginia Thoroughbred Association, and her comprehensive experience in breed association work and member services will ensure a smooth launch for the Rhineland Studbook.

AHS President Edgar Schutte, in his remarks welcoming the Rhineland Studbook and Rhineland breeders, noted, “The Rhineland breed is one with a deep rich history built by accomplished breeders who already produced top horses with lots of Hanoverian blood – stallions like Bellissimo, Florestan, Lord Loxley, Ehrentush and many others performing at international levels. Such horses prove Rhineland’s significance on the world breeding stage. Now, the AHS, with its office of full-time professional staff, can expand its services to those members who have horses that do not fully meet the Hanoverian pedigree, color or score requirements, as well as provide a great new option for those breeders interested in registering Rhineland offspring that may meet Hanoverian requirements in the current or future generations. The AHS is thrilled to be part of this!”

For more information regarding the American Rhineland Studbook, please contact: Heather Stanley, Administrative Assistant, at 859-629-8517 or via email at rhineland@hanoverian.org.

Rhineland now integrated into Hanoverian!

The integration of the Rhineland studbook into the Hannoveraner Verband

The merger between Hannoveraner Verband and the Rhineland studbook has been completed successfully. We would like to give a short overview of the most important facts concerning the integration of the Rhineland studbook into the Hannoveraner Verband.

 The members of the Rhineland studbook are now members of the Hannoveraner Verband. The Rhineland studbook will be continued as a second studbook besides the Hannoveraner studbook. The horses will be branded with the Rhineland studbook brand.

Hannoveraner Verband aims to offer the Rhineland breeding program in all countries, where Hanoverians are bred. The Rhineland studbook belongs to the studbooks who are approved for the Hanoverian breeding program. Rhineland horses are eligible to participate at all events of Hannoveraner Verband (f.i. mare shows, stallion licensing, auctions).

The regulations of the Rhineland studbook differ from the Hanoverian studbook rules with regard to mare- and stallion book requirements. Rhineland studbook accepts mares and stallions of most major studbooks. So there are many cases where it will be possible to register foals with the Rhineland studbook who are by stallions, who are not approved for the Hannoveraner breeding program.

The studbook is named after the region Rhineland, which is the very southern part of Nordrhein-Westfalen. It is on the very western part of Germany in direct neighbourhood of the countries Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. The biggest cities in the region are Cologne, Duesseldorf and Aachen, site of the world famous Aachen horse show. Genetically the Rhineland was always closely related to Hannover. Already in the 1950’s, breeders started buying fillies from good Hanoverian mother lines. Famous stallions like Florestan and Belissimo were Rhineland bred with a high percentage of Hanoverian blood.

The headquarters of the Rhineland studbook are in the town of Wickrath, where the studbook operates a sales barn, which is quite successful. This will be continued under the Hanoverian umbrella and can be used from all members of Hannoveraner Verband for sale activities, auction selections and mare shows. At the time of the merger with Hannover, Rhineland had a base of 1700 warmbood mares, owned by approximately 1000 breeders.