What did the passionate horse breeder Otto Schulte-Frohlinde conceive to turn his foals into something special? He treated them to a passage on a ship to the south-east of Ireland, to Artramon Farm, the 300-hectare estate he had acquired in 1964. Many of his yearlings – by Pik Bube and Donnerhall, among others – grew up here, where the hills are rolling, the grass is greener and the climate is mild.
Today his daughter, Countess Walderdorff takes care of the estate and the mansion. With 650 m² of living space, it offers guests from around the world an exceptional setting to make personalized holiday.
Interview: Countess Walderdorff on Donnerhall, Otto Schulte-Frohlinde and his love of Ireland.
Countess Walderdorff, why does Donnerhall’s most beautiful passage end in an Irish manor of all places? The answer is very simple. When I opened the manor for guests for the first time 15 years ago, each room was given its own name. Donnerhall retired from big time sport in 1998 and that alone was reason enough.
Doesn’t a farm belong to the manor? Actually it’s more the opposite. My father purchased an agricultural operation and the large Georgian style manor was a part of the estate. The farm, a prosperous, 300 hectare dairy farm with more than 500 cows, is the heart of the estate.
So Artramon doesn’t really have anything to do with horses? That is correct. Everything that had to do with horses took place at Grönwohldhof in Germany which was Donnerhall’s home for many years and the successful centre of my father’s life. But he also loved his Irish estate and always sent some of his yearlings here to be raised.
In spite of this, Donnerhall still has a box at Artramon. And what a box! Because of the great success of his offspring, we completely redesigned the room in honour of this stallion of a century with an Oldenburg brand. The room even has a hand-painted genealogical table created by Britta Arends-Weinrich, an artist. The idea to create the Donnerhall scarf together with her came to me at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
And for which guests is your manor the perfect address? Artramon and its surroundings are highly varied and have something to offer everyone. Comfort, relaxation, activity – together with family or with friends. In 1965 my father wrote in our guest book: Heroes, dealers, diplomats, farmers, ladies, friends and stars – even the bishop has been here because it’s a place you must have been to! And that’s the way it is today as well.
Thank you very much for this interview.