Hann. Baio a 172 cm
Argentan I x Duden II x Wirbel II
Allevatore: Jacob Buether
This statuesque German stallion, belonging to the Hanover studbook, still takes your breath away looking at it today. Tall, imposing with impressive power, with a wonderful character, GP winner, producer of very important foals and loved by all those who met him. Born in the 80s and still remembered today, thanks to his achievements and his offspring.
Argentinus genealogy
Argentinus represents the most significant descendant of the Hanoverian stallion, Argentan I. Throughout his entire career, Argentan I operated at the Bargstedt stud farm. He produced many outstanding horses on the international scene, including Itschutschuna and Aramis, as well as producing broodmares of the highest quality. In 1994, he received the prestigious Stallion of the Year award by virtue of his prolific progeny.
Argentinus’s mother, Dorle (St.Pr.St), was born in 1965, and was a daughter of Duden II x Wirbel II x Freiburg. Duden II was a horse of relatively short stature, measuring 158 cm. Dorle, at age 15, gave birth to Argentinus and, in 1979, gave birth to her full sister, Alena, who competed in the National Intermediate 1.30m.
Dorle was distinguished by her loyalty and portentous character; Jutta Hagner, the breeder’s daughter, recalls the mare as “slightly sturdy battle companion, representative of the Hanoverian type of the time.” Duden II’s sire, Duellant (Hann 1943)(Duellant-Dux), endowed his offspring with dynamic movement and remarkable accelerating power. Through Duden II, many successful horses were established in dressage, such as Diorano and Grand Prix, as well as in show jumping, for example Darling Boy.
Dorle’s mother Winterrose also sired Arosa in 1973, also a daughter of Argentan I.
Argentinus and Heinrich
Argentinus was initially sold to Jan Munderloh and Kurt Meiners, but later attracted the interest of Heinrich Klatte during the pre-selection of Oldenburg stallions, who purchased him for his stable at Klein Rosharden in Oldenburg.
At the age of two and a half, Argentinus moved to Klatte’s stud farm, occupying a stall next to the famous Grannus. That became his permanent home; Klatte declared, “You can buy anything from me except my wife and children, Grannus and Argentinus.”
Klatte’s consort fondly recalls how her husband strongly desired to purchase the property immediately prior to approval; however, the purchase process proved complex and prolonged. Eventually, Klatte relented, having to purchase three foals, including two one-year-olds and Argentinus himself, at a total expense of 65,000 marks (approximately 32.000 euro ).
At the licensing ceremony, Commissioner Uwe Heckmann expressed great enthusiasm for young Argentinus, who proved impressive even at that age. His performance in the stallion test in Adelheidsdorf ended with an honorable third place. He obtained his license in Verden the same year, proving to be an excellent jumper up to Grand Prix level.
Features
His predisposition to perform, together with a character of unquestionable quality, distinguished Argentinus. In the stable, in company, during grooming sessions, with the saddle and even in matings, he behaved docilely. However, when he was in front of the public, he exhibited a monumental ego, neighing, snorting, prancing and piaffe.
Curiosity
A curious anecdote concerns his aversion to blankets in temperatures above 15 degrees; in the morning, the blanket was found rolled up in a corner, apparently untouched. No one was ever able to explain how he managed to get rid of it: he almost seemed to perform the operation so cunningly and methodically that it was thought that someone had forgotten it.
Sons
Argentinus excelled seven times in the FN rankings regarding offspring victories in his category. Only a few stallions manage to produce high performance horses for international competition, both in dressage and show jumping. Argentinus has demonstrated that he has achieved this feat on multiple occasions.
Arko III, a highly distinguished show jumper, reached the pinnacle of world success twice under Nick Skelton. Several other internationally successful descendants of Argentinus attest to his popularity as a stallion: Anka, with Marcus Ehning, and Special Ed, who participated in the World Equestrian Games in Aachen under Jill Henslewood. In 2001, Albano and Heike Kemmer won the title of European team dressage champions. Other famous offspring in dressage include Grand Prix horses such as Aleppo OLD, August der Starke and Amaretto. Despite excellent aptitudes in jumping, Argentinus offspring equally excel in dressage due to their mobility and character predispositions, making them ideal partners in all equestrian disciplines.
How his father Argentan I in 1994, Argentinus also won the title of stallion of the year in 2005 in Hanover.
He left us in December 2007, at the age of 27, due to colic.
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