Independent

Oldenburg Premium Stallion

Half brother of Schatzmeister MZ OLD, who came fifth at the World Championships for young dressage horses

Oldenburg Elfen mare line

Independent is the figurehead of the Elfen bloodline from Ewald Grotelüschen's successful breeding program and was already highly sought after as a foal. At his licensing in Vechta, the highly talented chestnut trotted on to the premium ring to the applause of the breeders, as expected, and has now completed his stallion performance test with high scores in Denmark. He was awarded 9.0 for canter, 8.5 for trot and capacity, and the 8.0 for the walk, resulting in a total score of 833.5.

We are now eagerly awaiting Independent’s first crop of foals.

His sire Asgard's Ibiza won the Small Final at the World Championships for five-year-old dressage horses and was placed fifth in the final with Juliane Brunkhorst/GER in 2018. With Emmelie Scholtens/NED, he was also successful in the international small tour. 30 of his sons have been licensed, including Imperial MT/Laura Strobel, premium stallion and placed tenth at the World Championships for young dressage horses, In My Mind NRW/Leonie Richter, two-time finalist at the World Championships for young dressage horses, Invictus, finalist at the German Championships for young horses and placed in St. Georges, Ibiza Dream, Vice German Young Horse Champion, and Infantino OLD/Kira Wulferding, Oldenburg State Championship bronze medalist. His first offspring, such as Füchtel's Indigo/Ann Christin Wienkamp, are successful at high level in dressage.

His dam St.Pr.St. Elfenperle OLD went to the “Brillantring” (1g) at the Oldenburg Mare Show in Rastede in 2017. In sport, she won the bronze medal at the Oldenburg Championships for young riding horses and came sixth at the German Championships for three-year-old mares and geldings with Anna Mitter. Independent’s full sister Ewald's Elfe won the filly class at the 2025 German Foal Championships. His half brother Schatzmeister MZ OLD (by Secret) came fifth at the World Championships for six-year-old dressage horses in Verden with a score of 86.400 percent with Ann-Christin Wienkamp.

His dam's sire De Niro, successful at Grand Prix level at the age of eight and winner of the Dressage Derby in Hamburg with riding master Dolf-Dietram Keller, led the WBFSH ranking list of the best dressage sires worldwide for six years in a row. There are no championships in which his offspring, including Desperados FRH/Kristina Bröring-Sprehe/GER, Dablino/Anabel Balkenhol/GER, D’Agostino FRH/Fabienne Müller-Lütkemeier/GER, Delgado/Beatriz Ferrer-Salat/ESP, Voice/Edward Gal/NED, Deep Impact/Severo Jurado Lopez/ESP and Darco of De Niro ZS CH/Charlotte Lenherr/SUI, do not fight for medals. Over 260 advanced (S) level horses are registered in Germany alone and have won over 3.4 million euros in prize money for their father. With over 100 licensed sons, the 2008 Hanoverian Stallion of the Year has a lasting influence on breeding.

His great-grand-dam St.Pr./El.St. Elfensonne produced the licensed stallion Dimanche Royal NG (by De Niro)/Molly Beth Schiltgen/USA, who is successful in Grand Prix. Her daughter Elfenfeuer (by Florencio I)/Alice Tarjan/USA was also successful at Grand Prix level. Her son De Luxe (by De Niro) is victorious in advanced (S) level dressage competitions and her son Fürst Olli (by Fürstenball) is victorious in international para sport with the Australian Claire Graham. Elfensonne’s daughter Solera produced the two Inter I dressage horses Barolo M (by Bordeaux) and Quattro (by Quaterback).

The fourth dam St.Pr./El.St. Elfenschein produced the two licensed stallions De Kuyper (by De Niro) and Razzmataz (by Raphael). Her daughter Lavinia (by Sion) won competitions up to St. Georges and was placed at the German Junior Championships. Prince Figaro (by Prince Thatch xx) is successful in the Small Tour in the USA.

The fifth dam Elfengold produced the licensed stallion De Vito (by De Niro) and the para-dressage horse Denigo (by De Niro), who competed with Bernd Brugger/AUT at the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Caen/FRA, and the European Championships in 2013 in Herning/DEN and in 2015 in Deauville/FRA.

The sixth dam Elfi produced the licensed stallion Depardieu (by De Niro)/Valdemar Mattei Junior/BRA, who was successful in Grand Prix as well as the advanced (S) level dressage horses Al Pacino (by Akzent II) and Great Gatsby (by Gardegeneral).

Dam line of Abita, from which also descend the stallions Don Charly (by Don Gregory)/Minna Telde/SWE, Romanesque (by Romanov)/Michelle Haeffer/USA, Valley (by Vitalis), Franzissimo (by Franziskus), Spectacular (by Sezuan), a stallion by Thiago, Bernstein SL (by Bonds), Diamancio (by Diamond Hit), Florion (by Florencio I) and Secret Noir (by Secret) as well as the Grand Prix dressage stallion Elfentanz (by Fidertanz)/Monica Burssens/MEX and Danönchen OLD (by Danone I)/Matthias Alexander Rath and Liselott Marie Linsenhoff/GER, who came second in the Burg Cup and was successful in the international young riders tour.