This year, we are celebrating the breeders of the highest-ranking horses in Bordeaux, on Saturday 4th February after the CSI5*-W Longines FEI Jumping World Cup . Longines will award the winning breeders a watch and the breeders receive framed certificates and embroidered blankets from the WBFSH. The studbook representatives are also invited to the award ceremony.

It was a pleasure to catch up with each of our Longines WBFSH Breeder Awards Winners for the 2022 season. Each breeder has a unique story, but all share a wealth of skill and passion that lies at the heart of everything we do.

Particularly inspiring is the fact that once again, none of our 2022 award winners are large breeders, each only breeding a limited number of foals every year. And passion lies at the heart of their breeding.

Silke Druckenmüller

Breeder of TSF Dalera BB

(photo credit Dirk Caremans)

Silke Druckenmüller has been fascinated by horses since she was a child, and came to breeding by chance, through a friend that is a breeder. The foals captivated her, and once she started breeding, she couldn’t get away from it anymore.

Her breeding goal was always to produce a good riding horse, with the hope that it would also be a good sport horse – a horse with a good character and attitude, and a willingness to perform. And of course, a horse that is fun on a daily basis! To her, these traits are much more important than any other criteria, also at a high level of the sport.

As a foal Dalera was essentially just as one knows her today, and how Jessica von Bredow-Werndl always describes her. She was always even-tempered and drawn to people. You could already see the quality of movement, always moving in the field in a loose and elastic manner. And she was simply uncomplicated.

Silke’s breeding plans for the future are simple – to just continue in the same way! She had to make some decisions, as she does not want her operation to get too big. And so, she has sold all the mares that are not out of this damline, and intends to focus on Dalera’s damline in the future.

On winning the Longines-WBFSH Breeder Award: Silke is incredibly proud, also of Dalera's achievement. It is a wonderful acknowledgment for Longines to arrange the breeder awards, and to give a special recognition to the breeders, especially as they are so often in the background.

Wim Impens

Breeder of King Edward

(photo credit Dirk Caremans & private)

Wim Impens got into horse breeding through his father and grandfather, who took him to stallion shows from a young age, and also encouraged Wim to share his ideas freely. He now does the same with his sons, who are also involved in the family breeding operation. Wim has always been interested in breeding and genetics, and he strongly believes that when breeding horses, you have to think in generations and look to the future.

His breeding goal is to breed horses for his sons to ride. He wants to produce horses that can jump, with good gaits and a good gallop, but that can also perform at a low level of dressage. But he certainly never dreamed that he would breed a world champion!

As a foal, there was nothing particularly special about King Edward. He was rather small and lacking long lines. But when Wim sees him now, in action on television, King Edward is so much like his mother, Koningin de Lauzelle. He says he is a carbon copy.

On winning the Longines-WBFSH Breeder Award: He is incredibly proud to win the Longines-WBFSH Breeder Award, especially as Longines is such a big name in the equestrian world. Winning the award is a wonderful validation, that even a small breeder can be the top breeder in the world.

Hilmer Meyer-Kulenkampff

Breeder of FischerChipmunk FRH

(photo credit Dirk Caremans & Hannoveraner Verband e.V.)

Hilmer Meyer-Kulenkampff came to breeding horses through his grandfather, who was a passionate breeder of Oldenburg horses. But he came to the Hanoverian breed society through his uncle, Mr Tonné, who helped Hilmer with the covering of his first mare, when he was 14 years old. She was his riding horse. From then on he bred Hanoverian horses, now for over 50 years, and in the meantime he is breeding the 8th generation of horses!

His breeding philosophy is shaped through the experiences he has made. During a study trip to the USA when he was young, he came into contact with thoroughbred breeding, and that has stuck with him for the rest of his life. He was also strongly influenced during a visit to the Normandy in about 1986. He was amazed at the high number of thoroughbreds being used, and it made a big impression on him, and he thought this could be the right path for him to follow. He consistently breeds with a high proportion of thoroughbred blood and does a lot of line breeding. Over the years he concentrated on two thoroughbred stallions, Nearco XX and Hurry On XX.

Chipmunk was a smart and well-presented foal, and he stood out because of his very even-tempered nature. Hilmer recalls taking Chipmunk to a foal competition as a foal. When they arrived there, in the midst of the chaos with all the other mares and foals, he just lay down and had a nap. He was totally relaxed despite the tense environment. That made a big impression on Hilmer. He also had a very good trot mechanically, which he still shows today. Once Chipmunk became a successful eventer, Hilmer took the opportunity to see his horse at various larger events, travelling there to watch him.

When asked about his breeding plans going forward, Hilmer tells us that he has an outstanding filly from the last season, out of the full sister of Chipmunk. This filly is a full sister to his recently premium licensed stallion at the Hanoverian stallion selection, and she is his big hope for the future of his breeding out of this damline.

As a final word of gratitude to Longines for winning this prestigious award, he sent regards and best wishes to Longines, as he will sadly not be able to participate at the Breeder Awards in person. He will be represented by Dr Ludwig Christmann of the Hanoverian society.

The WBFSH and Longines share many passions and values. Longines watches today pay homage to the original elegance and aesthetic of its historic timepieces, just as equestrian breeding reflects a proud tradition and appreciation not only of talent and performance, but also of the natural elegance and refined beauty of our horses.

Like breeders who build on a unique heritage and lineage passed on from generation to generation combined with modern innovation and science, Longines combines the refinement of the past with the high precision of modern Swiss watchmaking techniques.