Dr Ludwig Christmann’s remarks during an interview with the British Hanoverian Horse Society

The D-line goes back to a Thoroughbred stallion Devil's Own XX, standing from 1894-1906. His most important son was Dectectiv and all D-line stallions today go back to Detectiv. who stood from 1926-1943. The line then split, with the main branch being from the Detectiv son Dolman. and a small branch from the son Dwinger. Dwingers son Diskant sired the famous jumper Deister, one of the most remarkable horses ever produced in Hannover. Ridden by Paul Schockemohle Deister was the European Jumping Champion three times in a row and won 1.5 million German marks. Although we have few left from this branch, we have high hopes in the young stallion Dobrock also a good jumping horse, descending from the Diskant son Donnerwetter.

Dolman, standing from 1937-1953, sired the famous Duellant (1946-!965) who founded a big group of stallions, very good in conformation and movement, and with great dressage talent. His most influential son was Duft II. Duft II's son Darling (1975-1987) proved to be a good producer of dressage stallions. Darling's well known son Dynasty was. before his 1989 death, the best dressage horse in Canada. One of Darling's sons used in Germany was Damnatz. Another very respected sire of dressage horses in Germany is the Duft II son Dueerkheim in the State Stud since 1973.

The stallion Dollart (1941-58) starts a different part of the D-line. more jumping oriented. His great-grandson Diskus sired the world famous US jumper, The Natural. His grandson Dominik sired Don Carlos one of the best known producers of jumping horses in Hannover. One of the several successful younger stallions produced by Don Carlos is Dynamo. whose daughter Dollar Girl is counted among the best jumping horses in the world today. Another Don Carlos son is Don Juan, standing since 1979. who produces consistently good jumping horses. Another promising Don Carlos son is Drosselklang II, a good jumper. The Don Carlos group is remarkable because you find horses of good "modern type " conformation, from very old Hanoverian bloodlines with hardly any Thoroughbred influence.

Both Don Juan and Drosselklang II have been awarded the prestigious Stallion of the Year Award since this article was written.

At the 2001 Hanoverian Stallion Licensing in Verden, Germany, the Celle owned Drosselklang II was laureled as the Hanoverian Stallion of the Year 2001. His breeder Margarethe Hagenah from Himmelporten, Germany, received a bronze statue and a check of DM 20,000. Drosselklang II is the tenth Stallion of the Year, an annual award sponsored by Uelzener Insurances.
Drosselklang II was born in 1984 at Hagenah's breeding stable. His dam, Forstlady, already produced a list of top competing horses of which full brother Diavolo was successful under Peter Schmitz in show jumping. Manager of the Celle State Stud, Dr Burchard Bade, already acquired Drosselklang I in 1985 where he served for five years as breeding stallion. Drosselklang II, however, grew up in the stable of Heinrich v. Allwörden in Krautsand, Germany. At the Verden Stallion Market in 1986, Drosselklang II had to compete against the legendary Weltmeyer I and put down the best show jumping scores. The bay stallion moved to the breeding station in Berglage where he is still up for stud today.

Drosselklang II's breeding career almost came to an end when the stallion injured himself while free jumping. The stallion is now one of the last licensed stallions with Don Carlos blood in his pedigree. Drosselklang II is a top producer in the program for Hanoverian Show Jumper Breeding. Many of his descendants are highly priced at the Verden auctions of which Donnerlitchen is one of the most famous. Owned by Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, Donnerlitchen was Reserve champion at the 2000 Bundeschampionate. Don Oscar was Dobrock Champion, Dorain became reserve champion at the 1998 World Championships for Young Show Jumping Horses under Karl Heinz Markus. Dorincord participated at the Olympic Games under Canadian Ian Miller. Other known names descending from the Drosselklang II line are Dobel's Frechdachs (Otto Becker), Skyboy and Delany (Rodrigo Pessoa) and Bella Donna (Gilbert Bockmann).