After 25 years, the collaboration between Sweden’s six-time Olympian, 2011 European Champion and 2023 European team gold medallist Rolf-Göran Bengtsson and the Holsteiner Verband has come to an end.

“I find it very unfortunate that the cooperation with the Holsteiner Verband has come to an end," Bengtsson commented to World of Showjumping. "I truly valued our past collaboration and have many great memories from those times – especially working with stallions like Casall, Clarimo, Quintero, and of course Zuccero HV, to name just a few. Given the current circumstances, I unfortunately did not see a realistic way to continue working together.”

Throughout the years, Bengtsson has been hugely successful with several stallions owned by Holsteiner Verband. The legendary Casall (Caretino 2 x Lavall 5) placed fourth individually and won team bronze at the 2013 European Championships in Herning (DEN), placed fourth individually at the 2014 World Championships in Caen (FRA) and was the overall winner of the 2016 Longines Global Champions Tour. Quintero (Quantum x Chamonix) and Clarimo (Clearway x Caletto II) were also successful at the highest level with Bengtsson.

In more recent years, the cooperation between Bengtsson and the Holsteiner Verband has included the 13-year-old stallion Zuccero HV (VDL Zirocco Blue x Caretino) – which Bengtsson won team gold with at the 2023 FEI Jumping European Championship in Milan (ITA) and that was his partner at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris (FRA). However, at the end of April, the stallion moved to Maximilian Weishaupt after a sponsor acquired the sports rights from the Holsteiner Verband – splitting up the successful partnership with Bengtsson.

With the collaboration between Bengtsson and the Holsteiner Verband terminated, the 8-year-old Charaktervoll HV (Comme Il Faut 5 x Contendro I) and the 9-year-old Keaton HV (Kannan x Contendro I) – the two remaining horses Bengtsson was still riding for Holsteiner Verband – have been returned by Bengtsson.

"Rolf-Göran Bengtsson has achieved incredible things with the Holsteiner Verband’s stallions in recent years," Holsteiner Verband’s managing director Felix Flinzer said in a press release. "I would like to personally thank him for this, as he has not only provided outstanding training for our stallions, but has also rendered outstanding services to the Holstein-horse and, consequently, to Holstein-breeding with his successes."