Michellino

1991 168cm Bay

It’s hard when you go from profiling jumping stallions to dressage stallions. I had just finished work on the Belgian jumping sire, Kashmir van’t Schuttershof, when I turned to Michellino, and it becomes glaringly obvious how hard it is for a jumping sire to make the top ten, how easy for a dressage stallion.

Kashmir was a member of the Belgian Showjumping team, and placed at major international competitions. He is ranked 7th on the WBFSH stallion rankings on the basis of points earned by 64 of this progeny. He is the sire of four horses that are entered for the Rio Olympic Games…

Michellino is ranked 5th on the dressage sires’ rankings on the basis of eight progeny, two of whom are entered for Rio – My Lady (Ritterstern), who came 35th at the WEG in Caen, and is ranked 22nd in the world, and Smeyers Molberg (Rambo), who is ranked 30th, with the best score a 3rd in the Grand Prix Special at München-Riem (where the gelding was 5th in the Grand Prix).

Mistral Hojris – a star

It is true that Michellino’s star, Mistral Hojris (Ibsen) has retired and also undeniably true that he was truly a superstar: 3rd individually with Laura Tomlinson at the London Games and second individually at the Kentucky WEG, performances that shot Michellino into 3rd place on the 2010 WBFSH standings.

The influential Thoroughbred, Pericles

Michellino was born in Holland by the German Trakehner, Michelangelo, out of a very Dutch mare, by Ulft, with two crosses of the English Thoroughbred, Pericles, who imported to Holland became a valued sire of jumpers and dressage horses. Like Lucky Boy, Pericles was one of the few Thoroughbreds to achieve Preferent status.

Michelangelo

Michelangelo was put down in 2008 at the age of 23. The Elite Trakehner stallion was one of the last sons of the Thoroughbred, Pasteur. Michelangelo was 3rd of 17 entries in his performance test at Warendorf before he went to The Netherlands where he stood at the stallion station of Joep van Uytert.

On his arrival in The Netherlands, he was inspected by the KWPN in February 1990, the report notes: “A friendly, honest, attentive, dependent and obedient stallion with a good temperament. He sometimes becomes tense in his work… He is enjoyable to ride. The walk is sufficient, the trot is hurried, and both gaits need more scope. The canter is big.”

The short summary of his progeny noted: “A very varied collection with respect to development but which has nobility. The trot is generally easy with good elevation, but the hind leg needs to step further under the body.”

Out of his first crop Michelangelo produced two sons that shone at the Trakehner licensing at Neumünster, Guy Laroche and Kennedy. He was also the dam sire to two prominent KWPN stallions, Westpoint and UB40. He was the sire of Just Mickey (Ulster) who Tinne Vilhemson rode at the Athens Games and the 2005 European Dressage Championships.

Michellino was licensed in Denmark in 1994, where he produced two licensing champions, Milan and Matinique, and many many foals. It seems the KWPN is not overly impressed by his progeny since they are usually quick to license stallions that have slipped through their system and flourished elsewhere – not so in the case of Michelino who is still not recognized in Holland.

In 2006 he was proclaimed Danish Warmblood Stallion of the Year.

Michellino had a reputation of being hot and difficult to handle – as were his offspring – which has not prevented him producing some top sport horses, enough, indeed to make top ten status on the WBFSH standings.

Headed for Rio – My Lady. Photo Kenneth Braddick
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As of September 2021, Michellino is credited with thirty Grand Prix competitors. He celebrated his 30th birthday in April 2021 with a special photo shoot with the Danish publication, Ridehesten: