Windfall II

Last updated
Windfall II
Breed Trakehner
DisciplineEventing
SireHabicht
DamWundermaedel xx
Maternal grandsireMadruzzo
Sex Stallion
Foaled1992
CountryFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Colour16.3 hh Black
BreederHeinz Lembke
OwnerTimothy Holekamp
Trainer Ingrid Klimke, Darren Chiacchia
Olympic medal record
Equestrian
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2004 Athens Team eventing

Windfall II is a retired Trakehner gelding that competed internationally in the equestrian sport of eventing. [1]

Contents

Breeding

Sire's Side

Windfall is registered with the Trakehner Verband, despite only having one grandparent with East Prussian Trakehner bloodlines, his sire's dam, Hallo. Hallo's dam, Handschelle, was part of the elite mare herd at the stud in Trakehnen and tended to produce heavier-boned offspring. Hallo was therefore bred to a lighter stallion, the Anglo-Arabian Burnus AA. Burnus was ridden by the acclaimed Reiner Klimke on the German national team in eventing, before retiring to stand at stud. Burnus and Hallo produced the sire of Windfall, Habicht. [2]

Habicht won his 100-day testing, and went on to be an incredibly successful event horse, winning the CCI*** at Achselschwang and finishing as the best German horse at the Burghley CCI****. His breeding career was equally impressive, producing top horses in not only eventing, but also dressage and show jumping. The stallion is also still used as the standard for a jumper, due to his excellent bascule, the great folding of his front legs, and his overall willingness to jump.

Dam's side

Windfall's dam, Wundermaedel xx, was an approved "Elite Mare" in the Trakehner Verband studbook, being one of only three Thoroughbred mares to earn the "elite" status, out of a total of 110. Her lineage includes top European racing bloodlines: her sire Madruzzo xx won St. Legere and finished second in the German Derby, and was a top-ranked steeplechase sire in the 1970s. Wundermaedel raced nine times, winning once and placing five times before she was inspected by the Trakehner Verband (who gave her a "10" for type). She then began her successful eventing career, winning up to the advanced level. As a broodmare, she produced the mare Windspiel, who was named “Trakehner of the Year 1997” and finished seventh at the Luhmuehlen CCI***, and five colts, all of whom were selected for the Neumuenster stallion inspections.

Life in Germany

Windfall was bred by Heinz Lembke, the owner of his dam. Foaled in April 1992, he was purchased after weaning by Gestuet Hoerstein, one of the most well-known breeding stations for Trakehner event horses in the world. As a two-year-old, Windfall was one of 75 colts, out of 1000, to be selected for the Koerung at Neumunster. There he was one of only five colts to be given "premium" status, and was the only one of the five to be half-thoroughbred. Windfall was then sold at auction to Wolfgang and Christa Diehm.

He had a short breeding career early in his life, but this was ended when he began his eventing career, to help reduce the chance of distraction. As a four-year-old, Windfall was sent to German Olympian Ingrid Klimke, the daughter of Reiner Klimke. She rode Windfall for four years, earning 40 wins or placings. These included the German Young Horse Championships, during which Windfall was used for dressage, cross-country, and the showjumping phase; and wins at every 1999 CIC** or CIC*** in Germany. Additionally, he was short-listed for the German Eventing Team at the 2000 Olympics, but did not compete because Klimke was selected to ride a different horse.

Life in the United States

Windfall was sold to Tim Holekamp, owner of New Spring Farm, in 2000, and imported to the US in January 2001. He was purchased not only to continue his successful career as an event horse, but also for breeding purposes, bringing his quality Trakehner blood to the United States.

Windfall and his new rider, Darren Chiacchia, had trust issues early in their partnership. This usually manifested itself on the cross-country course, where trust is essential. Difficulties during their first Advanced-level events resulted in Windfall being dropped to the Preliminary level. Once Windfall gained trust in his rider, however, his performance improved.

Windfall won several Advanced events in the United States. In August 2006, Windfall became only the fourth horse in US Eventing history to earn 1,000 points, joining Giltedge, Winsome Adante, and Hannigan. He also won the 2003 Pan American Games, won the 2004 Modified Rolex Kentucky Three Day event, and was part of the bronze-medal 2004 US Eventing Team.

Breeding career

Windfall is a registered Trakehner and was approved by the Irish Horse Board, Westphalian Verband, Swedish Warmblood registry, and Hanoverian registry (named an "elite Hanoverian Stallion"). [3]

Windfall was bred in Germany prior to his event career. During his first year in the United States, Windfall sired 9 foals, and produced 17 foals in 2002, all by artificial insemination.

To date, Windfall's most successful U.S. offspring is Hanno, a 5-year-old gelding who was the 2006 USEA Young Event Horse Champion and is competing consistently well at the Preliminary level. Another offspring is Asterion, a gray gelding who won Canada's young event horse competition, was the 2008 USEA Young Event Horse Champion, and is campaigning at Preliminary. [4]

Windfall was later gelded. [5]

Competitive career in the United States

Windfall was competitive in the dressage phase of eventing, usually winning or placing in the top three each time. Dressage Olympian Robert Dover believes him to be capable of the Grand Prix level.[ citation needed ] Windfall was competitive in showjumping, competing in Level Five (jumping 3'9-4') classes.

Successful placings

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

Retirement

After competition, Windfall II later served as a trusted mount for the Sarasota County Sherriff's Office Mounted Patrol Unit.[ citation needed ] Windfall II was renamed Legacy and served the people of Sarasota County for 15 years. In 2024, Legacy was officially retired at The Retirement Home for Horses at Mill Creek Farm in Alachua, FL. [5]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trakehner</span> Breed of horse

Trakehner is a light warmblood breed of horse, originally developed at the East Prussian state stud farm in the town of Trakehnen from which the breed takes its name. The state stud was established in 1731 and operated until 1944, when the fighting of World War II led to the annexing of East Prussia by Russia, and the town containing the stud renamed as Yasnaya Polyana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hanoverian horse</span> German breed of warmblood horse

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References

  1. "USEA Horse of the Month: Windfall II". USEA : United States Eventing Association Inc. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  2. "Windfall 2".
  3. Spickard, Sally. "Friday Video from World Equestrian Brands: Honoring Windfall - Eventing Nation - Three-Day Eventing News, Results, Videos, and Commentary". eventingnation.com. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  4. "Approved ATA Stallions". americantrakehner.com. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  5. 1 2 "Sponsor Legacy". Retirement Home for Horses. Retrieved 2024-10-17.