1957 – 1983 164 cm Bay
Breeder – Alfred Brohier
Alfred Brohier was a very demanding breeder demanding both conformation and performance, and it was his mare, Constellation who, when bred to Fra Diavolo xx, produced Nankin. Nankin’s story is well told by Jean Delannoy in his article on Fra Diavolo in the Annuaire de l’Etalon Sport Français 1998.
Delannoy describes the dam: “Constellation was a very good mare for that period, 1m 67, with a slightly big head, very easy to ride and a good worker with strong hindquarters but a little light underneath the knees.”
Constellation won jumping classes with both Georges and Jean Brohier and went on to prove an outstanding broodmare with 13 offspring including some very handy jumpers, although it was her son Nankin who made the greatest mark.
Nankin was purchased by the Haras Saint-Lô in 1960 at the request of Alain Navet, who preferred him by far to the top stallion listed, Nostradamus. Nankin covered a full book of mares right from the beginning: 35 at the age of four, then between 40 and 50 from 1962 to 1977. From 1978, when he was 21 years old, he bred only 37, then 30. He died in July 1983, having produced 170 colts and 181 fillies from 914 coverings, a fertility of 38%.
When he was purchased, the Controller General of the Stud noted: “his somewhat long cannon-bones are not very thick, his croup is a little round and his joints a little weak, but he is a lovely type of saddle horse, with a long and well oriented should, good depth in his barrel, good muscle and a remarkable pedigree. His gaits are easy.”
In 1966, the same official remarked – “he produces small but with quality.”
Jean Delannoy draws on his personal recollection of the horse: “We remember Nankin well from the 70’s and have memories of a horse short on top, long on the bottom, with a strong back and hindquarters (very powerful croup, thighs, and hocks) which dominated his front end. If his head was not of the most distinguished, it was remarkable by his clever eye, almost a prankster.”
Sableuse with Nelson Pessoa
Right from the start, he was a success. From that first crop, Sableuse (out of Coquette by Mandelieu) was quickly on the team of Nelson Pessoa, and competing at CSIs, then with Alvarez de Bohorquez at CSIO level. Scapin was 10th in the 5 year old championships, and Striptease went to CSI level in Austria.
Troubadour B – the full brother of Uriel – and an international eventing winner
The following year was even better with Travailleur going on to compete CSI in Italy and Troubadour B, six year old champion, then international with D. Bentejac.
1963 also saw ‘the best Nankin foaled: Talisman B (out of Histoire de Rirde by Vol de Nuit). He was a good four year old in France before being purchased by Francois Mathy who rode him to win the Belgian Championship, and then to represent his country at the Munich Games. The horse was then bought by Paul Schockemöhle who rode him to win the Grand Prix of Aachen, the German Championships, the European Championships and then compete at the Montreal Games.
Talisman B and Paul Schockemöhle
The following year, he produced his greatest stallion son, Uriel, a full brother to Troubadour B. He sired the CSI winners: Sableuse, Belle Dame and Cammandeur (full brother to Uriel). His most famous daughter, Dirka, was 4th at the French championships before producing Quidam de Revel.
Dirka…
Jean Delannoy sums up: “Nankin gave many of the qualities of his sire; a lot of blood, with his get sometimes a little hot, with the criticism of being on their shoulders but who knew how to lift those shoulders well off the jump when the rider let them extend their necks.”
Nankin was the sire of 30 stallion sons including Foudre de Guerre, Natif de Corday, Lys de la Fosse and Nidor Platiere, but it is Uriel who carried on his name…
Foudre de Guerre
