Grannus - not just a name but a symbol, a trademark. A symbol of a potent individual with an aura only a very few are blessed with a lifetime total of well over five million DM so far the off-spring of this glossy black Hanoverian stallion which include seven Olympic horses and more than 60 approved stallions, have made him one of the greatest sires in the world.

Just as powerful as his inheritance is, his end was just as spectacular. In full view of several thousand spectators at Klatte's 1993 Stallion Presentation in Vechta, the heart of the Oldenburg breeding area, the 21 year old muscle man suddenly fell to the ground - the last breath of an equine personality seldom seen. Grannus was State Premium Odessa's second foal.

This mare by the Trakehner stallion, Ozean, who won his stallion performance test, was purchased as a filly in 1967 by Grannus' breeder, Mr. Ludwig Decker, who had been looking for a mare from the Gitta family which goes all the way back to the founding dam, Klaseta, who was born in 1921. Odessa, who had excellent jumper bloodlines in her pedigree by the great Gotthard, presented him with 15 foals, the last one born when she was 22 years old.

Grannus didn't disappoint his breeders. His very first crop produced the Warendorf State Stud stallion, Gunter, as well as the internationally successful jumpers, Goby and Gigolo. The latter became one of Nelson Pessoa's first class athletes called Moet Imperial. One right after the other, Grannus' off-spring proved their talent at shows. His first great jumper was the Oldenburg, Grand Slam, who won numerous prizes with Nick Skelton. The most successful Oldenburg jumper during the 80's was the approved stallion, Grannenfels, who demonstrated his outstanding class under Peter Weinberg. Unfortunately, Grannenfels suffered a multiple fracture when he was only nine putting an untimely end to his life. All of a sudden, Grannus had turned into a series producer of international jumpers. For example the bright chestnut, Grannusch, who won the highest pursed jumping competition in the world at Calgary in 1994, Jan Tops ace, Top Gun.

Sixty two of his sons have been approved by the various warmblood breeding associations. The first was the Warendorf State Stud sire, Gunter, whose off-spring have won DM 240,656 in total. Then there were stallions such as the 1988 approval winner, Gervantus, whose off-spring have already won more than DM 140,000, or his full brother, Gervantus II, who has been successful in advanced level jumping with Urs Fäh in Switzerland. The grey Hessen stallion, Granulit, who radiates the same presence his father had, won not only the 1996 stallion performance test but also beat all of his Oldenburg competitors for the Main Premium which is awarded on the basis of his own performance and the evaluation of his first crop.

In 1990 the black Grannus son Grannox was approved a perfect example of consolidated performance breeding and in the first five generations of his pedigree, he only carrying the blood of the top Hanoverian and Westphalian sires at that time. The following year produced another son Grannex. Grannex is one of the British sires we see all the time in the result.! He has produced two National Event Champions to date and many excellent Jumpers. Since winning the style prize at the AES National Stallion Show as a 5 year old, Grannex jumped successfully up to International level with Ben Dunning and on the County Show Circuit with Stephen Williams. Grannex's offspring are quite exceptional, many are show jumping and making their way impressively up the top of the ranks including BARONS GRAPHITE who is one of the South West England's 'top Grade A's