Celle State Stud

The Lower Saxony State Stud of Celle was founded on July 27, 1735. Celle's foundation is unique among the state studs of Germany, because it was not originally based on a royal stud or courtly stables. It was established by the decree of King George II of Great Britain, also the Elector of Hanover and Duke of Braunschweig-Lüneburg. Although it was established by this royal decree, the stud has always been "exclusively for the improvement of horse breeding for farmers." The quality of local stock had a direct impact on the safety of a sovereign region. In times of war, cavalry horses were recruited locally from farmers, and the quality of remounts affected the outcomes of battles. Furthermore, nobles wanted quality riding horses for personal use and harness horses for carriage transport. Poor quality local stock meant that nobles had to rely on importation for quality horses. Establishment of a state stud meant that fine riding and driving horses could be purchased locally, reducing trade dependence on other autonomous regions. The first sires to stand there were 12 black Holsteiners. Young stallions were generally imported from Mecklenburg and England. Despite the close connection between Hanover and Great Britain, Thoroughbred horses could not play a role in the founding of the stud, as the breed was in its infancy in Celle's own early years. Pedigrees were recorded in Celle's studbooks as early as the end of the 18th century.

Napoleonic wars

The Napoleonic Wars, from 1803 to 1815, decimated horse populations, including those at the State Stud of Celle. In 1803, the 100 stallions living at Celle had to be evacuated to Mecklenburg, of which only 30 returned. While the war was responsible for the loss of many horses, horse breeding expanded to meet the needs of the cavalries, such that the population of stallions at Celle had returned to pre-war numbers within 15 years. In the aftermath of the wars, King George IV assisted in the repopulation of the State Stud of Celle with about 50 of his own stallions. These stallions, which came from his private stables, were stationed in various parts of his kingdom and utilized by locals. In 1829, King George IV discontinued this practice, and purchased 26 excellent stallions for Celle.

Thoroughbred influence

The pedigrees of Thoroughbreds were first organized on a large scale by the General Stud Book in 1791, effectively creating the original breed registry for Thoroughbreds. Within fifty years, the rising prominence of the breed and the personal union between Hanover and Great Britain saw an influx of Thoroughbred and part-Thoroughbred stallions, including Yorkshire Coach Horses, a cross between a Thoroughbred and a Cleveland Bay. Further use of Thoroughbred stallions is credited to the state equerries of the mid-19th century. The state equerry is a government position which oversees activities related to the horses of a region.

From 1866, the state equerries of Hanover were two brothers, August and Frederick von Spörken, who imported over 100 Thoroughbred-influenced stallions from England. These stallions were used to breed larger, more refined, more energetic and enduring mounts. Ultimately, nearly a third of the sires at Celle were Thoroughbred or of Thoroughbred extraction. This demographic resulted in horses that were too physically and temperamentally refined for farm work, and a period of consolidation followed much Thoroughbred influence.

World Wars I and II

World War I raged between 1914 and 1918. During this period, warring nations avidly developed new advantages in the form of mechanized warfare. Simultaneously, demand for cavalry horses during the war itself was high, and Celle helped meet this demand by increasing the number of stallions available at the main stud and its outposts from 350 to 500 by 1924. The prestige associated with the cavalry made many nations slow to replace them, but the role of the horse in warfare dwindled steadily with the advent of tanks. Without the armed forces to purchase their stock, breeders around Celle began to cut back, and then to refocus. Between the First and Second World Wars, horses primarily fulfilled agricultural roles, such as pulling plows and farm machinery. This market change was not limited to any one part of Germany, and as a result, Celle supplied breeders with heavier, stronger stallions with which to breed their mares. To cope with the expansion of horse breeding during this period, new outposts of the State Stud were established.

This change did not endure, as another bout of human ingenuity was spurred on by World War II, which lasted from 1939 to 1945. One of the outcomes of the war was mechanized agriculture. In particular, widespread access to tractors all but eliminated the need for farm horses. Mechanization of transportation, warfare, and agriculture eliminated, in succession, the working horse. What remained in the wake of World War II was riding for fun.

Modern Celle

In 1945, what remained of the refined Trakehners evacuated East Prussia, fleeing from Russian troops. Some of these elegant horses made their way to Celle, and as breeding aim changed to feature the riding horse, many were incorporated into the stud farm. Since 1945, many Thoroughbreds and Trakehners, and some Anglo-Arabians, have occupied stalls at the State Stud at Celle. Today, 140 stallions including 10 Thoroughbreds, 2 Anglo-Arabians, 2 Trakehners, and 3 ponies serve approximately 8000 broodmares per year. Since the 1980s, private stallion ownership in Hannover has steadily increased, however over 60% of Hanoverian mares are still served by the state-owned stallions of Celle.