'I hope even my children and grandchildren will continue to do what I'm doing'

Dietrich von Boetticher has denied a report circulating in the German media that his renowned Gestut Ammerland operation is about to cease breeding thoroughbreds.

The lawyer bought Ammerland in 1989 and later another estate, Bernried, by Lake Starnberg in the Bavarian Alps and has been behind a sequence of outstanding global performers such as the well-travelled Borgia and Boreal, Classic-winner and now ace stallion Lope De Vega, and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winners Hurricane Run and Waldgeist.

"I'm quite surprised about it because there's no real thing to report about." said Von Boetticher.

"Ammerland is not shutting down its breeding activities at all, I hope that even my children and grandchildren will continue to do what I'm doing in breeding throroughbred horses.

Waldgeist is one of Ammerland's most celebrated stars of recent timesCredit: Edward Whitaker

"What we are doing, what we are doing regularly and what I think everybody in this market who has any sense does regularly, is reducing when your breeding becomes too outrageously large that you feel you should concentrate on the best of the best and cut down and sell what you really shouldn't continue to breed with."

Von Boetticher has horses with John and Thady Gosden while Sea The Moon's unbeaten sister Sea The Sky is among a host of red and green-silked prospects in training with Andre Fabre.

While puzzled as to the motives and origins of the information, he added that any moving on of stock would be routine procedure.

"I've always been been buying and selling horses and who doesn't? If you breed thoroughbreds you want to keep your best female lines and you decide to either add something new to it or you decide to cut down on another when the success doesn't come the way you expect it. You're always active in the marketplace, you'd be stupid not to be."

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