Sires and farewell:
(Elmshorn) It has become a well-kept tradition at the Holsteiner Verband for the young stallions to present themselves in Elmshorn on May 1st – luckily with spectators again this year. In addition, Norbert Boley celebrated his retirement after 40 years in management.
The new managing director of the Holsteiner Verband Hengsthaltungs GmbH, Sebastian Rohde, had already taken up his position in mid-March and was pleased with the way his first presentation went. "We received consistently positive feedback for this kick-off event and I'm optimistic about the coming weeks after the very good performances of the stallions," said Rohde. The three to six-year-old association stallions presented themselves under the saddle or in short courses, which were commented on by Sebastian Rohde, ClipMyHorse.TV presenter Henner Hoeschen and trainer Karsten Huck. Several hundred spectators came to Elmshorn to get an idea. So did national trainer Otto Becker: “The young stallions were very impressive and of top quality. They all jumped very calmly, satisfied and full of confidence – just as one would wish.” There was another reason why the national coach came: Together with many other companions, he wanted to pay tribute to Norbert Boley when he said goodbye.
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The first chairman of the Holsteiner Verband, Hinrich Romeike, opened the celebrations with his eulogy with the most important milestones - and stallions - on the way of Norbert Boley as managing director since 1983. Producer greats like Cor de la Bryère, Lord and Landgraf, then Corrado I, Contender and Caretino, later Casall and Clarimo shaped and still shape international show jumping horse breeding. Riders like Franke Sloothaak, Ludger Beerbaum and Rolf-Göran Bengtsson specifically approached Boley and put them on Holsteiner stallions. And he also encouraged homegrown talent such as Thies Luther, Bo Kristoffersen and Lars Bak Andersen. When Norbert Boley became managing director in 1983, the Holsteiner Verband stallions were still spread out at the various stations and covered in natural jumping. This was to change in the following years. "Norbert Boley recognized the potential of insemination with fresh semen and consequently changed it," said Hinrich Romeike. "Now stallions could cover more mares and were available across stations and even across associations - that was spectacular back then." With the renovation of the stallion stables and the construction of the Fritz-Thiedemann-Halle and the Herbert-Blöcker-Platz, he was also on been involved in numerous other projects that have made it possible to keep stallions at the highest level to this day. "Thank you for your always 100 percent commitment to the Holsteiner horse," concluded Romeike and presented a sculpture of Casall made especially for this occasion. Furthermore, the board of the Holsteiner Verband presented him with a picture of the stallions from Casall's pedigree. On behalf of the German Equestrian Federation (FN), Gerd Sosath presented Norbert Boley with the Gustav Rau Medal in bronze for services to German horse breeding. "You have not only become a good friend to me, but also a man of integrity, to whose word many stallion owners have always listened," said Sosath. As deputy chairman of the Holstein licensing district, Ulrich Steuber thanked the outgoing manager and presented an e-bike as a gift for the new phase of life. A long-time companion of Norbert Boley is also Alessandro Mingoli, who has been dealing in horses from the land between the seas for decades, discovered Harrie Smolders' Monaco, among other things, and also spoke friendly words. Norbert Boley is certain that he will continue to focus on the Holsteiner horse: "Now is not the end, but the next section. In this one I will stay true to the horse scene, but have more time for my family. With soon to be five grandchildren, another challenge awaits me. Thank you to everyone who came today. I see it as appreciation for myself and my work.”
