Donnerhall, Bronze statue in Lange Straße, Oldenburg, Germany
Donnerhall is a bronze horse sculpture on Lange Straße in Oldenburg, created by the sculptor Walter Hilpert. The life-size work shows a dressage horse with refined anatomical details and a calm stance.
The bronze was unveiled in 2007, not 2008, on Lange Straße in Oldenburg, made by sculptor Walter Hilpert. It honours Donnerhall, the dark bay stallion born in 1981 at Otto Gärtner's stud and sold as a foal to Otto Schulte-Frohlinde's Grönwohldhof. Under Karin Rehbein he won team gold at the 1994 World Championships in The Hague and the 1997 European Championships in Verden, and was named Oldenburg Stallion of the Year in 1998. He died in January 2002.
The name Donnerhall evokes the powerful sound of thunder and reflects the strength this stallion displayed in the arena. Oldenburg has been home to horse breeding for centuries, and this work honors that living tradition in the heart of the town.
The statue stands freely accessible on Lange Straße, a busy pedestrian zone in the center of town. Those who want to view it calmly should visit in the morning or on weekdays.
Two small rectangular metal plates are set into the base of the bronze, one at the front and one at the rear. The stallion stood 170 cm at the withers and was approved for eight studbooks, among them Hanoverian, Westphalian, Holstein and KWPN. At the 1998 Federal Championship in Warendorf, more than half the horses had Donnerhall in their pedigree.
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