4,500 visitors celebrate the Redefiner Horse Days - the future of the stud farm is shaky!

4,500 visitors celebrate the Redefiner Horse Days - the future of the stud farm is shaky!

Last weekend, the Redefin Horse Days at the magnificent Redefin State Stud in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district were a complete success. With around 4,500 visitors, which accounts for three quarters of ticket sales, interim managing director Mattias Munz was able to draw a positive conclusion. “The event was very well received in the region,” said Munz. A highlight of the two-day festivities will be the stallion parade, which features fascinating horse and carriage displays.

However, the Redefiner Horse Days not only offer fantastic performances, but also the opportunity to visit the historic stables, which have now been in operation for 200 years. This includes an attractive supporting program that includes an information mile with a farrier, veterinarian and saddler. In this way, knowledge about horse keeping in the region is conveyed in a lively manner.

Protests on the sidelines of the Horse Days

While visitors threw themselves into the exciting demonstrations, protests against a planned sale of the state stud took place on the sidelines of the event. State Environment and Agriculture Minister Till Backhaus (SPD) made it clear in an interview with NDR that the stud farm should not be sold. Instead, it is about finding partners who will make the stud farm future-proof and integrate new tasks, while the listed facility should remain the property of the state. “The state stud needs an annual subsidy of around 1.7 million euros,” says Backhaus.

Critics of privatization, including a former stud farm manager and the taxpayers' association, jumped at the opportunity to voice their objections. Concerned about the future of the 315-year-old stud farm, they are calling for alternative management models. The Ministry of Agriculture has launched a call for tenders to develop new operating models, possibly involving leasing and privatization.

Mecklenburg Pony State Champions 2025

Another highlight of the Redefin Horse Days was the event of the Mecklenburg Pony State Champions 2025. Here, 3-year-old and 4-year-old Mecklenburg ponies were presented that showed remarkable performances in both dressage and show jumping.

• NEXUS 18: v. Nando’s White Chocolate x FS Don’t Worry, Züchter & Besitzer: Siegfried & Jutta Illner (Zingst), Reiterin: Jana Behning (RFV Zingst)
• DREIKÄSEHOCH 3: v. D-Gold AT x FS Don’t Worry, Züchter: Siegfried & Jutta Illner (Zingst), Besitzerin: Paulin Lutze (Greifswalder Akademischer RV)
• DAHJA: v. Ducati x Wendego’s Nelson, Züchterin, Besitzerin und Reiterin: Manuela Granzow (RV Zehlendorf-Recknitztal)
• CHARLOTTE M 2: v. Cellestial x White Moor Mikis, Züchter & Besitzer: Mario Mühlenberg (Friedrichsruhe), Reiterin: Anna-Lena Finck (RV Zehlendorf-Recknitztal)

The entire event was a nice look back at the diversity and skills of the Mecklenburg ponies. Congratulations to the breeders, owners and riders for their excellent achievements are more than appropriate.

As you can see, there is a lot going on in Redefin and visitors could hope for a varied and informative weekend. The anticipation for the third day of the Horse Days on September 13th is already noticeable - it remains to be seen how the discussions about the future of the state stud will develop.

Further information about the Redefiner Pferdetage can be found at Wismar FM, NDR and Horse Sports Association MV.