Some mothers do have them! Or do they?

Christopher Hector sets out to find out what makes a super brood mare…

When you get two of Europe’s most respected breeders of jumping horses with diametrically opposed views on mares, then you quietly go to work on the databases to try and find which of them is correct, and it is a real surprise to find ‘the numbers’ support both!
Holland’s Jan Greve feels that you can’t combine a successful jumping career with motherhood. He told me:

“I’m not sure why this happens but it seems to me that you cannot use the animal’s body twice – to have it a showjumper until it is 14/15 years old, and then into the breeding, it hardly ever works. Ratina didn’t work. It might just be that it is too much to expect from the body. It’s funny but everybody has a certain age when you produce the best, with a milking cow, it is the third to the fifth calf that gives more milk. I cannot explain why it happens with horses but it does seem that you can’t use the body double, to be a good sporthorse and then to be a good mother.”

The equally respected Belgian breeder, Joris de Brabander has the opposite opinion. I asked: You obviously don’t believe the theory that very good competition horses never produce very good offspring… And Joris replied:

“That’s not true. The better they are, the better they can jump, the better the foal. It is true that very good jumping horses normally don’t have good chances, they are too old to breed, or they are in the hands of rich people, or they are in countries where they don’t have a breeding culture, and very often when a guy has a very good competition mare, he uses his own stallion which is very often not good enough. If you breed to very very good mares, it is always better than breeding to the others.”

Fragance du Challis

And yet… the most famous of his mares, Fragance du Challis (Jalisco B / Fury de la Cense), who has produced astonishing jumpers, was herself at best a respectable national level jumper, whose only international placing was a 45th in a 1.35m class at Wieze 2*. Unlike most jumping mares, she started having foals as a two-year-old and continued supplying eggs throughout her jumping career, rather than turning to breeding at the end of a long international career.

Classic Touch

Let’s look at two of the most famous mares of all time, starting with Classic Touch – classic Holstein breeding: Caletto II / Landgraf / Roman. The mare famously won the individual gold medal for Ludger Beerbaum at the Barcelona Games in 1992. She was then ridden for a while by the owner’s son, before going to Piet Raijmakers and with him in the saddle won a Grand Prix at Moorsele in her final year of competition, 1998. She was lightly campaigned, with 35 international placings in her eight year career, retiring at the age of fourteen.
As a broodmare she produced five foals starting in 1988 with Cantate Touch (Capitol I). Cantate Touch placed twice internationally, 1st at Modena CSI-B Grand Prix and 10th at La Bagnaia, but out of her five foals, two were better than average 1.60m competitors: Con Touch (2006, by Con Cento) who won €52,923, her last placing a 2nd in a 1.45m at Arnhem in June 2018. Untouched (2007, by Untouchable) who won €60,296, most of it when Nick Skelton piloted him to second in a 4* at Wellington where they took home €39,865. But even with Nick, and Ben Maher in the saddle, the stallion has mainly placed in 1.45m classes rather than shining in the ‘big sport’. Untouched has 14 foals with international placings from 1.15 to 1.45.
Bred to Quasimodo vd Molendreef, Classic Touch produced the stallion, Jewel’s Carat in 2002. Ridden by the great Marcus Ehning, the stallion had one 1.60m start for a 13th in the Basel 5*, in 2011. His most recent result was a 6th in a 1.20m at Lier with Christoph Verheyen in December 2017. Winnings so far, €3,603.
Her 2004 foal Jewel’s Exclusive Touch (by Querlybet Hero) jumped 1.45m and won €6,840 and is the dam of Jewel’s Chrystal (Nabab de Rêve) who has competed for the past four years, getting to 1.45m level, and winning €1,379.

You would conclude that Classic Touch was a better competitor than brood mare…

Next comes Ratina Z

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Ratina Z

Let’s look at the other famous mare of the 20th century – Ratina Z. Again there is no denying that she was a superstar in the ring, but again, she was only lightly campaigned, 50 international placings. Ridden by Piet Raijmakers, she was 2nd to Classic Touch at Barcelona in 1992, and the next year, ridden by Ludger Beerbaum, she won the World Cup final in Göteborg (Milton was 2nd), together they won a string of top classes, including Aachen and the European Championship. She retired at the end of 1999, but Mr Melchior didn’t wait until then to try her prowess as a broodie.
In 1988, he bred Ratina to her full-brother Rebel Z, to produce the stallion, Rex Z. Rex doesn’t seem to have placed internationally, but he is the sire of six 1.60m jumpers, the most spectacularly successful of which is Regina Z, out of a mare by Savoy Hanover, who between 2008 and 2016 won €430,380. Regina had two foals in 2007, one, Victoria Z (Vigo d’Arsouilles) has jumped 1.45m.

Regina Z wins in Shanghai (Stefano Grosso / LGCT)

When he started the Zangersheide stud, Melchior proclaimed the out-cross as the way to go, combining the French stallion, Almé with the Holsteiner, Ramiro, and the Hanoverian, Gotthard. But by the end of the 80’s, his message was breed close. Interestingly, Regina seems to bear out both hypotheses – her dad is about as tight as you can get, while her mum is a right mix, her sire is half Trotter, half Thoroughbred, her dam is Anglo Arab, by the Thoroughbred, Keystone Master. Like they say, go figure.
Ratina produced three 1.60m horses: Crown Z (Carthago), Treasure Z (Tlaloc la Silla), two of four foals out of her in 2000, and Comme Il Faut, born 2005.
Crown had 13 international starts  for €2,156 in prizemoney but was a useful sire with 13 progeny jumping 1.60m, although the only star would seem to be MTM Reve de Paradis (Adelfos), who in the last three years has won €219,185 with Tracy Fenney on the US circuit.

Treasure Z has won €523, last start a World Cup elimination in Cairo in September 2017.

Comme il Faut (Stefano Grosso / LGCT)

But Comme il Faut, now he is the real thing. When the canny Ukranians bought Cornet Obolensky, part of the deal was that they would get the foal from a mating with Ratina Z. Comme il Faut may even be the stallion to carry on the Ramiro line, which has yet to produce a top top stallion. Comme il Faut started his career in 2010 with a second in the five-year-old champs at Lanaken, the ride then went to Marcus Ehning, and the two have won five GP and almost half a million Euros. He is the sire of 346 international placegetters, with one at 1.55m and four at 1.50m.
Ratina’s daughter, Calipa Z (Cor de la Bryére), born 1986, has produced four 1.60m horses. So it would not be accurate to say that Ratina was a total flop, but she (and her clones) received many many more chances than any other mare in history, with only Comme il Faut to really shine.

next we discuss the dams of stars

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Now we’ll keep digging. Off the top of my head, three great geldings, mares and stallions – Milton, Authentic, Gem Twist, Baloubet du Rouet, Quick Star, Casall, Fine Lady, Ratina and Classic Touch. Were their dams competition stars?

While Milton was the product of ‘careful selection’ by pioneering British Warmblood breeder, John Harding-Rolls, his Irish dam, Aston Answers, was not a competitor. Authentic’s dam Gerlinda (Katell xx) comes from a strong jumping mare line, but there is no suggestion that she, or her dam, grand dam, great grand dam, etc, ever jumped in a competition. It’s the same with the Thoroughbred Gem Twist, his sire, Good Twist was an international jumper with Frank Chapot, but no competition record for his dam, Coldly Noble (Noble Jay). This is perhaps a little misleading, until recently mares were just not competed, so who knows how good those untried females might have been?

What about our stallions? Baloubet du Rouet, his sire and grand-sire were great competitors, but nothing by the way of competition in four generations on the dam side.

Quick Star, and at last we have a competitor out of a competitor. The Anglo Arab, Stella (Nithard) was not only the dam of two 1.60m competitors, Quick Star and Olisco, but she herself was an international jumper with Nelson Pessoa, winning 32 Grand Prix, or so the story goes, this is impossible to document.

Stella – jumping star, stellar mare…

Casall, again, lots of jumping horses came from his mare line, but none of the mares were competitors themselves.

And it is the same with the first of our mares, Fine Lady.

Ratina Z’s dam was not a competitor, but her grand dam, Heureka was a Grand Prix horse, and even gave Leon Melchior a whiz around the big kids ring. Classic Touch reverts to the pattern, her dam comes from a long line of brood mares that did not compete.

So maybe I am loading the dice by going so far back. It is only of recent times that both stallions and mares have been seriously campaigned, let’s look at more recent examples.

Niels Bruynseels on Gancia de Muze  (Stefano Grosso / LGCT)

As of July 2018, number one on the placings is Gancia de Muze (Malito de Reves / Nimmerdor) born 2006, mare, BWP. She has had 133 international placings for 14 wins, including 8 five-star Grand Prix.  Again, her dam line is all brood mares, with no performance.  Gancia de Muze has one foal recorded, born in 2011, Louise van het Dalmenhof, by Nabab de Rêve – no international placings.

Second place goes to the gelding Explosion W, by Chacco Blue, and out of a competitor, the Baloubet du Rouet mare, Untouchable who had 11 international placings, her best 2nd in a two star, 1.45m Grand Prix. Then we go back to mares who bred competitors instead of competing.

Third is Beezie Madden’s Breitling LS by Quintero and out of another competitor, Armonia la Silla (Acord II) whose best result was an 11th in a World Cup Grand Prix in Bordeaux in 2007 with Ralf-Göran Bengtsson.

Fourth ranked is  Cita (Casall / Pik Ramiro / Cor de la Bryère), mare, Holstein, born 2006. Two wins, Wellington 5 * and Langley 5* this year with Daniel Coyle. 138 placings, 12 wins. Her dam has no performance, and her grand-dam, was not even given a name, she is Stute_219001380.

Fifth, Tobago Z, by Tangelo vd Zuuthoeve out of the Mr Blue mare, Whoopie C, who was 7th in a 4* Grand Prix at Antwerp with Yves Vanderhasselt. Are we on a roll here?

Sixth, Eddie Blue, by Zirocco Blue out of Silvana by Marlon – and we are back to mares being broodmares again…

Same story with seventh ranked Hansson WL, by Hip Hop. No performance on the mare line.

Eighth, Lizziemary (Cabri d’Elle / Acord II) born 2006, mare, AES. Now ridden by Danielle Goldstein, their most recent outing, a 4th in the 5* GCT at Cascais. Her dam, Amandaleah jumped 5* internationally, so that’s another for the competitors.

Ninth, H & M Harley vd Bisschop (by the Heartbreaker son, Dulf vd Bisschop out of a mare by the Corrado son, Cornado) born 2007, stallion, BWP. 176 placings, ten wins. No competitors on the dam line.

Emerald and Harrie Smolders at Aachen

Rounding out our top ten as of July 17, we find the stallion, Emerald NOP, born 2004, (Diamant de Sémilly / Carthago) Ridden by Harrie Smolders. 182 placings, eight wins.  Again a fabulous jumping dam line, but they made them, they didn’t jump them!

Butterfly Flip

Let’s finish this little survey looking at one of Joris de Brabander’s treasures, Butterfly Flip (Robin I Z / Moderene). In 2004, she was 13th on the WBFSH standings. Her Cardento daughter, Flips Little Sparrow, born 2006, is jumping 1.60. Butterfly Flip passed into the hands of the master breeder in 2011 and has produced five foals for him by Vigo, Nabab, Norton d’Eole and Elvis ter Putt. Watch this space.

Jikke and Eric van der Vleuten

There were a number of mares in the top 20 in 2004 that have produced foals:
Jikke, 1991, Mare, KWPN, Concorde / Pantheon, ridden by Eric van der Vleuten, 54 placings, 6 Grand Prix wins, two winning Nations Cups teams. Dam of three progeny currently on the hippomundo database, best performed Dilona (born 2008, Warrant) with an 11th in the 1.40 at Drammen 1*. She is the dam of the licensed stallion, Okkie Trooi (born 1996 by Lord Z).

Cigale du Tallis and Eugénie Angot at Aachen

Cigale du Tallis, 1990, Mare, SF, Jalisco / Galifol. Started with a 10th at Geneva with Alexandra Ledermann in 1999, Eugénie Angot took the ride in 2004. Just 20 placings but seven GP wins, six with Eugénie, including some of the world’s biggest. Last placing at 6th in the Bordeaux Grand Prix, February 2007. Can’t find any progeny.

Gladdys and Ludger Beerbaum

Gladdys S, 1992, Mare, WESTF, Grandeur / Apart. Ludger Beerbaum rode her to her first placing, and first win, in the GP of Arnhem in 2000. You can understand the buzz around the eight-year-old, in second was Franke Sloothaak and Lord Z, Jeroen Dubbeldam was fourth on De Sjiem and Otto Becker, fifth on Cento. Her last placing was in 2007, a 4th in the Göteborg GP. 62 placings, nineteen wins and two winning nations cup teams – plus an individual European Championship in 2001… and I can’t find any progeny.

In 18th on the top 20, we find Eve des Etisses, 1992, Mare, SF, Quidam de Revel / Pot d’Or. 47 placings, 4 Grand Prix wins. Eve has two progeny that have made their way into the hippomundo databank, the 2008 mare, Uraude des Etisses (Diamant de Sémilly) who jumped 1.45, and the 2010 stallion, Atome des Etisses (Mylord Carthago) who jumped 1.45m.

I’d like to look at one more famous showjumping mare, Katchina Mail, since she too had her broodmare career supervised by a breeding expert, Bernard le Courtois. Born in 1998, by Calvaro out of a Laudanum xx mare, Katchina was a star with Patrice Delaveau.

Katchina Mail and Patrice Delaveau at the 2010 WEG

Katchina is the dam of eight foals. In 2002, she foaled Orangeade Mail, by Fergar Mail. Orangeade is the dam of two foals on hippomundo, Spring Mail, 2006, by Fergar Mail who is the dam of Athina Mail (2010) by Jaguar Mail, who has  jumped to  1.45m level. Orangeade is also the dam of the approved stallion, Tygar Mail (2007, by Quidam de Revel) who has jumped 1.35.

In 2007, Katchina bred to Alligator Fontaine produced Talissa Mail, who is the dam of the stallion, Elgar Mail, by Utrillo Z, born in 2014.

Katchina produced Catchar Mail by Diamant de Sémilly in 2012, he is approved SF and AES. The following year she had Delstar Mail, by Utrillo, approved an SF stallion.

Katchina’s most recent foal is the 2014 filly, Eluna Mail, by Numero Uno.

The only foal out of Katchina with earnings listed on hippomundo is Tygar Mail, who at the age of 11, has accumulated €555 – or about 1/6 of his sire’s service fee – €400 of that in a young horse class. His most recent result was in November 2017 when he was 3rd in a 1.25 at Rouen, winning €105. Katchina Mail’s great grand-daughter, Athina Mail has won €857, her most recent placing a 15th in a 1.35 at Chantilly, in July 2018.

It’s not clear cut is it? With the trend to more mares competing, we are seeing more top horses with competitive mums, but there’s still a lot of star showjumping mares who failed to produce anything as nice as themselves and lots of mares who never saw a coloured pole but who went on and produced great jumpers…