Top Priority Trakehners

Breeding the Ultimate Trakehner and Sport Horse

Top Priority Trakehners is located in Polson, Montana. Owned by Anna Sanders and Carol Bonner, they have been breeding Trakehners since 2003. Trakehners have such sweet tempermants and amazing athletic ability. We have been studying the Trakehner Breed since 1998.

Breeding horses or Trakehners was not something I knew I wanted to do since I was little. I was always interested in horses as a young girl but I just wanted to ride which later developed into training new riders in Dressage and riding horses in training for my trainer. After quite a few years of training new riders and riding other people’s problem horses I was getting burned out. I was then trying to figure out a way to stay involved with just my horses and make money which is when I got a call from Ogellee’s owner who wanted to give her to me. So in 2003 I asked my Dad for horse semen for my 21st birthday which is how I got Ossette from Kovington and started my breeding program with Trakehners.

Unfortunately I was only able to get two mares from Ogellee but they were wonderful and just what I needed to get me started. We also purchased Liana who was born the same year as Ossette and was a great companion for her when we had to wean Ossette from Ogellee. While Ossette and Onora were perfect types for Dressage, Liana was able to fulfill our other dream of creating a Jumper/Eventing line coming from the great stallion Hansel.

Since 2005 when Onora was born, Ogellee’s 2nd foal, we have not been breeding but waiting for these girls to get big enough to ride and breed themselves. I made a policy for myself that I would never just throw a young horse into breeding until I had done some training with them under saddle so I could make sure they were trainable and see what gaits they needed to improve. I started Liana myself in 2007 when she was 3 as she was such a big mare. She went beautifully and was very easy to start, she never tried to buck or get away from me and I was able to ride her bareback and with a halter if I wanted to. I waited till Ossette was 4 in 2008 to start her as she took a little longer to mature and it was the same story for her. Within 6 months of starting her I was riding her at the ATA 2008 Inspection in Los Angeles and won 3rd in the Dressage Suitability class.

Recently in February, 2009 we acquired an amazing German bred Trakehner, Elbe IV. She was imported from Gestut Webelsgrund as a broodmare and has produced many nice foals. We cannot wait to see the nice foals she will bring to Top Priority Trakehners.