A closer look at the creation of Altefeld

Burchard von Oettingen and Altefeld

Burchard von Oettingen was born in Riga in 1850, the son of a local landowner, August von Oettingen. In Dorport, he attended school and later studied mathematics. He then enlisted in the First Guard field artillery regiment, from which he was discharged in 1889 with the rank of Captain. As a soldier, von Oettingen was successful as a horseman, and so it was with a military background that he began his career in Prussian stud management. He served as Stablemaster in Gudwallen from 1888 until 1892, when he transferred to the great stud, Beberbeck, in Hessen. His career in directing stud operations culminated with his appointment to the top level of Prussian equine breeding, after Trakehnen. Between 1895 and 1911, von Oettingen occupied himself both with breeding, and the comprehensive reorganization of stud farm buildings.

His talent for building and landscape design turned Trakehnen into an exemplary stud operation. When Trakehnen was destroyed by Russian troops during World War I, von Oettingen’s good connections facilitated the reconstruction of an improved facility. His son-in-law, Kurt, Count Sponeck, who had married his daughter, Marissa, replaced him as Trakehner Stablemaster. He brought to East Prussia training and test work for breeders of stud farms. He revived hunt-seat riding in Trakehnen, and carried on an active breeding program.

It is noteworthy that von Oettingen began to work with breeding Thoroughbreds, the noblest of horses. He was extremely fortunate in acquiring the magnificent Thoroughbred Dark Ronald, whose influence is seen today in the bloodline of his well-known descendent, Surumu XX.

The centerpiece of von Oettingen’s life work was the creation of a comprehensive stud plant, which would meet every requirement for a first-class facility for the breeding of Thoroughbreds. Von Oettingen aimed to create a worthy successor for the large stud at Graditz. While he and his architect, Friedrich Kuebart, traveled to the great Hungarian studs and drew on the experience at Trakehnen, they improved on all these plans when they laid out Altefeld.

The new farm was designed in an open, relaxed layout. The stables and residential buildings lie well apart, blending harmoniously into the surrounding landscape. The practical purpose for separating buildings was to prevent the transmission of disease, but the basic principle behind Altefeld was to raise horses in as natural an environment as possible.

All horse barns have attached paddocks, so that horses may go in and out freely as weather permits.



Burchard von Oettingen, who was appointed by the Prussian Ministry as Uberlandstallmeister in 1911, was intelligent, versatile in his talents, and highly educated. His writings on Horse Breeding – Fundamentals of Horse Breeding, and The Thoroughbred Horse, were acclaimed in their time and still today are among the standard reference works on equine breeding.

The outcome of World War I, which meant the beginning of a time of economic struggle for Germany, made it clear that horse breeders must convert from development of military horses, to recreational horses. For Burchard von Oettingen this conversion was not easy, since his inspiration had been the cavalry rider on a Thoroughbred horse. Little time remained to him, in any case, as he entered a well-earned retirement in 1920, and died in 1923 in Berlin.

Manfred Graf

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