Analysis – Christopher Hector & Photos – Roz Neave, Jacob Melissen & Kit Houghton/FEI
No doubt some manic statistician is hard at work right now coming up with a formula that will prove that the KWPN is not in fact the leading studbook in both showjumping and dressage but it just won’t wash. In fact, never in the history of the WBFSH’s World Rankings has the top studbook’s teams been so absolutely packed with super stars. Take a look at the six Dutch dressage horses: Jerich Parzival, Totilas, Uthopia, Watermill Scandic HBC, Valegro and Ravel. International stars every one of them. It’s the same when you look at the Jumping lineup: BMC Van Grunsven Simon, Hickstead, Taloubet Z, Silvana de Hus, Chaman and Star Power. It is no surprise that both the KWPN dressage and showjumping points totals were almost 3,000 points in front of the studbooks in second place.
Jerich Parzival
Totilas
Uthopia
Scandic
Valegro
Ravel
Interestingly only one of the Dutch dressage six, Scandic, is by an ‘outsider’, he was the product of imported semen from the Swedish stallion, Solos Carex and out of a mare by another Swede, Amiral. Gribaldi, sire of Totilas, was born in Germany, but purchased at the Trakehner licensing when he was two, and he spent all his active breeding career in Holland. The rest are all of a distinctly orange hue…
The Dutch showjumping representatives are a more polyglot collection. Simon and Hickstead are numbers one and two in the world, the only two competitors to have amassed more than 2000 points in the season. Simon is by Mr Blue, by the Dutch sire, Couperus, out of a mare by Oldenburg, from… Oldenburg and by the French Anglo Arab, Inschallah. Simon is out of a mare of solid Westfalien breeding with two crosses of Pilatus, through Polydor and Pilot. He is what my friend Arnaud Evain would call a ‘bastard’. Hickstead is solidly Dutch – all those names that made the modern Dutch jumper: Nimmerdor, Courville, Lucky Boy xx, Joost and Le Mexico.
The late Hickstead with Eric Lamaze
Taloubet Z is another cross, by the great French sire, Galoubet out of a Westfalien mare by Polydor. Silvana de Hus was born in Holland but his sire, Corland (by Cor de la Bryère) is solidly Holsteiner, and his dam is 25% Selle Français, 25% Westfalien (Pilatus again). Chaman is largely French – by Baloubet du Rouet, out of a mare by I Love You, so a double cross of Almé. Star Power is by another Almé son, Quick Star, out of a mare by an influential Selle Français imported to Holland, Calvados (Uriel / Ibrahim). Together they amassed 10,370 points in the 2011 season.
Taloubet Z, photo by Kit Houghton/FEI
I guess the French can also claim a large share of the credit for the success of the studbook in second place, Holstein, since all six of their representatives have at least one cross of the Selle Français foundation sire, Cor de la Bryère, combined in the usual mix with the two other pillars of Holstein breeding, Capitol and Landgraf. Their total was 7,717.
In a nicely ironic touch, the French contingent in third place, is headed by Kellemoi de Pepita, by Voltaire, the Hanoverian branded son of the Selle Français, Furioso II, out of a mare by Gotthard, who found his home in Holland when the Germans didn’t want him. The mare is out of a granddaughter of Almé. There is another ‘foreigner’ in the French sextet, Mylord Carthago, by the Holsteiner Carthago, but out of a granddaughter of Almé. The rest – Cevo Itot du Chateau, Lord de Theize, Quick Study and AD Norsen – are as French as croissants and coffee for breakfast, and three of the four carry the blood of Almé. Total 7,011.
Mylord Carthago
Last year, the WBFSH standings were challenged by a calculation that measured success in terms of the proportion of horses born in the respective studbooks, and came up with a new table headed by Studbook Zangersheide. I guess much the same will happen this year, since Zangersheide languishes at number 10 on the official standings – but it really is a bit rich to claim that a studbook is the best in the world when its most successful representative, Regina Z (by Rex Z, the incestuous product of the union of Rebel 1 Z and Ratina Z) has as her best performance a Speed class win at La Coruna against a pretty lacklustre field… The six best Z representatives accumulated 4,000 points. The question is, are you aiming to breed handy 1.45m/speed class horses, or the best of the best?
For the record, the Belgian BWP studbook was fourth with 6,751, the Hanoverians, fifth with 4,844, the Anglo European Studbook, sixth (4,634), the Westfalens, seventh (4,193), the Oldenburgers, eighth (4,172) and the Irish Sporthorses, ninth (4,060).
The Dutch and the Hanoverians were once head-to-head for the number one spot on the Dressage Rankings, but now the Dutch have streaked ahead, with six horses all of whom have fabulous performances at the very top events for a total of 14,249, and the Hanoverians languish way behind on 11,390 with half the total thanks to efforts of the redoubtable Isabell Werth. Heading the Werth/Hanoverian team is the Weltmeyer son, Warum Nicht FRH (a horse that never quite made it) followed by the Sao Paulo son, Satchmo (now semi-retired) – Isabell’s other contributor is the fifth-ranked Don Johnson (Don Frederico), a nine-year-old going well in young Grand Prix horse classes. Her ride of choice at the Europeans was the Westfalien gelding, El Santo.
Warum Nicht FRH
The six are rounded out by Laura Becthtolsheimer’s Andretti (by the Thoroughbred, Aarking), the recent winner of the Swedish national title, Don Auriello (Don Davidoff), and the young rider star, D’Agostino (De Niro). Interestingly, half of the six are descended from that famous Oldenburger, Donnerhall and bitter rival to Hanoverian hero, Weltmeyer. Only Warum Nicht and Satchmo scored more than 2000 points in the season, while five of the Dutch six, topped the 2000 barrier.
D’Agostino
It’s much the same for the third-placed Danes. Only two of the six are genuine stars, Mistral Hojris (2,492 points) and Digby (2,145). Fourth, Oldenburg (10,399), fifth, Westfalia (10,110), sixth, Rheinland (9,171).
Mistral Hojris
There has been something of a turnaround on the Eventing Standings. From 2004 to 2009, the Irish Sport Horse studbook took first place. In 2010 they were displaced by the Hanoverians, and on these latest rankings, they have dropped to third behind the Hanoverians, with the Selle Français heading the list. Six years after his death, the most successful eventing stallion is once again the Czech Thoroughbred Heraldik with a staggering 39 progeny winning 1,093 points in the season. The Irish Thoroughbred, Master Imp, who died in 2009 at the age of 22, is not far behind with 34 progeny and 909 points. The showjumping star, Cruising, comes in third, with 20 offspring and 770 points.
Jazz once again heads the Dressage Stallion rankings with 20 progeny and 19,848 points. His most successful competitor is world number one, Jerich Parzival with 2,735 points, but his second-highest point scorer, IPS Tango (out of a Contango mare) is the up-and-comer – the stallion recently won the first World Cup qualifier of the Western European circuit, with 79.3%, and while there are a number of exciting stallion sons of Jazz, perhaps Tango is his successor? Certainly the reports on his progeny are encouraging…
In second place is the great Westfalen stallion, Florestan. Here was a stallion who was perhaps regarded more as a dependable sire of pleasant all-rounders than a sire of Grand Prix stars, but as the head of the Westfalen Stud in Warendorf, Susanne Schmitt-Rimkus told me recently, it was a matter of the breeders finding the right cross:
“I think what has happened is that the breeders have learnt how to breed with Florestan. The breeders who had good mares with a high potential for sport, but maybe a bit hot, they took Florestan, and planned a horse like this. So we have a lot of F line horses that have a bit hot mother lines, and then this F blood, can make very good sport horses.”
Third place to Gribaldi; most of his points have come from Totilas, who has slipped to world number three with 2,471 points for the season – with Carl Hester and Uthopia breathing down their neck on 2,466…
Uthopia’s grand-sire, Ferro, is in fourth place, followed by Michelino, sire of world number two Mistral Hojris. Sixth to De Niro and seventh to his sire, Donnerhall with Rohdiamant, eighth (but is his son, Blue Hors Romanov about to amaze us all with his new rider, Edward Gal?). Ninth to the Weltmeyer son, Welt Hit II, with Breitling rounding out the top ten, with four of his five points winners all out of one mare, Devisa, by the Thoroughbred, Diego.
It is way, way harder to make the top ten standings on the Jumping Stallions rankings. While the top ten dressage stallions have one, maybe two, standout progeny, the top ten jumping stallions really produce both quantity and quality.
Take Darco. His most successful product is Coriana van Klapschuet (Heartbreaker) who blitzed them in the 2011 season, winning with Eric Lemaze at Calgary, Rotterdam, La Baule and Valencia. Then winning the Moorsele Grand Prix with Pilar Lucrecia Cordon Muro in the saddle when Eric was otherwise occupied in the lead-up to the Pan American Games, where Lamaze rode her into 11th place. Total 1,163 points
But there’s more Darcos. Just ten points behind is the grey stallion, Winningmood, who carried the Portuguese rider, Luciana Diniz to wins at the five star CSIs of Lyon and Vigo, along with a heart-stopping second in the Grand Prix of Aachen, and a ninth at the Euro Champs. In third is the Belgian gelding, Wisconsin with Sergio Alvarez Moya, they won at Gijon, Aachen and Hamburg. Fourth is Amaretto d’Arco, a Nations Cup star for the Irish rider Shane Sweetnam, then there’s Edwina Alexander’s Cevo Socrates, and McLain Ward’s Sapphire… see what I mean, no dressage stallion has produced a line up of international performers like that.
Now, in the past, reviewing the Jumping Stallion rankings has been a little like watching grass grow – there is not much movement. Traditionally, Darco is followed by Quidam de Revel, but not this year. Baloubet de Rouet, who initially received something of a bad press from the breeding fraternity, is producing the goods and has ousted his cousin from number two with an impressive team of frontliners. His most successful product in the 2011 season is Chaman (I Love You – that’s a double cross of Almé) who carried Ludger Beerbaum to victory at San Patrigano. The stallion was started by Luciana Diniz.
Chaman, photo by Jacob Melissen
Baloubet’s next most successful representative is Napoli du Ry (Silvio I) ridden by Frenchman Simon Delestre and a 1.50m winner at Basel five star. In all, Baloubet produced 50 international competitors in the season.
Third to the late great Quick Star (Almé again). His most successful representative was Ian Millar’s Star Power (Calvados), consistent but no world beater, with Lauren Hough’s Quick Study (What a Joy xx) the only other Quick Star to top the 1,000 points mark. In fourth place, another of the traditional top-ten line up, Carthago. His best representative was Cash 63 (Lavall II) absolute star with Marco Kutscher. The pair were members of the winning Nations Cup team at Falsterbo, and fourth at the 2011 World Cup Final. His next best representative is the French frontliner, Mylord Cathago*HN (Jalisco B), seventh at the Euro Champs in Madrid, second at La Baule, with Penelope Leprevost.
Fifth to another ‘shooter’ Kannan, who didn’t even make the top 30 on the 2009 rankings. The stallion’s career has had a second lease of life following his purchase by the GFE group of stallion owners in 2010, and he is reported to have covered 500 mares last season, a season in which his number of international representatives grew from 120 to 217, although it should be noted that as his progeny have only recently broken through, their individual points totals are somewhat lower than the established superstars. Kannan’s 74 international competitors amassed a total of 7,354 points. The most successful, Baldo DS (out of a Darco mare) contributed 420 points with 1.50m class wins in Hamburg and Valencia for Manuel Anon Suarez. Quintera (Quick Star) had 394 points with 1.45m wins at Chernyakhovsk CSI**** with Jaroslaw Skrzyczynski while Van Meever S Sybalia VM (Hattrick) notched up four 1.45m wins for Frederik Cattebeke.
Quidam de Revel slipped to sixth with 6,990 points, the best total coming from AD Norson (Grand Veneur), ridden by Brazilian Alvaro Alfonso de Miranda Neto – a moderate performer, the chestnut accumulated 888 points in the season.
The Nimmerdor son, Heartbreaker is in seventh spot with 6,674 points – his most successful son, Action-Breaker (Lys de Darmen) was second in the Grand Prix of Cannes with Sergio Alvarez Moya. The Belgian stallion is also proving a more than useful sire and might well find a place in the WBFSH top ten, but remember these things happen gradually.
Mr Blue is a classic example of a stallion initially shunned by his studbook, only to be lauded later in life. Only licensed after he became a competition star, Mr Blue was honoured with the Predicate title at the 2011 KWPN stallion show, five years after he died in France where he spent most of his breeding career. His top performer is another absolute star, BMC van Grunsven Simon, who led the Dutch to victory in the Nations Cup at Aachen this year with a superb double clear, and finish third in the 2011 World Cup final. The gelding has recently been sold to Beezie Madden. Other stars by Mr Blue include VDL Groep Sapphire B (Grand Veneur) and Plot Blue (Pilot).
Nabab de Reve holds down ninth spot, largely thanks to his son, Vigo d’Arsouilles (Fleuri du Manoir), although the exciting chestnut stallion did not have quite the defining moment he enjoyed at Lexington last year, a pair of seconds at Rome and La Baule are nothing to sneeze at.
Vigo D’Arsouilles
Rounding out the top ten is Caretino, one of the sadly far-too-large roster of great stallions that died this year, but in his best performer of the season, Casall La Silla (Lavall I), he has a worthy successor. Partnered by Rolf-Göran Bengstsson, the stallion notched up wins at Montecarlo, Hamburg and Göteborg. Another Caretino with more than 1,000 points from the season, is Cristallo (Cicero), a solid performer on the US circuit with Richard Spooner.
It really is a measure of how consolidated jumping horse breeding is, that by the time we get to number ten on the dressage stallions list, we are talking about the performances of five competitors, whereas the list of really top jumping sires, with lots of competitors goes on and on: 11th – Voltaire (31 representatives, 4,593 points), 12th – Numero Uno (26 – 4,485), 13th – Clinton (32 – 4,450), 14th – Concorde (29 – 4446), 15th – Contender (27 – 3995), 16th – Andiamo (40 -3,964), 17th – Lux (30 – 3,951), 18th – Guidam (21 – 3,749), 19th – Cruising (17 – 3,634) and 20th Kashmir van Schuttershof (29 – 3,601). There are really fifty stallions on the rankings, all of which have enjoyed serious success in the season. I suppose it just shows that sporthorse breeders have been breeding for jumping talent a lot longer than either the dressage or eventing breeders… or is it just that they are cleverer breeders with a bigger – richer – market? Or is jumping simply a more heritable trait than dressage…