The Stud Hörstein bids farewell to its “main personality”. The grief for stallion Sixus is great. The elegant black horse lived to a biblical age – and has hundreds of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
This article first appeared on RTL.de.
On February 15, 2022, the horse world came to a standstill. Sixtus – legendary stallion and founder of a true dynasty – whinnied for the last time. At the age of 33 and just a month before his 34th birthday, Sixtus died at the Hörtstein Stud in Bavaria, where he had lived since 1991. The grief among horse lovers is huge.
“How sad, a very big one left us. Thank you for your great offspring. We will miss him and his performances very much. RIP Sixtus and thanks for everything,” writes a user. Another says: “Run free you beautiful, now you gallop across pastures without fences.”
Condolences are also coming from other parts of the world. “What a magnificent donor to the Trakehner breed. He leaves a lasting impression on all his offspring,” said a mourner in English.
The reactions show that a really big stallion has actually started his last gallop here.
Stallion Sixtus was born in 1989 and spent most of his life in Bavaria
Sixtus, born in Kirtorf in the Hessian Vogelberg district in 1989, was recognized as the best jumping stallion of his year just two years after his birth. In the same year, 1991, the Hörstein stud acquired the black horse. After that, Sixtus regularly won show jumping competitions.
The stallion became a legend above all in breeding. He founded a dynasty. And what a legacy: 16 licensed sons (i.e. horses that were also selected for breeding), 16 licensed grandchildren, eight licensed great-grandchildren and five licensed great-great-grandchildren – what a legacy. According to Stud Hörstein, more than 197 of his daughters are registered in various stud books, including 46 state premium mares and mares, five champion mares and three reserve champions.
No doubt: where Sixtus is in, there is success, beauty, grace, achievement. The Trakehner Association named Sixtus “stallion of the year” in 2001 when he was only twelve years old. According to the trade journal “St. Georg” he was “what you call a stamp stallion: He shaped his offspring. The dark color, the way he touches his hind leg, shoulder and neck areas, the big eyes, the ambition, the double disposition. A Sixtus you recognize.”
Sixtus has many legendary offspring
Among other things, the super stallion sired the legendary Buddenbrock in 1993, whose semen also produced several victorious Grand Prix horses. Sixtus’ son Axis was one of the best dressage horses in the world for many years. Another important dressage stallion also comes from the Sixtus line: Imperio, highly placed at championships and reserve horse for the German Olympic team in Rio in 2016.
Sixtus – he enchanted the Hörstein stud farm into old age, was its “main personality”, as the stud farm writes in its farewell post. Only in old age (horses have a life expectancy of between 25 and 30 years) did the vitality of the strong stallion dwindle.
“Right into the last days of his life, he radiated undiminished joie de vivre, delighted the people around and caring for him with his intelligence and friendship. But then suddenly he made us feel that it was time to let him go,” writes Gesüt Hörstein.
Farewell, ride well, Sixtus.
Watch the video: forward or backward – which way is this horse running? There are currently divided opinions on Twitter on this question. The clip is said to be a personality test.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
