Sandro Hit
The best dressage stallions in 2025
Introduction to the WBFSH 2025 rankings
Every year, the WBFSH (World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses) publishes a ranking of the 100 best stallions in three equestrian disciplines. Today, we will focus specifically on dressage. Surprisingly, in 2025, Johnson (Jazz x Flemmingh x Sultan) is still in first place, marking the fourth consecutive year of this prestigious achievement. This result is not only a reflection of the stallion’s individual abilities, but follows a meticulous evaluation based on the scores obtained by his offspring.
The criteria for evaluating stallions
The WBFSH assigns a score to each stallion based on the performance of its offspring, making the ranking not only a reflection of the ability of the individual stallion, but also of the quality and excellence of the horses it produces. The meticulousness of this process is fundamental, as it guarantees an accurate selection of high-class stallions in the world dressage scene.
My 15 favourite stallions: the Great Classics
I have selected fifteen of the stallions featured in the rankings. Over the years, each of these stallions has demonstrated exceptional qualities, contributing significantly to breeding selection and the sport.
Top fifteen chapter I:
Don Frederico
Hannover was born in 1997 from Donnerhall x Console x Gardeulan I. Don Frederico is a highly regarded horse in the equestrian world, descended from one of the most illustrious lines of Hanoverian mares, that of Fassa (Flingarth-Königskind). This line has produced a number of highly successful stallions, including Lanthan. His dam, Cleopatra, comes from the Consul (Trakenher) line and boasts a cross with maternal lines of jumpers such as Gotthard and Ferdinand, through Gardeulan I and Wenderkreis.
Donnerhall : His sire, Donnerhall, was one of the pillars of dressage, having won the individual bronze medal and team gold at the 1994 World Championships in The Hague. His list of achievements also includes two victories in the European World Cup freestyle final in 1997 and 1998, before retiring from competition. Donnerhall is known for passing on to his offspring a marked ability to be trained and the strength necessary to handle the most concentrated work, even if their natural gaits are not so spectacular, obviously compared to today’s standards.
Don Frederico has achieved significant recognition over the years: in 1999, he received his stud licence, and in 2005, he was ranked by the German Equestrian Federation as the second most valuable stud for breeding sport horses. The Hanover Association Grand Prix in 2009 and the title of Hanoverian Stallion of the Year in 2012 were awarded thanks to the extraordinary successes of his offspring, such as Don Johnson and Diva Royal.
Initially, he did not attract the attention of breeders due to the aesthetic quality of his foals, but he proved capable of passing on a remarkable aptitude for work. The combination of show jumping blood with dressage characteristics has enriched his offspring, highlighting how crossbreeding can produce valuable results.
Curiosity: his limbs were not perfectly conformed to the standard, so this could be a weak point in his offspring. This fear proved unfounded in light of the data currently available.
Hohenstein
Hohenstein, Trakenher, was born in 1991 from Caprimond x Matador x Grimsel. The Klosterhof Medingen stud farm also bred his sire Caprimond. In 1993, Hohenstein began his career as a stallion, marking the start of an exceptional journey in the world of equestrianism. In 1995, he established himself as the Trakehner breed champion and achieved a prestigious third place in the German Young Horse Championships. At the time, the main problem with Trakenhers was their lack of athleticism; often, their movements were not very elastic or “clean”. They were also thought to be difficult, hot-headed and hard to train. In contrast, the Hohensteins stood out for their elegance and temperament, displaying extremely clean and fluid movements, which helped to enhance the prestige of the breed.
In 1999, his prestige was further confirmed when he was proclaimed an elite stallion. Hohenstein continued to systematically produce high-level sport horses, which were sold at high prices during the elite Hanoverian auctions in Verden. A significant moment occurred in 2002 at the Hanover stallion licensing ceremony when Douglas W. Leatherdale, president of the American Hanoverian Society, purchased the black colt His Highness, son of Hohenstein and a mare by Donnerhall, for a record €515,000. His Highness subsequently obtained his stallion licence in Verden in 2003, further consolidating Hohenstein’s prestige in the equine world.
Sandro Hit
He was born in 1993 from Sandro Song x Ramino (RamiroZ) x Welt As, of Oldenburg pedigree. Sandro Song was the grandson of the racehorse Sacramento Song xx, bringing with him that all-important touch of thoroughbred to refine the pedigree. Sandro Hit’s dam, Loretta, is one of the best broodmares in the world. She also produced the Grand Prix horse and World Vice Champion Diamond Hit, and the top stallion Royal Hit. Loretta’s sire, Ramino, was five times Italian Show Jumping Champion, and Welt As, Loretta’s dam, produced Olympic gold medallist Bonfire.
Sandro Hit started a new legendary dynasty in dressage horse breeding and is considered the founding stallion of Schockemöhle Stud. Since 2012, he has been part of the illustrious circle of the world’s best dressage stallions.
In 2017 and 2018, he ranked second in the WBFSH ranking of the most successful dressage stallions, and since 2019 he has ranked third.
He has left his mark on an entire era of modern horses, producing splendid, dynamic, elegant, modern offspring with vigorous and harmonious movements.
Curiosity: Sandro Hit has not produced any chestnut foals.
De Niro
De Niro was born in 1993 from Donnerhall x Akzent II x Wiesenbaum XX, Hanover studbook. He was another important son of Donnerhall, a stallion who combined an international Grand Prix sporting career with extraordinary reproductive performance. He has a maternal line from Akzent II, who was considered one of the best producers of rideability, sire of numerous highly respected breeding stallions such as De Niro, Dimension, Gralshueter, Carismo, Welton, etc. The pedigree is reinforced by the performance thoroughbred Wiesenbaum xx, who made a name for himself thanks to his sons Wiesengrund, Wittelsbach and Ferdinand.
In 2000, at just seven years of age, De Niro was declared the best dressage horse of the new generation, winning the Prix St. Georges and the Grand Prix. Under the guidance of Dolf-Dietram Keller, he continued to triumph, becoming German Champion in 2001 and Hanoverian Stallion of the Year in 2008.
In 2018, he was once again recognised as the World’s Best Dressage Stallion, ranking first in the WBFSH Dressage Sires Ranking for the fifth time.
Curiosity about two important offspring:
-Dancier was chosen as the best stallion of his year of approval in Germany in 2006.
-In 2014, the German dressage team won with Desperados – Kristina Sprehe.
Olympic Ferro
Kwpn born in 1987, son of Ulft x Farn x Prefekt, Olympic Ferro, known as Ferro and also affectionately known as the ‘Black Pearl’, was the Dutch revelation, winning a silver medal in the team event at the 1998 World Equestrian Games, the 1999 European Championships and the 2000 Olympics under Dutch rider Copy van Baalen. The pair’s greatest achievement came when they took second place in the World Cup final in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, with a score of over 80% in the freestyle.
Ulft’s sire, the great Le Mexico, sired many approved offspring and several international dressage horses. Le Mexico carries the blood of Furioso XX, which adds value to any pedigree. Ferro’s dam, Brenda, is the daughter of the Holsteiner Farn, legendary in show jumping breeding. Farn’s son, Nimmerdor, is one of the best-known Dutch stallions for sport horses and was named KWPN Stallion of the Century.
See you soon with the next article on the Great Classics, Chapter II.
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