STOLZENHERZ

Stolzenherz, fondly known as Graf around home, is a purebred Trakehner gelding with three massive and outstanding paces, with a very uphill trot and canter, all which are soft and effortless. With his natural cadence and presence, Graf is truly eye catching. He also has a very strong, bold and brave jump, drawing towards the jump and effortlessly lifting off the ground, creating a beautiful and natural bascule. He has strong and straight legs, naturally built uphill, a lovely defined topline and a very pretty face giving him lovely conformation. Graf has a truly remarkable temperament, being incredibly kind and easy to handle, loving attention from people and always giving 110% in return. He is highly intelligent and willing to please and never says no.

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Graf's dam, Pr.St.S1 Schönherz, made history by becoming the first Australian born Purebred Trakehner mare to be graded Premium mare in the Trakehner Verband. She has been accepted into the Verband based on her sporting records as performance under saddle, due to her being in Australia and unable to participate in the mare performance test which is conducted in Germany. She is the first Trakehner mare in Australia to have been born in Australia and be awarded Premium Mare through this process. Pr.St.S1 Schönherz is a big, brave a powerful mare, who is naturally built up hill, with three outstanding paces, a bold and scopy jump and a fantastic attitude to ridden work and thriving from learning and being challenged. Pr.St.S1 Schönherz originally started her competition career in Eventing and Show Jumping, competing to EvA95 and training CCI2* in Eventing, and competing 110cm and training 125cm in Show Jumping. With an accident to her rider, Pr.St.S1 Schönherz has now gone down the road of Para Dressage and Dressage with outstanding results. With many big titles to her name, including 2023 Sydney CDI (Paralympic Qualifying Event) CPEDI3* Grade V Champion, she is now strongly campaigning towards the 2024 Paris Paralympics and is currently being considered for the TSF (Trakehner Sportpferde-Förderung) title. 

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Graf's sire, E.H. Grafenstolz TSF, is the world number one eventing sire. E.H. Grafenstolz TSF’s sire, E.H. Polarion TSF, qualified several times for World Cup finals as well as for European Junior Championship Finals with Laura Bechtolsheimer. His damline is outstanding: his mother is the full sister of the approved stallion Gipsy King, and produced also Gipsy Rose, dam of Grand Passion (CDI3* performer, at stud in France). The approved stallions Guy Laroche and Grimani (by E.H. Gribaldi) are also from this motherline. After his victories in the Bundeschampionnat 6yo (he made the final of all three disciplines in the same year) and the World Eventing Championships in 2004 with his rider Michael Jung, E.H. Grafenstolz TSF became a proven eventing sire, with young horse champions in four countries every year. E.H. Grafenstolz TSF has numerous international wins at CCI4*-L level and made it onto the German Olympic Eventing Team for Athens 2004 but did not compete due to his owners not wanting him to. Grafenstolz has proven to be the 'Master of all Trades', having numerous successful offspring competing at CCI5*-L, Grand Prix Dressage and 1.50m Show Jumping. His offspring inherit his bravery, elegant movement and his outstanding scope. 

 

The most remarkable offspring of Grafenstolz is Rosalind Canter's Lordship Graffalo who placed 2nd in the 2022 Badminton Horse Trials CCI5*, taking the win in 2023 and for a second time in 2025, winning the 2024 Burghley Horse Trials CCI5* as well as winning the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games for team Great Britain.

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Graf is a truly exceptional horse with serious talent. Not only does he have superb movement, a big, bold. scopey jump and a huge gallop stride, but he is highly intelligent and has a sensational temperament and mindset. Graf is incredibly brave, he loves people and attention and because of this he trust his rider entirely and has never said no, not even when he is faced with a new task that he is unsure of. He is a horse that loves his work and always gives 110%.

There is no doubt that he is a horse who will go all the way in either eventing or dressage.

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Graf is a very special horse to us with a very special story to him. His Great Dam, So Lucy xx, was in foal to Grafenstolz but unfortunately on the 16th August 2019 she lost the foal at nine months gestation, a beautiful brown colt. We decided to put the daughter of So Lucy xx, Schönherz, in foal to Grafenstolz and exactly 12 months later on the 16th August 2020 we had a beautiful brown colt born, Graf. The 16th August is also my (Mietta) birthday, and on this morning I went out to the stables to turn the horses out to find Schönherz in labour and I delivered Graf on my own. The best birthday present ever! We bred Graf to be my next star eventer, I broke him in, started him and brought him on but unfortunately due to my injury, my acquired disability, sadly this was never to be.  ​

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Graf is now being very successfully produced and competed by Amy Gotts-Wheeler. Amy is doing an outstanding job with Graf, with him surprising us more and more every day. It has been hard to watch my 'heart-horse' be with someone else, but watching Amy build a relationship with Graf and watching his success with her has brought so much joy to us. We are so grateful for everything Amy has done for us and Graf. ​

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Trakehner Verband grading scores: 

• Type = 8.0

• Body = 7.5

• Foundation = 8.0

• Conformation = 8.0

• Walk = 8.5

• Trot = 9.0

• Canter = 9.0

• Overall Impression = 8.5

• Overall score = 83.1%

       

• Freispringen Manier = N/A

• Freispringen Vermögen = N/A

• Jump overall = N/A

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• Rideability = N/A

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Results:

2025

• 3rd - Melbourne International 3 Day Event - 4yo Young Event Horse.

  • 1st Dressage Phase - 85.6% (Canter = 9.0, Trot = 8.5, Walk = 8.0, Submission = 8.5, Conformation = 8.5, Overall Impression = 9.0).​

  • 4th Jumping Phase - 78.3%.

• 1st - Shirley Heights Express Eventing, 80cm.

  • 1st Dressage =​ 83.06%.

  • Jumping = clear and under time.

• 4th - Colac Horse Trials, Open 4 (first start).​

  • 2nd - Dressage - 77.2%.​

  • 4 penalties SJ, clear and under time XC.