SPORTHORSE STALLION - Warmblood Stallions of North America

SPORTHORSE
STALLION Directory
THE
Top Warmblood and Sport Pony Stallions of North America
Article:
Theory and Practice:
What I Learned at the The American Hanoverian Society
Breed Orientation Seminar with
Dr. Ludwig Christmann and Judy Hedreen
by Anna Goebel
2012
www.theSporthorse.com
Theory and Practice
Conformation • Bloodlines • Breeding Goals
The American Hanoverian Society Breed Orientation Seminar
with Dr. Ludwig Christmann and Judy Hedreen
by Anna Goebel
Twenty-one eager scholars boarded the yellow school bus every
day with their field trip leaders, on a quest for knowledge. As
the bus rattled and bounced towards its destination, enthusiastic
voices rose above its noise to discuss every aspect of what they
were learning. Kids? Of course not. The wine and Schnapps* were
one clue that this was no group of schoolkids but the intrepid
group of participants attending the American Hanoverian Society’s Breed Orientation Seminar, held from November 3–9, 2011
in Framingham, Massachusetts.
This Seminar, the second to be held in the US, featured Dr. Ludwig Christmann of the German Hanoverian Verband and was
organized by Linda Mendenhall and Judy Hedreen. Judy Hedreen was responsible for organizing the first seminar, which was
held in California, and is a USEF “R” Dressage/Sporthorse judge
and an AHS inspection judge. Dr. Christmann is the Verband’s
Director of International Affairs, Development and Education.
He is also a breeder, an expert in the study of the heritability of
traits, and is in charge of the breeding seminars held annually in
Hannover on which the AHS seminars are modeled.
The AHS intends to hold these seminars for North American
participants every other year. They are open to Hanoverian members and non-members, and appropriate for any serious breeder.
The focus is on the Hanoverian horse, but the principles apply to
all warmblood breeds, and the bloodlines are part of the genetic
pool familiar to almost
all European warmblood breeders.
The greatest value of an
experience like this is
that it makes knowledge
available to us that most
of us couldn’t get any
other way. We studied
conformation theory,
but we also watched a
* The Schnapps, inspired by a
tradition at German breeding
farms, as well as the wine and
even cheese and sausage, were
provided by the indomitable
Canadian participants, Dr.
Heather-Lynn Smith and
Debra Symes, with the connivance of the bus driver.
2
world-renowned expert plus one of our own experienced judges
in the process of applying that theory. We got a guided tour of the
most significant bloodlines, with commentary by Dr. Christmann
on many individual stallions’ strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, we got a sense of how the Verband sees itself, what their
approach is, what’s important to them, how important we are in
North America, how that relationship has changed, and how the
Verband operates world-wide.
The German Hanoverian Verband is quite a large and complicated
structure (see page 25) that all works towards one goal: to produce
“a breed which is particularly suitable for equestrian sports....”
During the five days of the seminar we looked in detail at what
that means and how the Hanoverian Verband works always
toward that goal. The Hanoverian Verband has been the most
successful of any warmblood registry, in or outside of Germany, in
meeting the goal of not only producing a horse that has excelled
in all three Olympic disciplines, but also in developing a structure
that supports and markets the Hanoverian “brand” (literal and
figurative) as a business worldwide.
C L A S S R O O M | Breeding Goals
Evaluating anatomy, structure, and movement for ridability and
soundness has been around for centuries. What is new since the
Second World War,
however, is the emphasis
on breeding for sport.
Because sport changes
quite quickly compared
to farming or cavalry
needs, the warmblood
horse is being modified
all the time in response
to market forces. There
is always a “modern”
type Hanoverian, for
example, that is different from a Hanoverian
of thirty years ago.
Participants and leaders of the AHS Breed Seminar. Dr. Ludwig Christmann is at the far left (black
arrow). The other three arrows, left to right, point to Linda Mendenhall, Judy Hedreen, and author
Anna Goebel. For a complete list of participants, visit www.theSporthorse.com. Photo by bus driver.
The concept of “modern”
encompasses a number
of traits. Before the
1990s, the Hanoverian
was on average a heavier
Article copyright © 2011 by Anna Goebel, The Sporthorse Stallion Directory • www.theSporthorse.com
horse than it is today, the focus was on breeding dressage horses,
and high knee action was avoided. Today the ideal Hanoverian is
longer-legged and more refined, jumping ability is actively sought,
and a flashy trot with more knee action is admired.
them also made the same comment: “We do this because we love
it; this is our passion.”
Says Judy Hedreen, “Thirty years ago it was all about size—10"
cannon bones and horses weighing 1400 pounds—now nobody
talks about 10" cannon bones.”
One of the strengths of the warmblood breeding system of
inspections and evaluations (Hanoverian and others) is its emphasis on performance. Even when horses are evaluated standing
Today the emphasis is on the suppleness and elasticity that
marks an athlete, in an elegant and attractive package. Both types
have been around a long time, and refining influences have been
sought for as long as warmblood studbooks have been kept, but
today’s goal is to produce a “type” that is consistently successful in
sport at all levels.
C L A S S R O O M | Conformation
Field trips gave us an opportunity to see what area breeders are producing,
and to start putting our knowledge to practical use. Photos by Rebecca Neff.
There is another set of characteristics that has always been
emphasized in the Hanoverian horse: the internal qualities of
character, temperament, trainability, ridability. This is part of the
evaluations of all the stallion testing. Even mares and foals, in
the shorter time available during inspections, are graded on their
character. The objective is to produce a horse that is amateurfriendly as well as internationally competitive.
F I E L D T R I P | Three Different Breeding Goals
We head out on the yellow schoolbus to visit three breeding
farms. Our desire to get to know each other more than meets the
challenges of the bouncing, rattling bus. Voices rise to talk shop,
compare notes, and share the adventure. iPhones and iPads are
used to display live online resources, and handed across the aisle
as we share foal photos and bloodline information.
Majestic Gaits: This is Galileo MG, a 2011 colt by one of Majestic Gaits’
own stallions, Schroeder (Sandro Hit). He is out of a Keur Elite Dutch mare
by Goodtimes (Nimmerdor).
The three breeding farms are remarkable in their differences, and
also in their similarities.
Majestic Gaits is the home of three stallions—Navarone, Farrington, and the Hanoverian Schroeder by Sandro Hit—and we
were warmly welcomed by owner Kathy Hickerson and her rider/
handler Makenzi Wendel. This is a family business, and Kathy
runs a no-frills breeding farm that has become recognized for her
quality horses with a strong emphasis on dressage.
Jayshree and Dr. Terry Schrubb welcomed us into their home at
Page Brook Farms to partake of a feast of delectable munchies
while Terry outlined his breeding program and goals. With the
home farm and more acres in New York State, his goal is to produce jumping talent by starting with proven jumper performance
mares that have the pedigrees he’s looking for.
Final stop: Hof Mendenhall, owned by Linda and Jeff Mendenhall. Linda, a dedicated breeder of Hanoverian horses and one
of the seminar organizers, has recently given up her job as an
aerospace engineer to devote herself full time to breeding. Linda
regularly spends time studying in Germany and is also in the
process of becoming a USDF Sporthorse judge.
Very different approaches, yet all are similar in their commitment
to producing the best-quality offspring they can. Each one of
Hof Mendenhall: Linda Mendenhall breeds to outside stallions, mainly
from Germany. Shown here are two of this year’s foals: Dakesa HM, by Dacaprio out of SPS Pakesa/Prince Thatch and Loreto HM, by Londonderry
out of EM Day Dream/Don Bosco.
still—which was the only way horses were evaluated years ago,
even stallions—most of the criteria were developed with ultimate
athleticism and soundness in mind. “The aim is to breed a horse
with correct and harmonious conformation,” and the exterior
harmony should be directly connected to the harmony of movement and function.
Our lecture on conformation was a good, in-depth look at the
physical requirements of a sporthorse—specifically the ideal
Hanoverian, but most of it applicable to the modern sporthorse
athlete in general.
www.TheSporthorse.com • Online Stallion, Breeder, Trainer Listings, Horse for Sale, Foal Listings
3
AMERICAN
HANOVERIAN SOCIETY
SUCCESS ALL OVER THE WORLD | ERFOLG IN ALLER WELT
Bidding Ends February 12, 2012
20th Annual Stallion Service Auction
www.hanoverian.org
tHe AnnuAl AHS StAllion Service Auction offers breedings
AmericAn HAnoveriAn Society
to some of the finest AHS-approved stallions in North America. This year,
the auction will be another exciting event with a large number of stallions
participating and live internet bidding – you can bid early or up until
the last minute! Join in the excitement! Proceeds benefit all American
Hanoverian breeders, mare and stallion owners through increased
national promotion and our significant awards program.
4067 Iron Works Parkway, Suite 1
Lexington, KY 40511
Bidding ends Sunday, February 12, 2012. Visit the website for details,
registration information and an up-to-date listing of participating stallions.
www.HAnoveriAn.org
Phone:
Fax:
(859) 255-4141
(859) 255-8467
Email:
[email protected]
Website: www.hanoverian.org
Photo: The domestically-bred Elite Hanoverian stallion Donarweiss GGF (De NiroEM Highlight/Hohenstein), ridden by Genay Vaughn. Donarweiss is owned by
Starr Vaughn Equestrian Center, Calif., and was bred by Rachel Ehrlich, Mass.
Photo: Courtesy Hilltop Farm, Inc. All rights reserved.
HAnovEriAnS | Masterpieces of Breeding | Hannoveraner | meisterwerke der zucht
AHS Seminar continued
At Brookside Equestrian Center. Dr. Christmann is describing angles for
good conformation with one of the horses presented for us to practice on. The
handler is Phil Silva of Ten Broeck Farm in Massachusetts.
F I E L D T R I P | Putting Theory into Practice
Today the bus took us to Brookside Equestrian Center, our hosts
for the next three days of on-site evaluations. Brookside is owned
by Lyn Spinella, and is a boarding/lessons/training facility and
also a C.E.M. quarantine station. Multiple horses were presented
for us to observe and to practice on. We had several in hand
the first day, presented on the triangle. Day 2 was a mock mare
performance test, with “mares” (two were actually geldings) shown
under saddle and also through a jumping chute. On the third day
we saw three Hanoverian stallions presented. Thank you to all the
owners and presenters who made this part possible.
Why is evaluating real horses so hard!? This is partly an exclamation and partly a genuine question. American breeders are told
that we just lack experience compared to European breeders, and
that is certainly true, but I am beginning to suspect that there is
more to it than that. Here was a group of breeders with a great
deal of experience between them, many of them with training in
evaluating conformation in warmblood horses—and our scores
didn’t agree. In fact, the “hands-on” parts of the seminar gave
Again at Brookside Equestrian Center. Co-leader Judy Hedreen answers
questions from a participant. Both Judy Hedreen and Dr. Christmann were
available at all times and very approachable.
We get to make our evaluations. At left is Linda Mendenhall, one of the
seminar organizers.
Photos by participant Susan Crum.
some of us more questions than answers.
The theory is basically simple. Not necessarily easy—you have
to learn a lot about anatomy and function, and you have to train
your eye—but fairly easy to explain: there are specific things to
look for and you can learn those, and you can see where conformation flaws deviate from the ideal.
We should be able to take that theoretical knowledge and apply it
to a real horse. In theory, it should work exactly the same way as
when we’re evaluating the conformation of a horse in a photo.
In reality, there is a huge disconnect between the theoretical application of judging standards and applying them to a real horse.
I don’t think that it’s because we don’t know one end of the
horse from the other. I think we all saw conformation flaws to a
good degree. I think the challenge is knowing what to do with
them. The ability to spot conformation flaws is only the first step
towards giving the horse a score. I’m beginning to think the steps
that come after are almost impossible to explain in words.
Dr. Christmann’s style is quiet and laid-back, with a great sense of humor. He
did his best to respond to any and all questions.
Photos by participant Susan Crum.
www.TheSporthorse.com • Online Stallion, Breeder, Trainer Listings, Horse for Sale, Foal Listings
5
AHS Seminar continued
When you have a real horse, extra factors immediately come into
play. Practical issues—how the horse is stood up by the handler,
the muscle condition of the horse, your view (especially as the
horse trots away and towards you)—will affect your ability to
score accurately. Your knowledge of the horse’s background (age,
training, breeding history, injuries) may play a large role in determining your score, or it may not. When you identify a flaw, you
have to determine its severity (How extreme is it? Is it something
that will be passed on if the horse is bred?), and then you have to
look at it again in the context of the whole horse.
Now Presenting: Three Hanoverian Stallions
Schroeder, by Sandro Hit out
of an Escudo I mare. Schroeder
is owned by Kathy Hickerson
of Majestic Gaits, where this
photo was taken. Schroeder
gets his long legs and nice front
end from his sire, Sandro Hit.
Photo by Seminar participant
Rebecca Neff.
Donnersohn, by Donnerhall
out of an Archipel mare. He’s
owned by Ann Fleisher and
Helen Cast of Malden, Massachusetts. Donnersohn was bred
in Germany and imported as a
baby. He combines substance
and elegance from his sire and
his States Premium Hanoverian dam. A&A Photography.
Don Principe is by Donnerhall
out of a mare by Prince Thatch.
He is owned by Maryanna
Haymon of Marydell Farms.
Don Principe has demonstrated his dressage abilities
in FEI competition. His build
has some of the lightness of
his Thoroughbred damsire,
Prince Thatch, who is known to
produce excellent walks.
Maryanna Haymon photo.
In principle, none of these factors should affect anything; in
theory we should be evaluating only what we can see in front of
us right then. In practice they matter a lot, and I believe this is
where the disconnect happens. This is the part where experience
comes in. The more you see, the more you can predict the later
effects of the trait you are looking at. In practice this is the most
difficult to understand and to explain.
C L A S S R O O M | Bloodlines
Day Five was the most exciting for many of the participants, being a guided tour of the most prominent Hanoverian and other
6
warmblood bloodlines. This is the area where non-European
breeders are truly at a disadvantage. We can study the bloodlines,
but in Europe the information is in living form all around you:
hundreds of examples of different lines, different crosses. For us,
having access to the knowledge and opinions of an expert like Dr.
Christmann (“straight from the horse’s mouth,” as one participant
put it) is invaluable.
Dr. Christmann spent today’s classroom time bridging the gap.
He touched on all the influential sire lines, commenting on their
traits, what they brought to the gene pool, what influential sons
or prominent mare lines they produced, what they crossed well
with, what traits they were known for passing on.
A look at important sires is a look at the forces through history that shaped and directed the form of Hanoverian and other
warmbloods.
We looked at the sons of Fling, for example, where the “F” line
splits. His son Feiner Kerl (b. 1919) continues the F names, while
his son Flavius’ offspring become the first of the “W” line. Flavius
son Flügelmann I (b. 1929) and his son Flügeladjutant (b. 1938)
are a “pure dressage line” that later produces Weltmeyer and many
other dressage stars. Weltmeyer is quite well-represented in the
US by sons who are producing dressage horses and also hunters.
Weltmeyer was also the “best of the Absatz line,” since his dam
was an Absatz mare. Absatz (b. 1960), by the Trakehner stallion
Abglanz (b. 1946, who strongly influenced the look of the Hanoverian in the 1960s, producing elegance and a beautiful type)
was extremely influential. “As popular in his day as Sandro Hit
today,” he was known as a good broodmare sire and also produced
many influential sons.
We looked at influential Thoroughbred sires: Der Löwe xx in the
1940s, for example, and Lauries Crusador xx today. We looked
at the influx of jumping talent at different times, from the early
Ramzes line to recent Holsteiner sires. We saw how a little jumping blood can improve a dressage line.
The question of breeding for hunters was brought up by several participants. Germany doesn’t have a hunter program, and doesn’t breed
for hunters, but it is on the radar because it is such an important
market in the US. The US market is important in Germany, so it will
be interesting to see how that question is handled in the future.
F I E L D T R I P | Bloodlines
Back to Brookside Equestrian Center, to put our recently acquired
knowledge to work. Three stallions were presented both in hand
and under saddle: Schroeder, by Sandro Hit out of an Escudo I
mare; Don Principe, by Donnerhall out of a mare by Prince Thatch;
and Donnersohn, by Donnerhall out of an Archipel mare. Dr.
Christmann pointed out the desirable qualities of these horses and
the different visible traits coming from their sires or dam lines.
On a side note, it’s fun to see promising young riders as well as
young horses. Schroeder and his rider presented a notably harmo-
Article copyright © 2011 by Anna Goebel, The Sporthorse Stallion Directory • www.theSporthorse.com
AHS Seminar continued
nious picture. Makenzi Wendel came to dressage from eventing,
and she and Schroeder are learning together, with regular instruction and coaching from international clinicians.
The greatest result of a seminar like this is that it challenges us to
think, to absorb new knowledge, to question it, to understand it as
thoroughly as possible and to figure out how it applies to our own
decisions. I believe the majority of participants will go home and
improve or refine their breeding programs as a result. As participant Christine Kropf of Hawk Hollow Farm put it: “To hear
from Dr. Christmann and learn what is going on in Germany
was unique. It was a rare opportunity to hear what the Verband’s
thoughts on things regarding breeding of the Hanoverian horse
in the US. It was also an important opportunity to interact with
other Hanoverian breeders from all over the US and Canada.” F
Seminar Participants Included:
Paula Byrum
Blud Heron Farm
PA
Dan Coffey
DM Warmbloods
www.dmwarmbloods.com
MI
Susan Crum
WI
Ashley Gagnon
GA
Anna Goebel
The Sporthorse Stallion Directory
www.theSporthorse.com
WI
Olga Iglikova
MA
Christine Kropf
Hawk Hollow Farm
www.hawkhollowFarm.com
Hawk Hollow Farm on Facebook
NY
Gina Leslie
Sandpiper Farm, LLC
www.Sandpiperfarm.com
Gina Leslie on Facebook
NY
Mary Manning
Mary Dunn Manning on Facebook
NC
Jan Marquardt
Walkabout Station
www.walkaboutstation.com
TX
Linda Mendenhall
Hof Mendenhall
www.hof-mendenhall.com
MA
Rebecca Neff
Rebecca Neff on Facebook
CA
Sharon Neff
IA
Elizabeth Pickvance
Cumbria Farm
www.Cumbriafarm.com
LA
W. Pickvance Temple
TX
Anne Schafer
NC
Betsy Smith (Mary E. Smith)
MD
Heather-Lynn Smith
AB
Debra Symes
AB
Megan Terrell
TX
Sally Welsh
Fox Hollow Stable
www.foxhollowstable.ca
ON
A Word from the Author, Publisher of the Sporthorse Stallion Directory
Over the last few decades the sporthorse disciplines have grown in the US,
and also evolved, and the popularity of the warmblood breeds has grown and
evolved alongside the interest. American breeders have risen to the challenge
of producing warmblood horses, but always with the handicap of working
with small numbers spread over a huge area.
The infrastructure that is in place in Germany (and other European countries) for producing riding horses in huge and complex. It has its roots in
the 1700s, and has been evolving, restructuring, contracting and expanding
ever since. Horse breeders in Germany grow up within this structure and
understand how it works below the surface as well as what’s easily visible.
They monitor changes on a daily basis, understanding it in a way that
Americans don’t have an opportunity to do.
On the other hand, American warmblood breeders’ passion and commitment are unsurpassed, and our ability to absorb knowledge and apply it
are as good as anyone’s. Our commitment to quality is one of our greatest
strengths, and the overall quality of our American foals has steadily increased as a result.
We have the ability to understand, the skills and the dedication to apply
knowledge. What we lack is information,
the knowledge of the system and the specific facts we need to make good decisions.
The American Hanoverian Society’s Breed
Seminar gave us a huge dose of that knowledge, taking American breeding another
step closer to where we want to be.
Content copyright © 2011 by Anna
Goebel, publisher. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of text or images without
written permission is strictly prohibited.
www.TheSporthorse.com • Online Stallion, Breeder, Trainer Listings, Horse for Sale, Foal Listings
7