Over the Christmas break, Hannah Biggs, announced the retirement of Weltzin, her much loved ‘superstar stallion’ who kick-started the dressage rider’s stellar success on the international stage.
The decision follows a lengthy period of discussion during which Hannah and her team had decided to retire her Grand Prix stallion from top level competitions and loan him to a young rider to enjoy a more leisurely pace of life as a schoolmaster. Sadly, following an injury that Weltzin sustained in the field, this option is no longer viable and the 16-year old chestnut Hanoverian is still recovering from the accident. Bred in Germany, Hannah found the Weltbogen x Werther Premium graded licensed stallion as a 4 year old and trained him up to Grand Prix herself.
Commenting on the news, Hannah says, “I’ve had the most amazing time dancing with my best friend and I want to thank him for all he’s taught me. We've had numerous highlights throughout our career including being on the British Nations Cup teams in Rotterdam, Aachen and Hagen; competing in World Cup shows in Amsterdam and Olympia, second in the Grand Prix Special in Hamburg and winning the Grand Prix Kur in Saumur. Weltzin has been a faithful friend who took me on so many great adventures, not least of which was the opportunity to join the World Class Podium Potential Squad. Weltzin is a much loved horse one in a million who gave me his heart but sadly at this point in time, it is still not clear whether he will make a full recovery and be able to enjoy a proper retirement. He is a fighter and we are doing everything we can for him. Naturally, my absolute priority is to stand by the horse who gave me his all and to make the correct choices to ensure his continued happiness and comfort. I want to take this opportunity to thank his breeders and everyone who helped us on our journey”.
