Covering history: Achim from 1962 to 1966, Landesbrück 1967 to 1987, put out to grass from 1988 to 1989, perished in 1989

The Hanoverian approvals commission must have followed a higher inspiration when it approved a small strapping chestnut for a career as a stallion without having an inkling that he would once be the most important stallion of the Hanoverian breed. The stocky rather short Graf son however soon did justice to the trust that was placed in him . His covering period in Achim near Bremen produced three of his most significant stallion sons: Graphit, Gralsritter and Glander. The vigorous Graphit went on to become a first class sire and produced the esteemed private stallions Gloster, Grannus, Grundstein I and Grundstein II, as well as the Warendorf state stallion General I as his most important sons. The solidly built and not quite true to type Gralsritter on the other hand, had a shadow existence for a long time and only attained world fame in old age through his outstanding showjumping progeny (i.a. the approved Grandeur / Thomas Frühmann; threefold winner of the German Showjumping Derby). The powerful Glander was stallion performance test winner and enjoyed good breeding opportunities without necessarily fulfilling all hopes. He was also popular as he was the sibling of the Olympic horse Grande Giso / Johan Heins and enriched the breed with the maker of showjumpers Gletscher. Grande’s Achim period also resulted in the stallion Goldfalk, who attained high honours in Belgium and the international showjumper mares Graciosa / Peter Sünkel and Gute Sitte 2 / Eric Wauters, as well as the bay gelding Grande / Paul Schockemöhle. In 1967 Grande was restationed at Landesbrück, then like now, one of the leading stations in the region surrounding the Celle state studfarm. He was successful here from the outset too,. His first crop at this station (1968) produced the powerful chestnut starter. Grunewald, who similar to Graphit was for a long time a brilliant show trotter at the Celle stallion parades. Grunewald sired both dressage horses as well as showjumpers for the very highest demands, just like his sire Grande and his half-brother Graphit, whereby the Olympic horse Grunox / Monica Theodorescu was his best-known progeny in competition sport. The Grunewald sons Grenadier and Grandseigneur, both bred out of half-bred mares were or respectively, are sought after sires. Grenadier, who has an all round disposition and is brilliantly true to type could have had considerably more influence in breeding. He was on the one hand however, lazy in covering terms and on the other not particularly fertile, criteria which he unfortunately also passed on to his sons and daughters. The approved Grenadier son Golfstrom I, with Ann Kathrin Kroth, the 1990 world championship gold medal winner with the German team, fertilised poorly and therefore became irrelevant to breeding quite early. A very important Grande son from the Landesbrück period was the chestnut Garibaldi II, who advanced to become a top sire, but unfortunately died at the age of 14. Grande produced a whole seies of top quality competition horses during his Landesbrück period, including Grandson and Galapagos / both with G. Grillo, Gratulant 2 / Gerd Wiltfang, Santa Gruz / W. Bettinger and many more. Currently the most successful dressage horse world-wide, Gigolo. FRH / Isabel Werth is a Grande grandson via the underrated Graditz. Grande was the first and to date only stallion whom the stud administration of Lower Saxony put out to grass on the basis of his great deserts. He spent two years enjoying his new found casual lifestyle before he died aged 31 in 1989.