Hof Kasselmann – Performance and
Passion for Equestrian Sport
Ullrich & Bianca Kasselmann / Foto: Kiki Beelitz
Gently rolling hills, lush green meadows, the range of hills of Teutoburg Forest and Wiehen Hills, parkland and flood plains: The Osnabrück area and the “city of peace” Osnabrück as well as the natural park TERRA.vita, particularly decorated by the UNESCO, are amongst the most beautiful regions in Germany. It is the area of noble horses and down-to-earth people. Ullrich Kasselmann from Hagen at the Teutoburg Forest is one of them – businessman, expert when it comes to equestrian sport, epicure and one of the most successful horse people of his guild.
Ullrich Kasselmann and his wife Bianca have been training horses at the highest level for more than three decades, and they have turned the Hof Kasselmann into a popular and approved trademark and competence centre for equestrian sport. There are more than 60 employees working at the riding facilities, and more than 200 horses are trained and ridden every day. It is a successful and impressive combination of a more than 1,000-year-old history and the latest standards of equestrian sport.
Horses & Dreams, national and international shows as well as the P.S.I. Auction are the annual highlights, complementing the ever-changing challenges of the day-to-day business – the training and sale of first-class sport horses. But Ulli Kasselmann also loves innovations when it comes to equestrian sport – the riding floor “High Score Performance Ground (HSPG)” or “Smart Riding Arena Leveler”, developed by Hof Kasselmann Consulting in co-operation with HCCG (Horse Competence Center Germany) and the University of Osnabrück, are two current examples.
To open new horizons and dimensions and to constructively support the most different projects, he maintains constant dialogue with long-year friends and companions such as the Haim-Swarovski-family – then as well as today. Like in 1996, 1997 and 1998 for example, when Schindlhof was venue of a horse symposium under the motto “In duty for horses, related to sport”. Some of his P.S.I. horses participated in this program, for example the legendary Lord Sinclair – the former highest-priced horse of a riding horse auction – presented by Bianca Kasselmann’s sister Miriam Henschke. Or Hauptsattelmeister a. D. Franz Kukuk (†) competing with one young P.S.I. dressage horse for the best piaffe against the head instructor of the Spanish Riding School in Wien, Arthur Kottas-Heldenberg. „I was invited to participate as referent at one of the meetings together with Werner Schockemöhle and Dr. Burchard Bade, retired Landstallmeister of the Celle National State Stud, and the debutantes of the Vienna Opera Ball performed at the succeeding Gala Dinner,” Kasselmann loves to remember the old times at the Schindlhof. “Werner Schockemöhle joked: “If this was lady’s choice….” And it was bound to happen that the young ladies invited us to dance. As you might imagine, our adrenaline level exploded, and our faces reflected our tremendous efforts.”
Bianca Kasselmann mit Welt Hit IO beim CDI am Schindlhof
Biana Kasselmann also knows the CDI Schindlhof since it was launched in 1995, and since then, she has been participating at every single event. She already won the Manfred Swarovski Memorial Show in front of the gorgeous backdrop of the Tyrolean mountains twice with the P.S.I.-horse Margaux (Margaux x Saioniki), owned by the Earl of Inchcape. “To me, the shows of Evelyn and Klaus are like holidays,” Bianca Kasselmann explains her loyalty for family and show. The families Kasselmann and Haim-Swarovski share almost the same attitude towards life. „We love horses and are fond of dogs and delicious food,” the two-time German Champion of professional riders from Hagen at the Teutoburg Forest explains, “and besides, we do not only talk – we also pitch in.”
Dressage duos originating out of the P.S.I.-concept were already among the exclusive field of competitors at the Manfred Swarovski Memorial Show. Dorothee Schneider and her now 11-year-old black gelding Ullrich Equine’s St. Emilion (Sandro Hit x Ehrenwort) from the 2008 P.S.I.-collection already showed all their qualities in front of the tournament backdrop of the Haim-Swarovski-family. Just as the P.S.I.-gelding Legolas (Laomedon x Florestan II), trained by Ullrich Kasselmann himself to compete in the premiere league of dressage; he was nominated “US Dressage Horse of the Year” under Steffen Peters (USA) for the fourth time in a row in December 2015.
The visionary idea behind the three letters P.S.I. (Performance Sales International): Together with his business partner, many-times European Show Jumping Champion Paul Schockemöhle, Ulli Kasselmann has set himself the task to provide ambitious riders with highly-gifted futurity prospects for international shows. Kasselmann and Schockemöhle founded P.S.I. in 1980 – the first auction was held in 1981 in Newport, Rhode Island. In December 2016, they will invite for the 37th P.S.I. Auction in the Sports and Auction Centre in Ankum in Lower Saxony to find the perfect new owner for approx. 50 top-class sport horses.
„Servus“ at the Hagen Borgberg
Experiencing equestrian sport, discovering foreign cultures, establishing networks and meeting old friends: All these are trademarks of Horses & Dreams. Each year at the end of April, riders, horses, exhibitors, horse enthusiasts, families and sponsors travel to Hagen at the Teutoburg Forest with its 14,000 inhabitants. As then the Hof Kasselmann with its 40 hectare in size becomes the place where dreams become true.
The neighbours from across northern Europe visited the Kasselmann-family for 2016 Horses & Dreams meets Denmark; now Austria will be the 12th host country for the fantastic show.
Das Gastland von Horse & Dreams 2017 wird Östrreich sein.
Die Organisatoren Francois und Ullrich Kasselmann mit der Präsidentin des OEPS Sissy Max-Theurer, Klaus Haim, Bianca Kasselmann und Evelyn Haim-Swarovski / Foto: Thomas Hellmann
Austria was also a perfect match when it comes to landscape, Organizer Ulli Kasselmann says: “The Hagen Alpes” are the perfect setting for the riding and lifestyle show Horses & Dreams to welcome the host country Austria.”
The Hof Kasselmann will then present equestrian sport in the colours of the Central-European landlocked country, featuring special cultural, culinary and historical highlights.
Visitors can look forward to competitions at the four-star-level in dressage and show jumping and to a versatile Austrian side-program, ranging from wine, Sacher cake and Mozart to Viennese Schnitzel and Après Ski.
With this in mind – see you soon in April 2017 when the motto will be: “Servus at Horses & Dreams meets Austria”..
Anna Baden / Übersetzung Carola Clüver
