Great producer of performance horses, including many world class. Highly Intelligent. The darling of his owner, who trained him to do tricks, like retrieving canisters and whips. The grey stallion Athlet Z was the first Hanoverian to be used in Holstein breeding for many years – although while he wore the Hanoverian brand, his bloodlines were a heady continental cocktail. On his dam’s side, Athlet Z descends from that pillar of Hanoverian breeding, Gotthard, and on the dam line, to an even earlier pillar Feiner Kerl. Athlet Z confirms the view, that a poor stallion performance test does not necessarily prevent a horse becoming a great stallion. The number of points that had to be attained in Holstein in those days to pass the performance test amounted to 70. After Athlet Z’s first covering year in Elmshorn he took part in the Adelheidsdorf stallion performance test, but failed with the score of 66 points . This resulted in him not being utilized for breeding in 1983. This time, Athlet Z just barely managed to pass the test, which was held in Medingen.