Holsteiner Verband visits Branscomb Farm for 2025 Inspection

For the first time in almost a decade, Branscomb Farm was happy to welcome the Holsteiner Verband's Managing Director and Breeding Manager Stephan Haarhoff to visit the farm to inspect our breeding stock and foals this year.  Read more to learn about how this visit came about and what he and Michael Gonnell, the second judge thought of our mares and foals. 

 Branscomb Farm was started more than thirty years ago with the breeding, purchase, and/or importation of a handful of exceptional Holsteiner mares many who had acheived states premium status either through breeding or had extensive upper level performance backgrounds: These mares  including Kyra IV (v. Caretino), Helvetica (v. Landgraf), Ginette (v. Cor de la Breyere), Orienta (v. Calido I), Sonnengirl (v Concept), and Lexia B, Talandra B, and Ultra BF all by Acorado from excellent motherlines (Landgraf, Capitol I, and Caretino).  These mares went on to provide the foundation upon which the Branscomb Farm breeding program continues to be based.  As a lifetime member of the original American Holsteiner Horse Association,  KC was an enthusiastic supporter of the Holsteiner breeding programs in Germany from the beginning back in the early 1990's but an unfortunate decision by the Verband not to follow the other registries in allowing full international breeding recognition for pure bloodline Holsteiner foals born in the USA caused the farm to switch to a long time very positive relationship with the Oldenburg Verband's Springpferde program, registering the majority of our foals under that breed association for many years with full European recognized passports.  With a change of direction and modernization of the Holstein Verband and the Ausland program recognizing the quality of Holsteiners bred outside of northern Germany and finding scheduling difficult in 2025, we were very pleased to have a chance to return after so many years to our original breeding registry. 

We presented two young stallions, five foals, and 11 Farm-owned mares as well as one imported young Casall-Carthago mare for rebonniting.  Of the mares inspected who ranged in age from 3 heavy with foal to 19 years with a long production record, eight achieved scores high enough to be designated Premium at this inspection.  The site champion mare, Eclipse BF (by Diarado from the Kyra IV Caretino foundation mare) was owned by farm client Amy Nelson.  The site champion foal was a colt Niguel BF by New Pleasure VDL (Vigo de Arsouilles - For Pleasure - Darco) out of the dam of our young stallion Valentino BF, Calida BF (Calido I - Diarado - Acorado- Landgraf) who herself is a fourth generation product of our Farm.  ENjoy the photos below:

Site Champion Mare Eclipse BF owned by Amy Nelson

Site champion Foal Niguel BF owned by Branscomb Farm