Trakehner Fireside Chats
The Trakehner Fireside Chats, which have long achieved cult status with speaker Erhard Schulte, are a special equestrian delight. Whether at their founding location in Windhagen, in the historic setting of the Main and State Stud Marbach, or on the occasion of the Federal Mare Show in the Darmstadt Riding Hall, Erhard Schulte’s reports captivate his audience – eager and curious.
Also available as a podcast on Spotify
Here you can find all episodes as videos to watch:
Trakehner Playlist for the Fireside Chats
We thank the Trakehner Turniersport Gemeinschaft e.V., without whose generous support the Trakehner Fireside Evenings would not be possible!
TRAKEHNER FIRESIDE CHATS
The Trakehner Fireside Chats 2026 will focus on the State Studs.
Current Dates:
29th Trakehner Fireside Chat – Saturday, June 20, Warendorf State Stud
The “Trakehner Fireside Chats” celebrate a major anniversary!
Coinciding with the anniversary celebrations “200 Years of the North Rhine-Westphalian State Stud Warendorf”, the “29th Trakehner Fireside Chat” will be staged on June 20, 2026, in the fireplace room of the State Stud Master’s House in Warendorf.
Under the ambitious title “Trakehner Refiners and Performance Horses in the Service of the Warendorf State Stud”, genetically valuable and sport-defining sires of the Trakehner breed, including famous protagonists such as Julmond, Abschaum-Aar, Garamond, Abendregen, and in the current present Polartanz TSF, Touch my Heart, Ataman or Bartenstein, will be honored.
Experience the historic buildings of the NRW State Stud and Erhard Schulte live on site.
- 6 PM Stud Tour through the State Stud
- 7 PM Fireside Chat (depending on registrations, in the fireplace room of the NRW State Stud or in the seminar room)
Costs (incl. stud tour and catering: soup, canapés, wine, non-alcoholic beverages): 30 EUR per person
Registrations with name and number of participants to: Gabi Pothen, Mobile: 0152 55357558, Email: pothen@reitanlage-hohe-mark.de
To the Stream
Tartar v. Pythagoras, Schulte Archive; Julmond 1965, Schulte Archive, State Stud
30th Trakehner Fireside Chat – Saturday, July 4, 2026, at Panker Stud Farm
“After the Flight to New Flourishing! Eight Decades of Trakehner Success Story in Schmoel and Panker”
Start: 6:30 PM
Please register with Anja Heinrich at info@trakehnerhof-eversdorf.de or via WhatsApp at 0176 30443838.
The Archive of the Trakehner Fireside Chats
28th Trakehner Fireside Chat
“The Arabian Heritage – a source of nobility and beauty, hardiness and performance! – A breeding analysis spanning historical roots and vibrant present!”
27th Trakehner Fireside Chat
“The Zweibrücken State Stud – a Source of Trakehner Performance Genetics”
Video link coming soon..
26th Trakehner Fireside Chat
“80 years ago… Memories of the evacuation of the Main Stud Trakehnen and the flight from East Prussia in winter 1944/45.”
25th Trakehner Fireside Chat
“The Queens of the Federal Mare Shows and their Breeding Legacy.”
24th Trakehner Fireside Chat
“English and Irish Thoroughbred – A Source of Hardiness, Health, and Sportiness!”
23rd Trakehner Fireside Chat
“Forgotten Heroes! Recognizing and Preserving Genetic Diversity!”
22nd Trakehner Fireside Chat
“Rare, Valuable Trakehner Stallion Lines in Focus! Preserving Genetic Diversity!”
21st Trakehner Fireside Chat
“Rare and Particularly Valuable! Preserving and Protecting the Legacy of these Trakehner Mare Families!”
20th Trakehner Fireside Chat
“The Trakehner Hunts – Source and Origin of Eventing”
19th Trakehner Fireside Chat
“Trakehner Studs and Breeding Operations that Created the Foundations for the Future. – Dietrich v. Lenski-Ritterhude – Franz Lage-Neuwetterade – Tylord Farm-Debra Tyler/Vermont – Muschamp Stud-Family Lorch – Galten Farms-Family Schickedanz/Toronto”
18th Trakehner Fireside Chat
“Trakehner Studs and Breeding Operations that Created the Foundation for the Future – Hans-Werner Paul-Rethwisch Stud Tasdorf VEG Bretsch – Nottebohm – Immichenhain -Schmitz-Burg Dreiborn”
17th Trakehner Fireside Chat
“Trakehner Studs and Breeding Operations that Created the Foundation for the Future – The Association Stud Schmoel of the Hessian House Foundation. – Dummerstorf near Rostock: Trakehner Gene Reserves of the GDR. – The VEG Kölsa, Cottbus district. – The Dörfler-Aichen breeding farm, Kulmbach district. – The Volkmarst Stud of the Krietemeyer and Tessner families”
In 2025, the Trakehner Fireside Chats will continue with an exciting seventh season.
The Fireside Chats take place at their founding location in Windhagen and, since 2024, also at the Main and State Stud Marbach, as well as on the occasion of the Federal Mare Show in Darmstadt-Kranichstein. The speaker remains, of course, the popular hippologist, specialist author, and moderator Erhard Schulte.
The Trakehner Fireside Chats can be watched live on ClipMyHorse (www.clipmyhorse.tv). All episodes are available for review here or on YouTube.
16th Trakehner Fireside Chat
“Trakehner Studs and Breeding Operations that Created the Foundation for the Future – East Prussian Stud Hunnesrück, Stud Grumbach, Rothensande and Breeding Farms Schmidt-Salzmann (Dumstore) and Elxnat (Hohenkirchen)”
15th Trakehner Fireside Chat
“Trakehner Studs and Breeding Operations that Created the Foundation for the Future – Stud Rantzau, Wäldershausen, Alpen, Argenhof and Breeding Farm Steinbrück-Gilde”
14th Trakehner Fireside Chat
“Trakehner Studs and Breeding Operations that Created the Foundation for the Future – Stud Birkhausen, Vogelsangshof, Biebertal and Nannhofen”
13th Trakehner Fireside Chat
“Trakehner Stud and Breeding Farms in Flourishing Years Part 3”
12th Trakehner Fireside Chat
“Trakehner Studs and Breeding Farms in Flourishing Years Part 2”
11th Trakehner Fireside Chat
10th Trakehner Fireside Chat
“Success Factors in the Pedigrees of Successful Trakehner
Show Jumpers”
9th Trakehner Fireside Chat
“Success Factors in the Pedigrees of Successful Trakehner
Eventing Horses”
8th Trakehner Fireside Chat
“Success Factors in the Pedigrees of Internationally Successful Trakehner
Dressage Horses”
7th Trakehner Fireside Chat
“Recognizing and Utilizing Genetic Diversity!”
The Trakehner population possesses a rich treasure of genetic alternatives. In his lecture, Erhard Schulte explains the genetic potential inherent in English, Irish, Arabian, and Anglo-Arabian thoroughbreds, and what genetic treasures the State Studs and some private stallion owners, as well as Eastern Europe and Russia, hold for breeders.
6th Trakehner Fireside Chat
“Protecting the Legacy of the Trakehner Mare Families!”
The Trakehner mare families, with their characteristics and traits consolidated over centuries, form the basis of Trakehner breeding and are the starting point for any mating advice. Which genetically valuable Trakehner mare families, threatened with extinction, must absolutely be saved? What needs to be done, and now?
5th Trakehner Fireside Chat
“Evacuation and Flight from Trakehnen and East Prussia”
The flight from Trakehnen and East Prussia across the frozen lagoon in the winter of 1944/45 is one of the most poignant experiences in the history of Trakehner horses. Even 77 years later, the memory of the flight and the new beginning must not be forgotten.
4th Trakehner Fireside Chat
“The Trakehner Stallion Lines and their Influence on Breeding”
The Trakehner stallion lines have been subject to constant change over the decades: old, traditional lines die out or are threatened with extinction, while young lines are founded and soon flourish. The emergence of lines, their blossoming, but also their decline and finally a new foundation, are among the most exciting chapters in the great “Book of Horse Breeding.”
3rd Trakehner Fireside Chat
“The Trakehner Mare Families and Why They Are So Valuable for Breeding”
The care and continuation of the Trakehner mare families is not an empty breeding end in itself – they are rooted in nearly 300 years of breeding work at the Main Stud Trakehnen and East Prussian private breeding. The confirmation of their high value is found not only in a great hippological history but, above all, in the unmistakable hereditary reliability of their most prominent representatives.
2nd Trakehner Fireside Chat
“Trakehnen’s Legendary Mare Herds – Their Journey Through the Centuries”
The five mare herds of the Main Stud Trakehnen, separated by color, had been built up over centuries of targeted breeding work. The mare lines cultivated here were considered, also in terms of their consolidation, the most valuable breeding heritage of noble horse breeding across Europe and some continue to flourish to this day.
In this lecture, Erhard Schulte brings Trakehnen’s legendary mare herds back to life with vivid descriptions and historical photographic material.
1st Trakehner Fireside Chat
“Trakehnen’s State Stud Masters and How They Shaped the Breeding of the Main Stud During Their Terms of Office”
– with this topic, the Trakehner Association launched a brand new event series on Friday, August 7, 2020: The Trakehner Fireside Chats.
This evening, Erhard Schulte tells of the famous Trakehner State Stud Masters, starting with Wilhelm Carl Friedrich v. Burgsdorff (1814-1842), who, like no other, created the legendary type of the Trakehner horse, through Friedrich Ernst August v. Schwichow (1847-1864), during whose tenure legendary main sires were used, Burchard v. Oettingen (1895-1912), who built up the unique performance testing system around the turn of the century, Kurt Graf v. Sponeck (1912-1922), inseparably linked with the use of thoroughbreds and Trakehner races, Siegfried Graf Lehndorff (1922-1931), an uncompromising advocate of pure breeding, up to Dr. Ernst Ehlert (1931-1944), who set the keystone in the arch of Trakehnen’s breeding cathedral. Immerse yourself with us in the world of historic Trakehnen!