The Hanoverian 08|2012 - the American Hanoverian Society!

Breeder‘s portrait
Ahead of
his time
Horses have been bred at the Klintworths in
Ohrensen near Bargstedt for at least four
generations. The Klintworths breed Hanoverians
in accordance with the region.
By Jürgen Stroscher
Grandfather Martin Klintworth on
Sportlitze in 1950.
18 The Hanoverian 08|2012
Martin is the first name of great-granddad,
granddad and dad Klintworth. The 50-year
old farmer broke the tradition and named his oldest
son Ole (now 15 years). None-the-less Ole
plans to take over the family business one day.
“My granddad and my dad were on the track of
today’s modern sporthorses very early on. Both
competed our mare Sportlitze very successfully in
jumping competitions up to the S-level during the
fifties and the sixties,” Martin Klintworth shares.
Today’s damline traces back to the producer Sporno
by Sportanzeiger II. The line is named after the
homebred mare Kurflamme, born 1959, by Kurland
II. Although her dam Sportlitze by Sporno is considered
the founder of today’s breeding program of
Family Klintworth.
Sporno was known for his good jumping ability. In
his time he was very popular with the breeders
from the Elbe region. “One of his descendants was
our chestnut mare Sportlitze. She was very big and
her exterior did not at all correspond with the exterior
of workhorses. Luckily my grandfather
quickly realized the capabilities of the mare and
did not sell her. He used her in competition and in
his riding horse breeding program instead.” Her
full-brother Scambolo was sold however and participated
in German Championships several times
with his riders Peter Schmitz and Karl Heinz Giebmanns.
It was this rider Scambolo won a bronze
medal with in 1963. The Klintworths did not only
have a good sense for breeding horses; they also
had the talent to ride. Until today they apply the
following principle to the sale of horses, “I only sell
horses I have trained and ridden. , I can only then
stand behind the quality of my horses with a good
conscience. That is the way it always has been in
our family since generations.” Family Klintworth is
Silke, Janina and Martin Klintworth.
also partial to jumping which reflects in his breeding
goal. “Great jumping ability distinguishes all
our breeding horses; good rideability is important
for competition suitability at the same time.”
Best prerequisites
In general all foals are raised in the home barn of
Family Klintworth. The horses enjoy a healthy and
horse-friendly upbringing on spacious fields. They
grow up separated by age and sex under the best
conditions. For example more than 20 hectares are
available for colts/stallions to roam around on. Depending
on ability colts are presented at the licensing;
mares complete mare inspections and mare
performance tests before their training is continued.
Mares that receive the state’s premium award
are earmarked for breeding. They must prove
themselves in jumper horse classes beforehand
though. The horses are are up for sale once they
are four or five years of age. Generally the vintages
in that age group are marketed and sold. “If you by
a horse from me you get one that has participated
in jumper horse classes at the A- or L-level; in other
words the horses I sell are in training. Therefore
also renowned riders like Carsten-Otto Nagel or
Sören von Rönne come to us when looking for a
rising youngster with potential.”
For decades Martin Klintworth has afforded
himself the luxury of keeping one or two suitable
jumper horses for his own use. His father had already
granted him this privilege. His serious jumper
career began at the age of eighteen. He competed
the seven-year old homebred Weinstein by Wiesenbaum
xx in his first S-level jumper class on the
Dobrock. Martin Klintworth competed a number of