The Gut Neuenhof stallion station looked forward to the 2025 licensing season with excitement and expectation as riding pony stallion Gold Garant NRW presented his first crop. The many award-winning foals of recent years gave rise to high hopes. These hopes have not only been fulfilled, they have been exceeded by far.
Fifteen Gold Garant NRW sons were presented at five licensing sites, twelve of which received a positive licensing result. This means that 80 percent of the offspring presented were classified as suitable for breeding. Six also received a premium and three were awarded the title of Champion Stallion or Reserve Champion.
The crowning glory of the 2025 season was the Rhineland winter licensing in Wickrath, where Gold Garant NRW produced the winning stallion, the beautiful white stallion Hilgenroths Geronimo by Gold Garant NRW-Glück Auf A NRW. Unfortunately, Geronimo’s breeder Andrea Nöllgen was unable to witness her foal’s triumph. She died far too early and her breeding was dissolved. In the course of this, Ferienhof Stücker boss Josef Wilbers discovered Hilgenroth’s Geronimo as a foal and was certain that he was going to be a great one. “I thought he was incredibly elegant even as a foal,” he says. The licensing committee could only confirm this. Geronimo will now make his debut as a sire at Wilbers Stallion Station.
Another Gold Garant NRW son bred by Andrea Nöllgen was awarded a premium in Münster-Handorf. Hilgenroths Gigant, as he is called, combines the talent of the Gut Neuenhof top sire with the genes of the Rhineland breeding heroes FS Numero Uno NRW and FS Don’t Worry, i.e. pure performance genetics, which was presented by Daniela Momburg in Swisttal in Münster-Handorf and will be available from Danica Duen’s station.
Good as Gold AT by Gold Garant NRW-FS Dior de Luxe-Nils was celebrated as the first reserve winner in Münster. Bred by ZG Rolf and Verena Prior in Paderborn, the bay sable is now at home at the Schurf station.
In Verden, the licensing committee sent Giant Snowflake MW by Gold Garant NRW-Dewino G-Golden Rock to the final ring as a premium stallion. Marion Wemken from Bad Zwischenahn is the breeder responsible here. The Brown and White Sable Falcon was exhibited by Philipp Lutovsky, also from Bad Zwischenahn.
Right at the start of the licensing season, Gold Garant NRW delivered a candidate at the regional pony licensing of the German Sport Horse at the Marbach weekend. Giroux, as he is known, was bred by Wolfgang Geißler in Bruchköbel out of a Hilkens Black Delight dam. He was licensed and awarded a premium in Marbach and subsequently became the top price of the auction at 20,750 euros, which was exceptionally well-stocked with 13 bids.
Three weeks later, Gold Garant NRW came up trumps with his offspring at the licensing of the Weser-Ems studbook. Three of four candidates were licensed and one was named second reserve winner. This was Kastanienhof Glenfiddich WE, bred and exhibited by Kastanienhof Stud in Sage-Haast.
Conclusion: The results of Gold Garant NRW’s first licensing year could hardly have been better. After becoming the outstanding Bundeschampion of five-year-old dressage ponies in 2024, the demand from breeders was so great that he should not be exposed to the double burden of sport and breeding. As a result, the Golden Grey son only went to one show this year with Sophie Luisa Duin. That was at the beginning of November in Ankum, where he won the elementary class dressage test for young horses, leaving only large horses behind.
Gold Garant NRW will also be available to breeders in the 2026 season via the Gut Neuenhof stallion station.