DWB Top of Europe 2013
Transcription
DWB Top of Europe 2013
Danish Warmblood Top of Europe TOP STALLIONS FOR EXPORT • INCREASED FOCUSED ON JUMPERS • VISIONARY STALLION KEEPERS • THE GRAND LADY OF DANISH BREEDING • ATHLETES OF THE 2013 EUROPEANS • THE STALLION SHOW IN HERNING Elite Foal Auction Our breeding policy admits the best genes in the world Jan Pedersen, president of Dansk Varmblod since 1994 and president of the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses since 1999. Danish Warmblood S port horses from the whole world are getting to be one big family. The stallions, which are most in vogue, are typically available across borders and breeding societies. Thus, the most successful societies in the hard competition between breed societies are the ones with the best mare lines, the most skilful breeders, the most competent breeding consultants and the most efficient selection systems. The Danish Warmblood breeding programme is based on recent scientific knowledge. In addition we At the Elite Show every year 2nd Saturday of September Danish Warmblood Foal Auction try to keep an open mind so that our breeding policy admits the mare owners to the best genes in the world – to a high degree through forward-looking Danish stallion owners. That is one of the reasons for the well-known success of the Danish Warmblood horses which we would like to introduce to you through this magazine. I hope you will enjoy reading it! The logo”The Crown and the Wave”, which was designed in 1963 by silver smith Georg Jensen, symbolizes a kingdom surrounded by water. Jan Pedersen President 6 Dansk Varmblod Excellent Ambassadors o f D a n i s h H er Royal Highness Princess Benedikte, patroness of Danish Warmblood and to the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses, claims that in her successful breeding programme good fortune came prior to the knowledge that she has today. Nevertheless, she and her family at Berleburg have produced four international Grand Prix horses and have an interesting collection of young stock. In 1986 HRH Princess Benedikte took on the task of being the patroness of Danish Warmblood. In order to celebrate this the studbook presented the horse loving Princess with a Danish bred riding horse, the four-year-old mare Pamina by Sandro / Deadly Nightshade xx which she enjoyed riding for many years. Later on HRH Princess Benedikte has ridden some of Pamina’s offspring. W a r m b l o o d they have claimed Grand Prix wins at numerous international shows worldwide, they have been Danish champions, they won Olympic team bronze and they were last year’s runner-up in the World Cup finals. 16-year-old Digby is still going strong and has been the most steadily top performing horse on the Danish team since 2008. Pamina also produced the Grand Prix horse Mastermind by Master. After the loss of Pamina’s only daughter Day Dream it was much to her owners’ joy that she eventually had a second daughter, Maxima by Master, which is one of the broodmares at Berleburg today. First foal in 1992 Princess Nathalie and HRH Princess Benedikte only breed their mares every second year. They enjoy bonding with new foals like this charming colt by Negro out of a full sister to the Grand Prix horse Fabienne. When they first bred Pamina HRH Princess Benedikte and Princess Nathalie selected five suitable stallions from the well-known German stallion book ”Selected Stallions”, and it appeared that Donnerhall was the only of the five which was approved for Danish Warmblood. – We wanted to breed a Danish Warmblood foal, so the choice was quite simple. It was pure luck that we chose Donnerhall, as at the time we did not have much knowledge about breeding, says HRH Princess Benedikte. Pamina’s daughter Day Dream by Donnerhall was the first foal born at Berleburg. She got highly graded in Danish Warmblood and moved to Sweden along with the young Princess Nathalie when she went to work and train with dressage master Kyra Kyrkland. Unfortunately, the talented mare got injured and ultimately had to be put down. The combination of Donnerhall and Pamina also produced Digby which Princess Nathalie has developed into a world class dressage horse. Together They have three colt foals on the ground at Berleburg this year, and this well-bred foal by Fürstenball/Don Schufro/Rubinstein receives a lot attention. 8 Dansk Varmblod The success of HRH Princess Benedikte’s and Princess Nathalie’s breeding programme can no longer be explained with good luck and fortune danish warmblood’s main office Every year at the Danish Warmblood stallion licensing HRH Princess Benedikte’s special award of honor is given to someone who has played a remarkable role in the breeding of sport horses; may it be a stallion, a sport horse or a person. A second foundation mare As a token of gratitude for her invaluable work and support Danish Warmblood gave HRH Princess Benedikte a second mare, Rosienne by Rossi xx / May Sherif. The mare turned out to be rather hot tempered, and at Berleburg they decided to only produce two foals out of Rosienne. Both foals were by Rubinstein, and once again it proved to be a very wise choice of stallion. The first foal, Rigoletto, born one year before Digby, became a solid scoring Grand Prix horse and once won the Danish championship with Princess Nathalie. His younger full sister Racine is a strong producing brood mare, which is the dam of Princess Nathalie’s Princess Nathalie bonds closely with her performance horses, and she clearly felt moved at the award ceremony for her CDI victory with home bred Rigoletto in Aachen in 2009. latest Grand Prix horse Fabienne by Blue Hors Future Cup. Racine is also the dam of the promising Dolany by Blue Hors Don Schufro and several high quality mares which now comprise the broodmare herd at Berleburg. The success of HRH Princess Benedikte’s and Princess Nathalie’s breeding programme can no longer be explained with good luck and fortune. It is inevitably down to a great sense of horsemanship as well as a solid knowledge of bloodlines and not least superb management and training. Danish Warmblood could not have wished for better ambassadors in breeding and in sport. Jan Pedersen President Christina b. Lund project manager Casper Cassøe Krüth Executive manager susanne hvid project manager Thomas Bach Jensen press officer KARINA CHRISTIANSEN breeding advisor lene rasmussen PROJECT CO-ORDINATOR Monica forrest project co-ordinator BETINA BERWALD event manager Lise Willemann accountant Vilhelmsborg allÉ 1 - DK-8320 Mårslet - Telefon: 0045 87 47 54 00 - [email protected] - www.varmblod.dk 10 Dansk Varmblod Athletes of the 2 0 13 E u r o p e a n s Fourteen Danish Warmblood horses will be representing six countries at the ECCO FEI European Champions 2013 in dressage and para dressage. Akeem Foldager Digby Born: 2002 Sire: Akinos Dam sire: Loran Breeder: Louise Høgh Rider: Andreas Helgstrand/DEN Born:1997 Sire:Donnerhall Dam sire:Sandro Breeder: HRH Princess Benedikte Rider: Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein/DEN Tailormade Akon Askelund Madonna Askelund Born:2000 Sire:Akinos Dam sire: Pari-Ace Dane Breeder: Poul Flye Rider: Ellen Birgitte Farbrot/NOR Born:2006 Sire: De Noir Dam sire: Pari-Ace Dane Breeder: Poul Flye Rider: Ann Cathrin Lübbe/NOR Carte d’Or Heiberg Born:1999 Sire: Solos Carex Dam sire: Cannon Row xx Breeder: Gunnar Bach Rider: Camilla Kalseth/NOR Born:2001 Sire: Blue Hors Herug Dam sire:Dwight-East Breeder: Hanne og Leif Löwe Rider: Jens Lasse Dokkan/NOR Amazing Søndergård Priors Lady Rawage Born:2001 Sire:Michellino Dam sire:Aleksander Breeder: Lilli Schacht Rider: Kamilla Strømsnes/NOR Born: 1997 Sire: Rawage Quintus Dam sire:Lagano Breeder: Johs. og Linda Orbesen Rider: Liselotte Scharff Rosenhart/DEN Mistral Højris Smeyer’s Molberg Born:1995 Sire:Michellino Dam sire:Ibsen Breeder: Betty Rasmussen Rider: Laura Tomlinson/GBR Born:2001 Sire:Michellino Dam sire:Rambo Breeder: Atterupgaard Rider: Marcela Krinke-Susmelj/SUI Fitou L Skovlunds Más Guapo Enggaards Solitaire Come On Born:1999 Sire: Florestan I Dam sire: May Sherif Breeder: Karsten Bundgaard Rider: Lone Bang Larsen/DEN Born:1998 Sire:Master Dam sire: Cannon Row xx Breeder: Birgitte Jessen Rider: Mikaela Lindh/FIN Born:Sire: Blue Hors Soprano Dam sire:Breeder: Lene Holdt Larsen Rider: Ricky Balshaw/GBR Born:2000 Sire: Come Back II Dam sire:Sydney Breeder: Karen Margrethe Jensen Rider: Francesca Salvade/ITA 12 Dansk Varmblod 19-year- old Nanna S. Merrald won the U25 class at CHIO Aachen aboard her steady partner Millibar. The pair is former European freestyle champions. Double individual gold medal winner in 2012 as well as in 2013 at the European Championships for junior riders, Cathrine Dufour and Atterupgaards Cassidy, currently hold the world record for PSG Freestyle. A lthough good looks and three high quality gaits are important attributes for a dressage horse the essential feature is rideability. Both Millibar and Atterupgaards Cassidy are energetic and hot horses, but their willingness to work and perform have made them stand out on the European dressage scene for young riders. 19-year-old Nanna Skodborg Merrald has been a successful dressage rider since her pony days and she is a six times Danish champion. During her years as a junior rider she has been very successful with the Danish Warmblood gelding Millibar by Milan/Liberty Dane (B: Fritz Jensen) which her family purchased for her as a young horse when Nanna was still a pony rider. With the help of her trainer she has developed the very rideable Millibar into a confirmed Grand Prix horse, and she is already competing at U25 level despite her young age. With Millibar Nanna has earned several individual medals and championship titles at national, Nordic and European level from 2009. In 2010 they came 7th at the European championships for juniors where they were on the Danish bronze team. In 2011 the junior team won silver at the Europeans and Nanna and Millibar became European champions in freestyle. As a young rider the pair placed 5th individually at the Europeans and earned Danish team silver. Young Riders Shining o n D a n i s h W a r m b l o o d s Most recently Nanna and Millibar wowed the crowd at the CHIO Aachen when they won both U25 classes individually in a strong international field, and also won the team competition with her fellow rider. Nanna and Millibar scored 78.475% for their breathtaking freestyle. Atterupgaards Cassidy by Caprimond/Donnerhall (B: Atterupgaard) is another highly successful young rider horse. His talent was early discovered and as a young horse he competed at the WBFSH world championships in Verden. As a 7-year-old he was purchased by the parents of junior rider Cathrine Dufour who has had tremendous success with Cassidy during her years as a junior and young rider winning Danish, Nordic and European championships. At the Europeans they have an amazing track record claiming individual silver in 2010 and 2011, and double gold in 2012 and 2013. Their greatest achievements are four individual gold medals at the European Championships. In 2012 in Bern the pair conquered the stage and won gold in the individual test as well as in the freestyle test. The pair nailed it again in 2013 at Compiegne and repeated this outstanding performance winning both individual titles scoring 83.600% for their freestyle which is the current world recod. The 10-year-old gelding is ready for Grand Prix and will move up to U25 classes with Cathrine next year. Rideability is the most valuable asset for a dressage horse 14 Dansk Varmblod Stallions and magic The Stallion Show i n He r n i n g T he Stallion Show Licensing in Herning is a yearly event organised by Danish Warmblod. Attracting more than 56,000 spectators, and covering more than 20,000 square metres, the multi event includes dressage and jumping classes at the highest level, young horse championship, stallion licensing and highly relevant clinics by world star riders. At the stallion licensing one can spot the future stars of European sport and breeding scene in dressage as well show jumping. The Stallion Show in Herning is without a doubt the largest of its kind in Europe. The Danish Warmblood stallion licensing has taken place at the MCH Messecenter Herning since 1980 and has slowly but surely grown into a solid success which receives wide international attention. It now occupies every single exhibition hall of the centre, which makes it easy for the spectator to find the right entertainment. There is always something going on. Two spectacular gala shows with the best stallions and their riders in magnificent costumes, performing in an impressive stage set, leave the audience spellbound after a four hour performance. 16 Dansk Varmblod Stallions of the Year Each year at the National Stallion Show in Herning the coveted prize and title Stallion of the Year goes to a Danish Warmblood licensed stallion which has proved itself as a particularly strong progenitor of talented sport horses. The stallion licensing in Herning has become a major attraction to breeders, stallion keepers, riders and press from all over the world. This is where future start stallions are first viewed by an international audience. These are some of the programme highlights: 1998 Lucky Light DVE 366 Lagano / Marmor 2006 Michellino DVE 542 Michelangelo / Ulft 1999 Midt-West Ibi-Light DVE 360 Ibikus / Limelight 2007 Blue Hors Hertug DVE 700 Schwadroneur / Donauwind 2000 Schwadroneur DVE 343 Arogno / Ibikus 2008 Casir Ask DVE 497 Cor de la Bryère / Landgraf I 2001 Lando DH 430 Lancier / Raimondo 2009 Cajus DVE 634 Coronado / Lagano 2002 Come Back II DVE 560 Cor de la Bryère / Landgraf I 2010 Blue Hors Don Romantic DVE 801 Blue Hors Don Schufru / Blue Hors Romancier 2003 Blue Hors Don Schufro DVE 690 Donnerhall / Pik Bube I 2011 Blue Hors Romanov DVE 818 Rohdiamant / Grundgold II 2004 Carano DVE 521 Capitol I / Cor de la Bryère 2012 Crelido DVE 752 Calido / Raimondo 2005 Solos Landtinus DVE 674 Landadel / Argentinus 2013 Heartbeat DVE 871 Heartbreaker / Nimmerdor › Presentation of stallions at the licensing › Young Horse Championship in dressage and jumping › Competition classes in dressage and jumping › Gala Show with horses and famous artists › Spring Auction of young stallions and riding horses › Clinic and workshops top riders › The Horse & Rider trade show and tack fair Each of the now sixteen stallions of the year have been portrayed in an oil painting like Casir Ask in 2008. The original paintings decorate the offices of Danish Warmblood at Vilhelmsborg and the owners of the stallion receive a framed print copy. 18 Dansk Varmblod Skovens Rafael was purchased at the 2004 Elite Foal Auction and re-sold at the 2007 Spring Auction as a young licensed stallion. He is multi dressage champion and double finalist at the WBFSH world championships in Verden. Successful Auction Purchases Tailormade Attention was purchased at the 2008 Elite Foal Auction as the most expensive foal to date. He became a premium stallion and is now successful in sport as well as breeding. Many of the foals and young horses acquired at the Danish Warmblood auctions have grown into competitive sport horses and desired breeding stallions Gold medal mare and Danish 5-year-old dressage champion Donna Silver by Blue Hors Don Schufro sold at the 2007 Spring Auction and has developed into a winning Grand Prix horse currently successful at U25 level. At the 2010 Spring Auction Katholts Bossco by Blue Hors Don Schufro was the most expensive non-licensed stallion. He took part in the 2013 WBFSH world championships in Verden. Møllegårdens Pas Partout by Don Primero was the price highlight at the 2007 Elite Foal Auction and has developed into a highly successful young dressage horse. The 2011 licensing champion and performance test champion ERA Dancing Hit by UNO Don Diego was purchased at the 2008 Elite Foal Auction. D anish Warmblood does not have agelong traditions for foal or sport horse auctions. The first foal auction was held in 1989 and in the mid 1990’s the first colt auction was held at the stallion licensing in Herning. These two auctions have developed into the Spring Auction held in early March every year in connection with the stallion licensing in Herning and the Elite Foal Auction held in six month later in early September at the yearly elite show at Vilhelmsborg. The real breakthrough of the Elite Foal Auction came in 1999 when the Dressage Colt Foal of the year came under the hammer and sold to Blue Hors. The colt went on to become stallion licensing champion, performance test winner and young dressage champion. Blue Hors Don Romantic by Blue Hors Don Schufro/ Blue Hors Romancier (B: Jens Aage Buhl) soon became a sought-after producer of top foals all over Europe, but unfortunately his career as an international dressage horse came to an end after a severe injury. However, Blue Hors Don Romantic now carries the label ‘elite stallion’ and received the coveted title Stallion of the Year in 2010. Since then several colt foals from the Elite Foal Auction have become successful sires like the premium stallion Tailormade Attention by Abanos/Bøgelys Camaro (B: Lone Christiansen), the stallion licensing champion and performance test winner ERA Dancing Hit and the premium stallion, dressage champion and double world championship finalist Skovens Rafael by Blue Hors Romanov/Blue Hors Don Schufro (B: Jens L. Pedersen og Kirsten B. Hansen). Zaladin Mi by Blue Hors Zack/Solos Landtinus (B: Steen Bo Larsen) was purchased at the Spring Auction as an unlicensed colt, and one year later he became stallion licensing champion and performance test winner in Sweden. Several top horses have made their first appearance in the limelight at the Danish Warmblood auctions and have then moved on to become internationally known sport horses, and this does not only count for the dressage horses. The Elite Foal Auction fostered several successful jumping horses and many highly decorated mares of strong jumping bloodlines. International Grand Prix jumpers such as Skovens Cheyenne/MEX, Landlyst’s Leroy/DEN and Hedegaardens Aslan/RUS all derive from the Danish Warmblood auctions. The filly foal Lajgårdens Chicota was sold at the Elite Foal Auction in 2007 and in 2011 she became the Jumping Mare of the Year in Danish Warmblood. 20 Dansk Varmblod Betty Rasmussen, 80, still breeds high performing Danish Warmblood horses and takes great pleasure in following her many successful products. The Grand o f D a n i s h I As one of the few breeders in the world Betty Rasmussen has succeeded in breeding not only one Olympic medal winning horse but two – one in show jumping and one in dressage! n the late 1970’s Betty Rasmussen and her family decided to sell their riding horses in order to purchase some first class breeding stock. At the time good broodmares were not easy find, and they were not cheap either. Betty found her two dream mares, but they were hard to get and the sale of their nine riding horses did not even pay for the two mares Sonita by Marcellus and Vanessa by Elizar. Both mares were Danish bred, medal awarded at the Elite Show and out of very strong Swedish dam lines. Betty knew she had to have them, and her persistence paid off. Within a few years she was a highly successful breeder. The family of Sonita A daughter of Sonita produced the licensed stallion Lando by Lancier/Raimondo which became part of the Dutch show jumping team for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Under Albert Voorn the very expressive Lando went all the way to the finals where he captured individual silver. Lando continued his international sport career under German Otto Becker and stood at stud a couple of seasons at Schockemöhle before he was successfully introduced into the French studbook of Selle Français. Sonita produced numerous highly decorated mares and successful dressage horses. Her son Ragant by Raimondo was on the German long list for the 2000 Olympics with Tanja Traupe, and her son Rubinstern Højris by Rubinstein was a successful Grand Prix horse in the UK. B r eed i n g At the Danish Warmblood stallion licensing in Herning in 2012 the young stallion Zorba Højris by Blue Hors Zack/Blue Hors Romanov became the young licensing champion among the dressage colts and went on to pass the performance test with flying colours. Zorba is owned by a Danish Grand Prix rider and he represents fourth generation out of Sonita. The family of Vanessa Vanessa is out of the famous Swedish damline “F2 Spinda” which among many top sport horses in dressage as well as show jumping has produced the legendary dressage stallion Briar. The extensive success of Vanessa in Betty Rasmussen’s breeding programme goes through her daughter Virginia by Ibsen. Virginia produced, among several very successful dressage horses, one of the world’s best - Mistral Højris by Michellino. This spectacular mover was successfully trained by its first owners, Ernst Jessen and Hasse Hoffmann, up to the highest level before it was sold to the British young rider Laura Bechtolsheimer, now Tomlinson. Mistral (known as Alf) and Laura have won it all. At the 2010 WEG in Lexington they claimed two individual silver medals on top of the British team silver medal, and at the 2011 Europeans in Rotterdam they played a significant role on the British gold winning team, and they also claimed individual bronze. At the 2012 Olympics in London they smashed it on home turf by winning team gold and claiming individual bronze in the Grand Prix Special. 22 Dansk Varmblod Dam Lines with an Impact In retrospect I could have produced more Michellino foals as he was close to the ideal match for my mares T he breeding of Danish Warmblood horses is to a certain extent based on very strong dam lines. The power of a strong mare family is passed on from individual to individual and often goes far beyond the other bloodlines of the pedigree. One should never underestimate the importance of influential dam lines. 2. Mistral Højris and British Laura Tomlinson won individual bronze at the 2012 Olympics in London. The stallion Lando won individual silver at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney under the saddle of Dutch Albert Voorn. Still Breeding At the age of 80 Betty Rasmussen has not stopped breeding horses. She has fewer horses nowadays but still likes to get foals every year. Nevertheless, she has decided to sell most of her brood mares. When Betty Rasmussen looks back at her career as a breeder she has few regrets, and rightly so. How- ever, in retrospect she says that she could have produced more Michellino foals as he was close to the ideal match for her mares. In 2007 Betty Rasmussen was awarded Danish Warmbloods gold medal of honour for her outstanding breeding and her loyalty to the studbook. 1. 3. 1. The dam line of the 2. Swedish Jennie Larsson’s Grand British Jane Gregory’s 2008 Olympic mount Lucky Star (above) by Lucky Light has produced several internationally successful dressage horses, one of which is the Danish team horse for the 2013 European Championships Fitou L ridden by Lone Bang Larsen. Prix horse Monsieur Højris (above) by Michellino is out of the same mare family as the British dressage team horse Mistral Højris and the Norwegian dressage team horse Tailormade Akon Askelund as well Madonna Askelund which is on the Norwegian para-dressage team. The dam line goes back to the same foundation stock which in Swedish has produced the Olympic mount Björsell’s Briar. 3. The dam line of American Heather Blitz’ Danish Warmblood Grand Prix horse Paragon (above) by Blue Hors Don Schufro has also produced the international show jumper Paradiso (Rolf-Göran Bengtsson) and a large number of Grand Prix dressage horses among which Digby is currently the most famous. This line goes back to the Holsteiner mare Pari whose name has inspired breeders for several decades to name their foals out of this powerful dam line from which many licensed stallions and highly decorated mares derive. 24 Dansk Varmblod 20-year-old Oldenburg stallion Blue Hors Don Schufro by Donnerhall/ Pik Bube I was imported by Blue Hors director Esben Møller and presented to the Danish Warmblood licensing committee at the age of 5. As a sport athlete he has been the Danish dressage champion as well as an Olympic team medallist. His impact on Danish dressage horse breeding is immeasurable. His greatest contribution to the breeding has not been to create a stallion line of his own but rather to produce dressage horses of the highest quality, known for their superb canter and high legs with great reach. Don Schufro has produced a number of outstanding daughters, and has now established himself in Danish breeding as an invaluable dam sire. 22-year-old Michellino by Michelangelo/Ulft was the first KWPN stallion to have major influence in Danish breeding. He was imported by Per Vintersbølle as a 3-year-old. Michellino has produced licensed stallions and highly decorated mares, but what really made him a big name is the endless list of very talented and often hot Grand Prix dressage horses, and on top of that list is Olympic medallist Mistral Højris. T Visionary Stallion Keepers Imported as a youngster by John Byrialsen Holsteiner Come Back II by Cor de Bryère/Landgraf I started his career as a jumper. Birgitte Byrialsen took Come Back II to international Grand Prix dressage before he was successfully competed by Hubertus Schmidt. The best offspring of the now 21-year-old stallion have placed him as the currently 11th best dressage horse producer in the world. he success of a studbook is based on several key elements. Skilful breeders, strong mare lines and a functional selection system are three important pillars in the foundation of a studbook. The fourth, and not least important, is visionary stallion keepers. The build-up of a successful studbook takes several decades and through the years of building the foundation Danish stallion keepers have been able to select high quality stallions in Germany to meet the demand for development and to assist the mare owners in producing a strong breeding stock for the future. Influential Trakehner sires such as Donauwind, Ibikus and Schwadroneur have played an important role in establishing a true-to-type sport horse in Denmark, as have the Hanoverian Allegro, the Oldenburger Aleksander and many others at their time. At an early stage traditions for a noble conformation and appealing basic gaits were established. This also counted for jumpers, and the Danish stallion owners became known to always pick the best looking and best moving stallions in Holstein. Some had the skills to produce top jumping horse, like Lagano who has been one of the best sport horse producers in Danish Warmblood’s history. Others, like Limelight, Loran and Leandro, had the conformation and power 9-year-old Blue Hors Zack by Rousseau/Jazz is quite young to be mentioned along with such important sires like Michellino, Come Back II and Don Schufro, but nevertheless he has at an early age made a distinct impact in Danish breeding. He is a great example of visionary stallion purchase as he has proved to be a very suitable match for the typical long-lined mares with roomy gaits and a supple top line. to produce talented dressage horses when combined with the Danish mares. Nowadays chilled or frozen semen is available from the best stallions all over the world, and mare owners do not settle for the stallion collection of the nearest station. Nevertheless the stallion keepers still play an important role in finding promising stallions suitable for the market. Fortunately for the Danish breeders some of the financially strong stallion keepers in Denmark have been able to purchase top stallions like Quidam de Revel, Don Schufro and other sought-after sires. In recent years some of the imported stallions have made it into the top of the WBFSH Dressage Sire Ranking based on their top performing Grand Prix offspring. On the current ranking for dressage Blue Hors Don Schufro ranks 7th and Michellino 8th whilst Come Back II takes 11th place. These three stallions are great examples of the importance of visionary stallion keepers, and all three of them have been receiving large number of mares right from the beginning of their career which is essential for a stallion to become a living legend. 22-year-old Come Back II has 1758 registered offspring in the Danish database, 21-year-old Michellino has 1137 registered offspring and 20-year-old Blue Hors Don Schufro has 1325. 26 Dansk Varmblod Internationally Successful Yo u n g H o r se s D anish Warmblood takes part in the WBFSH’s world championships for young for dressage horses in Verden and jumping horses in Lanaken every year Long before the first Danish Warmblood horse claimed a medal at the world championships for young dressage horses in Verden numerous Danish horses had made it to the finals and placed just outside the medals. Several of these – like Milan, Clearwater, Schianto and Sopranos – have made it all the way to international Grand Prix. Other finalists like Atterupgaards Cassidy and Skovens Rafael are well on their way to Grand Prix and have already been very successful at small tour. Among the medallists Polka Hit Nexen is already an internationally successful Grand Prix horse and others like the two world champions Hønnerups Driver and UNO Donna Unique are well on the way. At the world championships for young jumping horses in Lanaken (Zangersheide) the influential Danish Warmblood stallion Lucky Light by Lagano/Marmor (B: Ingrid & Jørgen Schultz) took the Sire of the World title in 1997. The licensed stallion Cajus was the first Danish Warmblood to win a young horse medal when he claimed bronze as third best 6-year-old in the world. His success was followed up in 2004 when the mare Ligitta took silver among the 6-year-olds. Under the name of Frida she has been successful under Mexican rider Enrique Gonzalez who competed the mare at the 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong. The licensed stallion Cajus by Coronado/Lagano (B: Kari Munch Christiansen) was the first Danish Warmblood to win a medal at the WBFSH world championship when he claimed bronze under rider Søren Knudsen as a 6-yearold at Zangersheide in 2000. Andreas Helgstrand rode Hønnerups Driver by Blue Hors Romanov/Blue Hors Don Schufro (B: Stutteri Hønnerup) to Danish Warmblood’s first world championship title in Verden when the pair took gold for 5-year-olds in 2009. 28 Dansk Varmblod Many successful young horses have moved up to the highest level of the sport Danish warmblod’s BREEDING COMMITTEE 1. Poul Graugaard Spokesman of the breeding committee 2. 1. In 2004 Ligitta by Come Back II/Limelight (B: Poul Nielsen) won silver among the 6-year-olds at Zangersheide ridden by Michael Aabo. Four years later she was competed under Mexican flag at the 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong. Ole From Christensen Claus Hansen Member of the Breeding Member of the Breeding Committee Committee 3. 2. As a 6-year-old Polka Hit Nexen 3. The highly successful UNO Donna by Sandro Hit/Temple Wind xx (B: Hans Jul Andersen) took silver in 2008 i Verden ridden by Dorthe S. Hoeck. Under Andreas Helgstrand she has been successful up to Grand Prix. Unique by Blue Hors Don Schufro/Falkland (B: Stutteri UNO) took silver as a 5-yearold in 2009 and won gold as a 6-year-old in 2010 under Andeas Helgstrand. The mare is now trained up to Grand Prix. Karina Christiansen Breeding advisor Johnny Hansen Member of the Breeding Committee, showjumping Bjarne Nielsen Member of the Breeding Committee. dressage Vilhelmsborg allÉ 1 - DK-8320 Mårslet - Telefon: 87 47 54 00 - [email protected] - www.varmblod.dk 30 Dansk Varmblod The Elite Show Selecting the best filly and colt foals bred for dressage or jumping is one of the highlights at the Elite Show. Best dressage colt foal 2012 Tailormade Attraction is a son of Tailormade Attention who won the same title four years earlier. M a r e s B reeding and sport is brought together in one major event at the EQUSANA Elite Show which takes place every year in early September at the old manor and equestrian centre Vilhelmsborg, the headquarters of Danish Warmblood. Originally, the event was called the elite mare show, and exclusively focused on selecting the best 3-yearold mares for the medal awards. About two decades ago it developed to include the best foals and 2-yearold fillies selected all over the country for the national finals at the elite show. Soon the idea of launching an elite foal auction took the event one step further, and the latest addition is the Youngster Cup for the most talented young sport horses. The elite show has been a popular breeders’ event for a number of years, and the very high quality of auction foals and the talented 3-year-old mares shown under the saddle have attracted professional riders and horse dealers from all over the world. & f o a l s This is where young horse dressage world champion UNO Donna Unique was a finalist as a foal, a young filly and a graded 3-year-old champion mare. She and other outstanding mares like Polka Hit Nexen, Tørveslettens Stamina, Donna Silver and many more have all shone as promising youngsters at the elite show where one is sure to find the stars of tomorrow. The exciting medal awards for young mares and national finals for foals and 2-year-old fillies are all divided in two sections; dressage and jumping. Alongside these breeding events you will find the Youngster Cup for the best young Danish Warmblood registered dressage and jumping horses aged 6-8 years. Among them are licensed stallions and highly decorated mares and all of them have been selected according to their performances in sport. Breeding and sport is brought together in one major event at Vilhelmsborg 32 Dansk Varmblod 1. Increased Focus on 4. Jumpers 2. Danish Warmblood is now reaping the benefits of a successful breeding programme I n 2004 the Breeding Committee established the Showjumping Programme with the strategic purpose to systemise and develop the Danish Warmblood jumping bloodlines and direct the breed into the top 10 of the WBFSH studbook ranking. For several decades the Danish Warmblood breeders have been successful in producing high quality dressage horses, and therefore the Showjumping Programme was established to assist breeders in focusing their efforts in this direction. 3. Mares and stallions with generations of outstanding jumping bloodlines in their pedigrees were accepted to the programme following an application as were horses which had already proved their extraordinary quality through their performances. Nowadays the Showjumping Programme counts nearly 800 foals, mares and stallions. With the increasing focus on high performance breeding of show jumpers in recent years more and more talented young horses have appeared on the Danish jumping scene. At the international show in Falsterbo the 6-year-old Danish Warmblood stallion Nimble claimed the champion title of the Folksam Scandinavian Open. 4. – This is one of the most talented youngster I have ever had, and he gives me the feeling that he will go all the way, said Norwegian Stein Endresen after winning the Scandinavien championship for 6-year-old jumpers at Falsterbo and referred to the noble and energetic Danish Warmblood stallion Nimble by Krake Ask/Crelido (B: Richard Nielsen). 1. Farrari by Rockland/Willemoes (B: Ann-Marie Kok Therkildsen & Hans Martin Hansen) has been sold to French Eric Navet and has recently been very successful at Spruce Meadows in Canada. 2. 9-year-old Harry-K by Equest Carnute/Robin II Z (B: Søren Knudsen) has been successful at national and international young horse championships and has developed to a promising Grand Prix horse. Under his new Turkish rider Derin Demirsoy he won the 23,000EURO Grand Prix at Mantes La Jolie this summer. 3. The former WBFSH world championship medallist Frida by Come Back II/Limelight (B: Poul Nielsen) has travelled the world as a successful show jumper. Under Mexican Enrique Gonzalez the competed at the 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong, the 2009 World Cup final in Las Vegas and many more prestigious and international events. 4. Chianto by Carano/Primus AA (B: Annette M. Nielsen) and his Canadian rider John Pearce made it all the way to the finals of the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Kentucky. The now 17-year-old Danish Warmblood is still perferming at the highest level and is extremely successful under his steady rider John Pearce. The pair has claimed numerous Grand Prix victories in 2013 like the 30,000USD Grand Prix in Colorado Horse Park. 34 Dansk Varmblod Champion stallion Sezuan by Blue Hors Zack / Blue Hors Don Schufro seems to have a bright future ahead of him in international dressage and as a breeding stallion. He is now co-owned by German Arlette Jasper-Kohl. Danish Top Stallions for Export F or decades Danish Warmblood breeders have been building up a good reputation as producers of highly talented sport horses. Danish bred dressage horses have made it to the biggest international championships like the World Equestrian Games and the Olympic Games representing some of the most competitive nations such as UK and the USA. Outstanding Danish dressage horses have marketed Danish Warmblood all over the world and have increased the demand for Danish sport horses for export. In recent years the growing success has led to export of Danish Warmblood breeding stock. For a number of years good quality broodmares have been exported to countries like the USA and Norway, and have contributed to the breeding of quality sport horses in these countries. A new era has come, and the equestrian world has opened its eyes to the market of Danish stallions. Some of the heavyweights in sport horse breeding, Germany and the Netherlands, have realised the potential that lies in some of the best young stallions which represent very strong Danish dam lines and different bloodlines for foreign studbooks. Even though Danish Warmblood has become selfsufficient of breeding stallions, there will be an ongoing renewal of bloodlines through a continuous import of stallions. The foundation of the Danish breeders’ success is to always use the best bloodlines in order to improve their breeding stock, and this is what produces stallions which are suitable for external markets. Some of the highlights of the recent Danish stallion exports are the two 4-year-old licensing champions, Zonik and Sezuan. Now 5-year-old Zonik won the Danish dressage championship for 4-year-olds under his former owner Andreas Helgstrand at the international show in Odense, where he was spotted by the Dutch dressage duo Edward Gal and Hans Peter Minderhoud. Their sponsor, Austrian Gaston Glock, purchased the young stallion which under the name of Glock’s Zonik is participating at the WBFSH world championships in Verden this year with Hans Peter Minderhoud. Zonik is by Blue Hors Zack and out of a mare by Blue Hors The breeding stallion UNO Don Diego by Dressage Royal/Falkland (B: Stutteri UNO) is out of the same dam as the 6-year-old world champion mare UNO Donna Unique. Trained up to Grand Prix level UNO Don Diego has been sold to the USA. The former contestant at the WBFSH world championships at Zangersheide, licensed stallion Lorca V by Louvre S/Pablo (B: Ole Christensen), has been sold to the succesful show jumpers Johannes and Marcus Ehning, Germany. 36 Dansk Varmblod Zonik (Glock’s Zonik) by Blue Hors Zack/Blue Hors Romanov was already popular as a 3-year-old when he was part of Paul Schockemöhle’s stallion collection. He became the 4-year-old licensing champion in Herning and later on sold to Austrian Gaston Glock. Romanov / Blue Hors Don Schufro (B: Linette Jæger) and has already produced two crops of promising foals in Denmark and Germany. The black Sezuan, also by Blue Hors Zack and out of a former Mare of the Year dam by Blue Hors Don Schufro (B: Linette Jæger) and a very strong performance dam line, is still only 4 years old. At the age of three his unbelievable rideability and gaits were discovered by German Arlette Jasper-Kohl who also owns the Danish world champion mare UNO Donna Unique. Jasper-Kohl now co-owns the young stallion which remains in training at Helgstrand Dressage where he also serves his duty as a highly sought-after breeding stallion producing foals all over the world. A new era has come, and the world has opened its eyes to Danish stallions Stallion Auction At the Stallion Licensing every year 2nd Saturday of March Danish Warmblood Stallion Auction 38 Dansk Varmblod Danish Warmblood The Stallion Show i n her n i n g 6 - 9 M A R C H 2 0 1 4 Show classes | Exhibition | Young horse championship | Stallion Licensing | Auction | Clinics Tickets and information at www.varmblod.dk