1988 – 2009 168 cm Chestnut
Breeder: Auguste Brugier
This son of Double Espoir has been one of the most successful in France – both as a performer and then as a sire. In the 2007 season, he was the 7th most popular sire in France with 193 mares.
As a young horse, Apache was sensational. At three years of age, he won the stallion grading in Normandy (and coming from the Vendéen region was the first horse bred outside Normandy to do so!) and then went on to finish 7th in the World Young Jumping Horse Championships in the seven year old class.
Ridden by Jacques Bonnet, the stallion won Grand Prix in Madrid, Barcelona and Lisbon, Nations Cup classes in Rome and La Baule and World Cups in Bordeaux and Bercy. He was retired at the age of 14 after being long listed for the French team for the 2000 Olympic Games.
Apache d’Adriers is out of the mare, Joyeuse de Choisy by the Thoroughbred Felix.
Felix was by Moutiers who descends from Prince Rose, a regular name on jumping pedigrees (and a descendant of the Bay Ronald on his dam line). On his dam sire, Moutiers is out of a Nasrullah mare (Phalaris) and on the female side, traces to Ballyferis with Son-In-Law/Dark Ronald on his sire line.
Her dam, Violette O was by Invincible who was by the Thoroughbred, L’Alcazar.
Violette O was the dam of a series of well-performed jumpers and the stallion, Harris (by Arquebusier). Her full sister was the legendary Nouba D, who competed in French showjumping competition up until her twentieth year, competing in foal or with a foal at foot.
Injured as a youngster, Joyeuse de Choisy commenced her breeding career at the age of four – and her first foal, the filly, Pivoine de Choisy – by Double Espoir – was a spectacular success, a finalist in the 6 year old championships and a top open competitor. Her second filly, Valkyrie d’Adriers (by Jabad) is now breeding in Belgium where she produced Idole de Rêve (by Quito de Baussy), a finalist in 7 year old class in the 2003 World Young Jumping Horse Championships.
French team rider, Jacques Bonnet had been competing on Pivoine de Choisy, and recommended putting the mare back to Double Espoir – the result was Apache d’Adriers.
However Apache was not a typical product of Double Espoir – his other sons, like the famed Flipper d’Elle or Fidelio du Thot, tend to be short and compact, where Apache was influenced more by his Thoroughbred grandsire, Felix, who stood for only two seasons.
After he won the three year old championship, Apache d’Adriers was sold to the National Stud where his career as a sire has been hugely successful.
According to his breeder, Henri Brugier, Apache d’Adriers has a good temperament: “You didn’t have to explain things to him twice, he would always try because he is clever and once he had been explained things he would learn fast. At the earliest age he showed power, and passes it down to his progeny. The best match is with very ‘elegant’ mares that carry blood. He also gives his offspring his very good bascule. His offspring are fit, have muscle tone, and his very good temperament. Three-quarters of his offspring are chestnut like him, but he also breeds bay and sometimes grey foals.”
According to Jacques Bonnet: “Apache d’Adriers does not mark his offspring with a specific conformation but he passes down to them his great temperament, winning spirit and great jumping ability. He is a generous horse and a great competitor that gives his all when he is in the ring. His offspring are of good overall and homogenous quality and I have never seen a bad one. His weaker point is maybe a slight lack of engagement which hinders his canter. For me, Apache is among the five best sires in France.”
According to Patrick Clerin, Assistant Manager at the National Stud of Bois, where Apache stands, “His best match seems to be with Thoroughbred mares and with mares with a lot of blood in their pedigree, the modern and sports type. His offspring don’t always carry his mark but usually inherit his great jumping ability.”
(All these quotes are from Apache d’Adriers: Norman-Vendéen mix by Claire Lavaillez in the December, 2003 edition of Breeding News)
In 2006, Apache d’Adriers was the tenth most popular stallion in France with 183 mares. He drew approving comment from that sternest of critics, Bernard Lecourtois, in Monneron 2007-2008, even if there is the customary sting in the tail: “This very good performer was to prove to have a very good production, from the first generation on, with Huron des Gerbaux (313th in the world) or Héritière d’Adriers (578th) and three other international winners. They are apt and talented over jumps, but have inherited the bad canter of their father.”
In 2007 with Apache moving steadily up the sires table, Bernard was even more gracious: “Ex great performer, Apache already has numerous progeny jumping at a high level, as in 2007, 7 of his products ranked in the WBFSH list, including Madame Pomadour who went under Michel Robert’s saddle again in 2008. This gives him an equal 9th place of SF stallions in the world (by number of winning international products). He himself had a locomotion defect, and can pass it on, but he also passes on his great heart and his talent. Nobody is perfect!”
In 2007, a son of Apache – Idem de B’Neville (out of a mare by Quastor) – headed the standings of French stallions competing at CSIO-CSI 5* level, with 113 mares. The 11 year old stallion had his best season of competition in 2007 with a 2nd at Hickstead CSIO Grand Prix, and a third in the French Championships for winnings of €109,500 for the season. Since then his career has not been so brilliant. In 2013, his best result was a 7th in a 1.40 Accumulator at Vidauban.
While Apache has sired a number of very solid performers on the international circuit, none have been quite so successful as their sire. The most successful competitor by far, has been Madam Pompadour, who competed at the Athens Games with Fabio Cotta. She had the distinction of competing at the European Championships (2005/7/9) with three riders, Cotta, Gonzolo Testa Ornat and Sergio Alvarez Moya.
Representing France – Madame Pompadour and Michel Robert
The mare had a super season in 2008 when ridden by Michel Robert, with a string of top placings and a win at Sao Paolo CSI*****.
In the magazine le Selle Français (no 16 – 1st Trimestre 2013), Bernard le Courtois considers the top 15 stallions of the 2012 season. In equal 8th place on the ranking of stallions by winners in CSI classes, we find Apache with two winners. Bernard also looked at the stallions with progeny born between 1999 and 2003, on the basis of the proportion of winners to foals, and here we find Apache d’Adriers in 14th place with 2 winners out of 313 progeny, a strike rate of 0.63%. Between 1993 and 2012, he covered 2015 mares. Although he died in 2009, he continued to cover thanks to the stock of his semen at France Haras.
Apache d’Adriers is the dam sire of Pénélope Leprevost’s new star, Ratina D’la Rousserie (by Quaprice du Bois Margot).
Penelope and Ratina win the Grand Prix of Cannes, 2015
