For nearly two years, peace seemed to have returned to the Holstein Association after Fehmaraner Hinrich Köhlbrandt, who had served as crisis manager and had eliminated the financial difficulties and reset the course of the organization, took over as head of the association. But now former board member Dr. Maximilian Slawinski is causing new unrest by raising fundamental questions about the association’s direction: first with a first „Open Letter,“ which primarily targets the association’s stallion breeding and to which the association responded with a statement without even mentioning Slawinski. This immediately led to the second „Open Letter,“ in which the issues were further elaborated upon.
He is, as he himself says, a „passionate Holstein breeder“ for 25 years because he is convinced that „Holsteins are still the best show horses in the world“: Dr. Maximilian Slawinski, who works full-time as a „deep-tech executive“ in the technology sector, but has been infected by the horse virus since he grew up at the Peter Nagel-Tornau stud as a child. And now he is once again causing unrest in the Holstein Association. For at least the second time: From 2021 to 2024, he was the 2nd Chairman of the Association – and was then voted out by a two-thirds majority of the delegates after nine of the 13 districts had submitted the corresponding motion. The discussion at the delegates’ assembly was not only critical at the time, but, as he himself felt, partly personally offensive.
„They sell what doesn’t belong to you,“ with this massive attack on the board and management of the association, the first „Open Letter“ already sets the tone in the title. „I am writing to you because you are about to destroy, in a few months, what generations of Holstein breeders have built over half a century – and because you are doing it without asking those to whom this association belongs. The Holstein Association is not a company that you can run at will. It is the joint work of farmers, breeders, and horse owners who have made the best jumping horse in the world from a working horse. You manage this legacy. You do not own it.“
In 2019, the sale of countless association-owned horses began, „auctioned off in a quick process, according to my knowledge at book value.“ Only one thing „no one had touched at that time: the association horses. They are the only thing that distinguishes the Holstein Association from any other breeding association. They belong to all members together.“
And then come Slawinski's specific questions:
„Breeders have a right to answers – now, not after the facts are complete:
- Should Keaton be sold?
- Is United Way already being tried out by potential buyers?
- Which stallions are still on your list?
- For example, do Conchezz belong to the association – or do private owners market their stallion on the platform of the Holsteiner breeders?
- Are there any other stallions that are partly or not at all owned by the association (ownership)?
- Who decided on these sales, and on what basis in the bylaws?
- Where does the money from the sale of our assets go?“
He probably already knew the answer to United Way before that, at least since its organizer Lucas Wenz announced his retirement as a riding horse: The stallion is currently being ridden by Maximilian Weishaupt, who had already taken Zuccero HV from the Holsteiner Verbandshengststall last year. The point is to „see how and whether the stallion and Max fit together well, and to also reach an agreement financially. If, for whatever reason, the agreement does not come to fruition, we would be happy to take him back to Elmshorn,“ explained Felix Flinzer, Managing Director of the stud.
In the statement of the Holsteiner Verband on the first „Open Letter“, the principle behind it is explained in detail: „Targetedly bringing selected stallions into international top-level sport, marketing their sporting rights, and making them available again to the Holstein breeding industry as much as possible after a successful career. The chairmen of the breeding districts support the strategy in a united and comprehensive manner.“
At its core, it involves the separation of sports and breeding rights. „If the sports rights are exclusively sold, the Hengsthaltungs GmbH can remain involved in the breeding use while at the same time ensuring the economic prerequisites for attractive membership conditions. The model is also intended to create financial leeway. Since horse breeding worldwide faces the challenge of declining cover rates. For the Holsteiner Verband Hengsthaltungs GmbH, it is therefore about more than the marketing of individual stallions: It is about the long-term safeguarding of its own economic and breeding viability.“
The direction is: „Sporting success should become the engine for the long-term breeding and preservation of the Holstein genetics. To this end, cooperation with internationally successful show jumpers will be built and expanded. The stallions will be developed under the best possible sporting conditions – with the goal of leading them, ideally, to championships and the Global Champions Tour.“
International success should not only increase the value and reputation of individual stallions; „it should also make the performance of the Holstein breeding internationally visible and strengthen the confidence of breeders and customers in Holstein genetics. Furthermore, it has been shown that sporting success of the stallions often increases the appetites of their offspring on the market.“
It was clear that Dr. Slawinski was not convinced of this concept. In the second „Open Letter“, he writes: „Your concept is based on intentions. The stallions are to be available again to the Holstein breeding after their sporting careers, ‘as much as possible‘. They ‘can“ return to Elmshorn. The proceeds are to be invested back into the breeding. None of this is a promise. The breeders are giving up their best stallions and in return receive hopes.”
What is currently being so emphatically discussed publicly in Schleswig-Holstein is a question that actually concerns the future of all German traditional sports associations: Where should they go in the light of market developments and declining participation numbers? Answers must be found to these questions.
– Unique selling points of a brand/exclusivity
– Development and maintenance of training, know-how
– Ensuring the breeding quality
– and active club life (not just in times of crisis and on Insta), as well as an aggressive discussion culture.
Perhaps also because of how to eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy – so all in all, these are problems whose solution lies in the entire society.