For Pleasure

For Pleasure
Breed Hanoverian
Sire Furioso II
Dam Gigantin
Maternal grandsire Grannus
Sex Stallion
Foaled January 14th, 1986
Country Germany
Colour Chestnut sabino
Breeder Robert Diestel
Owner Robert Diestel-Stiftung
Rider Marcus Ehning, Lars Nieburg
Earnings
1.8 million Euros
Awards
2000 Hanoverian Stallion of the Year
For Pleasure
Medal record
Olympics
Gold 2000 Sydney Team Jumping
Gold 1996 Atlanta Team Jumping
European Championships
Gold 2003 Donaüschingen Team Jumping
Bronze 2003 Donaüschingen Individual Jumping
Gold 1999 Hickstead Team Jumping
German Championships
Gold 2002 Mannheim Jumping
Silver 2000 Balve Jumping

For Pleasure was a Hanoverian horse who competed in international show jumping under riders Lars Nieburg and Marcus Ehning. He won numerous Grand Prix events during his unusually long career, from which he was retired in 2006 at the age of 20.

For Pleasure was born at Robert Diestel's stable in 1986. His dam's line is a collection of prominent sires of show-jumpers and the breeding to Furioso II added sought after refining French blood. A breeding which matched. For Pleasure passed his performance test at Medingen as winner in the jumping test with 145.95 points. Afterwards he was trained by Hans-Jürgen Giebel. In 1993 the then seven-year-old celebrated his first win in an open jumper class and became Lower-Saxony Champion. With his new rider Lars Nieberg, For Pleasure's spectacular international career began in 1994.

With rider Lars Nieberg, For Pleasure won gold at the International Championships three times. They went onto win gold at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Then in 1999, German rider Marcus Ehning took over the reins and a new dream pair was born. Only seven months after their first start the two won team gold at the European Championships and reached fifth place in the individual ranking. Then in 2000 they won gold with the German team and a brilliant fourth place in the individual ranking at the Olympic Games in Sydney. With both riders, For Pleasure won 75 S-level classes. In the last eight years of his career, For Pleasure contributed to four championship victories for the German Show Jumping team and won team gold four times. He won his last Grand Prix in 2004 at the World Cup in Leipzig, Germany. He was 18 years old at the time. He won the class over a massive indoor course, "the highest track I have ever jumped with him indoors" said rider, Marcus Ehning. He was retired in 2006 at the age of 20, finished his career with staggering lifetime earnings of 1.8 million Euros.

As of 2004, For Pleasure has sired of 16 approved breeding stallions through and 169 sporthorses.

On February 18, 2011, For Pleasure died on a pasture at the yard of the Ehning family.[1]

Licensing

For Pleasure completed the Medingen 100 day stallion performance test on August 11, 1989. He was ultimately ranked 15th among 68 peers based on normalized scores. His index of 91.91 placed him 46th in Dressage, while his score of 145.95 placed him 1st in Show jumping. He was also ranked first for rideability.[2]

Pedigree

Pedigree of For Pleasure [3]
Sire
Furioso II
1965 Selle Francais
Furioso xx
1939 Thoroughbred
Precipitation xx
1933 Thoroughbred
Hurry On xx (1913)
Double Life xx (1926)
Maureen xx
1931 Thoroughbred
Son-In-Law xx (1911)
St. Prisca xx (1926)
Dame de Ranville
1947 Selle Francais
Talisman
1941 Selle Francais
Le Royal (1933)
Kreole (1932)
Que Je Suis Belle
1943 Selle Francais
Lord Orange (1933)
Comedie (1924)
Dam
Gigantin
1980 Hanoverian
Grannus
1972 Hanoverian
Graphit
1964 Hanoverian
Grande (1958)
St. Pr.St. Frutana (1958)
St. Pr.St. Odessa
1967 Hanoverian
Ozean/T. (1952)
Gitta (1961)
Goldi
1976 Hanoverian
Goya
1971 Hanoverian
Gotthard (1949)
Doma H (1963)
Fortuna
1969 Hanoverian
Fernjaeger (1943)
Winzerflocke (1955)

References

  1. Trauer in Borken: For Pleasure ist verstorben (german)
  2. "For Pleasure". Hanoverian Stallion Distribution Plan. Retrieved 2009-07-18.
  3. "For Pleasure". All Breed Pedigree. Referenced March 19, 2008.