Analysed by Christopher Hector
The Dressage Breeders
Dalera – world number one
This year the WBFSH number one dressage breeder is the German, Silke Druckenmüller who replaces another German – woman – breeder, Inge Bastion, who drops to fourth after heading the rankings for the past couple of years, thanks to the star mare, Weihegold (Don Schufro / Sandro Hit). Ms Druckenmüller has risen to the top, thanks to another mare, the Trakehner, TSF Dalera BB.
Easy Game
Dalera is by Easy Game, a Dutch bred Trakehner by that hugely influential import to The Netherlands, Gribaldi. Easy Game had a reputation for a somewhat dubious temperament, and at one stage was withdrawn from breeding and sent off to become a Grand Prix dressage horse, without success, before returning to the farm of Joop van Uytert. The only other Easy Game progeny I can find, that has competed Grand Prix, is another of the van Uytert stallions – Hermès (out of a Flemmingh / Jazz mare). Like Dalera, Hermès is a rather successful one, winning the recent CDIO 5* Grand Prix of Aachen with a score of 78.022%.
Hermès
At the age of eighteen, Easy Game was honored as Stallion of the Year 2021 at the Trakehner Stallion inspection in Neumünster .
He was declared an Elite Stallion in 2014.
Easy Game was bred by Flip Willemsen and Jikkie den Bieman-Willemsen from Bergharen (The Netherlands) out of the super mare Evita by Schwadroneur out of Elica (by Cannon Row xx).
Evita, bred in Denmark, won her Stutenleistungsprüfung with an average of 8.46 and was the most expensive mare sold at the auction of the Trakehner stallion selection 2001 in Neumünster (110,000 DM).
Silke Druckenmüller bred her Handryk mare, Dark Magic to Easy Game, in 2006, the first foal – Dalera! Dark Magic went back to the competition arena and six years later, when Easy Game was not available, bred to Millennium, produced Dallenia, who has competed Advanced / Medium, in 2015 she had another by Millennium, before she produced Dalera’s full-brother, Dalerion in 2018. The young colt was wildly hyped on the basis of his sister’s success, but seems to have disappeared without trace.
Van Deyk
Dark Magic is by Handryk out of a mare by Hohenstein, who himself competed small tour. Handryk is by Van Deyk by the Thoroughbred Patricus. Van Deyk was bred by Hans Eduard Schneider whose daughter Dorothee, now a multi-medallist for Germany, started her career with the stallion. Van Deyk never won a Grand Prix, but was runner up on several occasions, even at international shows.
Jan Tönjes, editor of St Georg and a Trakehner expert, has this to say about Van Deyk’s legacy: “Character is one thing, but if you want to point out an outstanding feature to be found with all of Van Deyk’s progeny, it is the canter. In opposite to most of the Trakehner horses with their flat front leg canter that looks more like skating than like cantering, Van Deyk’s offspring are always round.”
Bohemian and Cathrine Dufour competing for Denmark
The second highest ranked dressage breeder Heinrich Langewellpott is from Westfalia, although in keeping with the times, you would not necessarily know that from looking at the pedigree of his front-liner, Bohemian. The gelding is by Bordeaux, who is by the Krack C son, United, out of the Gribaldi daughter, Venna, who is branded KWPN but who descends from Westfalien dressage aristocracy. Her dam, Leandra M (Donnerhall), is out of Roussina by Rousseau by the stallion who first put Westfalien dressage breeding in the limelight, Romadeur II.
Adone’s three Grand Prix competitors, Ahlerich, Amon and Rembrandt – Werner Ernst image
Roussina is a daughter of the famous Adone – dam of three Grand Prix competitors, including Olympic Gold Medallist, Rembrandt.
Bordeaux, Bohemian’s sire, by the Krack C son, United
Bohemian is out of Sunshine by the Sandro Hit son, Samarant, and out of a mare by the Thoroughbred, Foxiland.
Herr Langewellpott is also the breeder of Beatriz Ferrer-Salat’s new Grand Prix ride, Rio Duero, by Romanov and like Bohemian, out of Sunshine.
He has also been a successful breeder of jumping horses, with his most successful being Caspar 298 (Colestus / Diarado) who was born in 2013 and went on to compete at the 2019 Bundeschampionate and then at M** and S* level. Caspar is currently ridden by Sarah Nagel-Tornau.
Herr Langewellpott bred the chestnut mare, Sunshine in 2006, but after producing Bohemian and Rio Duero, she was sold as a leisure horse and her present whereabouts are unknown…
I was lucky that Herr Langewellpott’s daughter, Marion, assisted me, translating my questions and her father’s replies.
“I started breeding after I came back from the Second World War, so about 1945. My first big breeding success was with out stallion, Direx (Dirigent / Frühling) who was born in 1969, and went on to become a breeding stallion at the Landgestüt Warendorf. He was out of our mare, Flora, who won the three-year-old class at the elite show. Since 2014, our breeding operation has been conducted in the name of my wife, Maria Langewellpott.”
“At the moment we have three breeding mares. One for jumping, Dalia (Diarado / Sibirian Express), who was born in 2009, she is the mother of Caspar. We have two for dressage, Valentina (Vivaldi / Sibirian Express) born in 2015 and her full-sister Vienna born the following year. This year, Valentina had a So Perfect foal that has been sold to the United States.”
And your philosophy for selecting stallions?
“Good basic gaits, good type / exterior. I am always looking for the old breeding lines. For dressage, Donnerhall, Rubinstein, Rohdiamant, Sandro Hit. For jumping, Cornet Obolensky, Contender, Chacco-Blue, Landgraf and Ramiro – just to name a few good ones.”
Again thank you Marion…
Jumping Breeders
World number one – Indiana
Turning to the jumping breeders rankings, this time we find a trio of Belgian breeders claiming the title: Chloé Ruys, Christophe van Turtelboom and Wim Vanderlinden as the breeders of the top jumper, H&M Indiana.
Chloé, Christophe and Wim – number one breeders
H&M Indiana was born in 2008 as Indiana C&C and is by Kashmir van Schuttershof out of a mare by Animo’s Hallo. She was bred by Chloé Ruys and Christophe van Turtelboom in collaboration with Wim Vanderlinden.
Kashmir (Nabab de Rêve / Tenor Manciais – that’s 7/8th Selle Français) is an established jumping sire, Indiana dam sire, Amino’s Hallo, is less well known. Animo’s Hallo is a grandson of Almé, and out of a Cavalier / Amor mare – solid older style Dutch breeding.
It was good to chat with Chloé who was not only one of the breeders, but the first rider for the superstar mare…
Indiana the foal…
Indiana was initially Indiana CC – for Chloé and Christophe: “And Wim is a friend of ours. We have a few horses together. We don’t breed a lot of horses each year, one, two, three, but we stopped a few years ago and recently started again. In total we have bred ten, twelve, foals. We are really small breeders.
Why did you go to the stallion Kashmir vd Schuttershof?
“Because the mum was a pretty difficult, delicate mare, and Kashmir jumped at a really big level, okay, not too hot, and he was also just fifteen kilometres from our place. Close, fresh semen, that is pretty much the reason we took Kashmir. It’s a little bit the easy way.”
And the mare, Halifax, hasn’t had many foals – one in 1999, Ricerole by Royal Star who bred two 1.50m and 1.45m competitors, then no foals until 2007, with the 1.45m level gelding, Houston CC, by Kashmir, then the following year, the jackpot – Indiana…
“We bought the mare when she was six, she was just broken, but before we bought her she had one foal, a filly – that filly didn’t go into the sport but she had already three international horses. We first tried to put Halifax in the sport but she was so delicate, so careful, it was really difficult, but she was such a nice mare, with so much scope and potential, that we kept her for breeding.”
And her daughter Indiana was not the easiest horse to ride…
“Not at all easy, from the first day she was born, she was really sweet, but with a lot of temperament, really ‘bloody’, really difficult. Even as a baby she was difficult, after she was broken, the rideability was really zero – she just did what she wanted to do. If she wanted to go to the left, she went to the left, if she wanted to go to the right, she went to the right. That was a little bit of a problem, she was really hectic. The jumping was never a problem because she loved jumping but the dressage, she didn’t like at all.”
You started her?
“Yes, I rode her until we sold her at the age of six-and-a-half. She went to competitions with me, that was fine, just a little bit the rideability, but at the fences, she showed a lot of scope and carefulness, then we sold her.”
“We knew she was good when we sold her to Malin (Baryard-Johnsson), and we knew Malin would give her a really good chance, but that she would be an Olympic horse, and now Number One on the World Breeding Rankings, we couldn’t have imagined that. So we are really really proud.”
Have you got another Indiana in your stables waiting to star?
“From the same mare, we have a three-year-old, a gelding, and he seems really nice, so we hope that one day he could follow his sister’s footsteps, but it is a long long way to go, we will just have to wait and see. We also have a two-year-old from the same mother, but it is such a long way. They both have a really good canter and when they are playing in the field, they already show a lot of scope but it is difficult to say…”
In the past there have not been so many women involved in breeding horses…
“I don’t know why there weren’t so many women, I don’t understand because in the sport there are a lot of women and girls that are riding, I don’t understand why the breeders were always men. I think it is changing…”
King Edward at the Games
The second highest ranked breeder is another Belgian, this time, Wim Impens who bred King Edward, who starred at the Tokyo Games – not a single rail on his way to Team Gold – with Henrik von Eckermann. King Edward is the exception to the rule that you can’t breed jumpers with a dressage horse, since his sire Edward, was a dressage horse – and a successful one at that, carrying German young rider, Charlott-Maria Schürmann to victory at the Hagen CDI-Y in 2013 with a score of 76.84!
In 2018, Edward won the Hanoverian Grande-Prize after offspring from his first crops of foals qualified for the Bundeschampionate in all three disciplines, dressage, show jumping and eventing.
Admittedly, Edward comes from a solid line of jumpers. His sire Embassy I was not so successful a competitor as his younger brother, Embassy II who was an international star, but he has been a solid sire of showjumpers and really top eventers, like Ingrid Klimke’s Escada and the French star, Entebbe de Hus.
Embassy II – international star
The Embassy full brothers, l, ll, and lll are by Escudo, the Hanoverian stallion who always impressed, not just with his jumping prowess, but with his rideability and better than average movement – qualities he passed to his offspring.
If we look at the mare line that produced Edward, over the three generations, we find lots of jumpers, but he is the only dressage horse.
Wendekreis
King Edward is branded BWP and his dam has a suitably Belgique name, Koningin de Lauzelle, but in truth his blood is all Hanoverian. Koningin’s sire, Feo is by Wendekreis, her dam by Garibaldi II.
Garibaldi II
King Edward was bred by Wim Impens who was kind enough to give me some of his time.
Since your aim is to breed jumpers, why did you go to Edward who is famous as a dressage horse, rather than going to a famous jumping stallion?
“I went to Edward because it was a young stallion who had very good performance in his stallion test and I like a horse that can jump and has good gaits. I look always at the breeding indexes, the breeding values, of stallions, I find it very important that the performances and breeding of a stallion has a foundation in data, in the indexes.”
Can you tell me something about the mare, she is branded BWP but she is all Hanoverian in blood…
“Koningin was bred by Franz Hemeryck who was an owner of stallions and he imported Gloria, the mother of Koningin from Hanover. And he bred Gloria to Feo (another Hanoverian, Wenderkreis / Joker) At the time I was very young but I remember Feo as a very impressive stallion with good movement. He was also the 75% brother of Windukind (more Hanoverian blood, out of Gloria by Winnetou) and Windukind was a very important stallion in that time. I think Franz Hemeryck bought Feo because he was the 75% brother of Windukind.”
“Koningin came to us through a friend, and also the teacher of dressage, first for me, then for my children. We had an agreement, the colt foals I breed go to Peter de Mulder, and the mares stay with us. But King Edward did not look very promising for dressage so he was sold. But Koningin, before she came to us, had already foaled a good horse that was sold to the United States. When Koningin was in our stables, she produced two good foals by For Edition.”
The combination of Esprit and Garibaldi – ET with Hugo Simon – winning at Aachen…
“There was also a very good dressage horse, Espri / Garibaldi – Elvis VA with Nadine Capellman.” Part of the German Team at the Beijing Games…
How many mares do you have – are you a big breeder?
“No, no, no, each year we breed a foal. Right now, we have just one mare that is pregnant, we have six mares, but we breed normally, with one.”
Wim is a qualified veterinarian, but he works as an inspector for the Federal Agency that is responsible for the making and distribution of medicines.
Once again we find that the strength of Belgian breeding lies in the small scale – often amateur – breeders…
Eventing Breeders
London – top of the eventers
This year’s WBFSH Eventing Breeder of the Year in Ocke Riewerts of Alkersum on the Island of Föhr (Föhr is one of the North Friesian Islands on the German coast of the North Sea, if it drifts any further north it will be part of Denmark). Herr Riewerts receives the award for breeding London (Landos / Quinar) who carried Britain’s Laura Collett to a team gold at the Tokyo Games. He was also crowned Holsteiner breeder of the year at the Stallion approvals.
Born in 2009, London had been sold as a foal and produced as a stallion candidate, prior to being started under saddle and shown in competition where he was spotted by German Olympic eventer, Peter Thomsen. Since 2016, London has been at the stable of Britain’s Laura Collett, who has successfully represented her country at various European Championships. In 2019 and 2020 London came out on top in the four-star events of Boekelo (NED), Chatsworth (GBR) and Little Downham (GBR) as well as the five star at Pau.
Ocke Riewerts – Holsteiner Breeder of the year
The commitment to Holsteiner horses runs in the family of the Island of Föhr-based breeder. His parents had been breeding Holsteiners – also from mare family 3200 – on a small scale. Following the death of Ocke Riewerts’ father, the Holsteiners were moved to his wife Marle’s parents’ farm, henceforth run by the couple on a hobby basis, as Riewerts makes his living as a public sector employee. His sons Johannes and Julus help with the farm and are interested in their parents’ three-mare breeding operation.
London’s dam Vernante had been special for Ocke Riewerts: his first home-bred state premium mare, he decided to breed her to Landos. “I was a fan of Landos, then stationed on Föhr and bred via live cover. He had the right sport horse attitude and was a perfect match for my blood horse type mares.”
My thanks to Désirée Dann of the Holsteiner Verband who translated my questions, and Ocke Riewerts’ answers…
Can you tell me something about the mare line London comes from?
“London 52 is from the damline 3200, which my family has been breeding for many years. The 3200 line is a rather small damline that has produced successful show jumpers from time to time. Currently there is a D Saucedo by Diarado-Quinar-Cassini. He was ridden by the Swedish Julia Johansson and sold to Qatar.”
“London 52 was a fine, long-legged foal with good movements. He was sold as a stallion prospect and came to Laura Collett from the event rider Peter Thomsen.”
Were you aiming to breed a showjumper or an eventer?
“With the Quinar-Cassini dam and the stallion Landos the breeding was rather aimed at a jumper. The dam and granddam got marks up to 10.0 in free jumping at their mare performance test.”
How many mares do you breed with?
“I breed with 2 to 3 mares a year.”
What is your philosophy when it comes to selecting a stallion?
“First and foremost, the stallion has to match to the mare. When mating with Quinar, I hoped for a refinement and more performance. It worked out… London’s dam became a state premium mare.”
London is 50% Thoroughbred, is that enough for eventing?
“In my opinion, 50% of the blood of an eventing horse is sufficient. The focus should be on the willingness to perform, good basic gaits and athleticism.”
Toledo de Kreisker (Diamant de Sémilly / Papillon Rouge)
The second most successful breeder is Kerstin Drevet who produced another superstar for the British team, Toledo de Kreisker (Diamant de Sémilly / Papillon Rouge) ridden by Tom McEwen. Toledo’s career has been one success after another: Second in the 7year old World Champs, 1st Bramham under 25 CCI****, 12th and team gold at the Tryon WEG, 1st at Pau 5 star in 2019, and Team Gold and Individual Silver at Tokyo. Looking at his breeding I think we can assume Ms Drevet set out to produce a showjumper, but it does illustrate how important a clean and careful technique has become in the sport of eventing.
The studbook rankings
Dressage
Anyone who has been reading the results at the major dressage competitions, will not be surprised to see the KWPN in number one spot on the new WBFSH studbook rankings.
Gio and Charlotte Dujardin at Tokyo – he has since been sold…
Their team includes some real stars, Gio (3rd on world standings – Apache / Tango), Everdale (8th, Lord Leatherdale / Negro), En Vogue (10th, Jazz / Contango), Zaire-E (= 11th, Son de Niro / Jazz), Suppenkasper (= 11th, Spielberg / Krack C) and 14th place to Buriel K H (Osmium / Krack C). Incredible the influence of Jazz, and the depth of Dutch breeding now, so many Grand Prix competitors combining to produce Grand Prix performance in their progeny.
Total US and Edward Gal
But the Hanoverian Verband in second place, also fielded a pretty classy team: Total US (5th, Totilas / Sir Donnerhall I), Sanceo (13th, San Remo / Ramiro’s Son), Showtime FRH (17th, Sandro Hit / Rotspon), Tarantino (33rd, and the odd man out, largely jumping bred – by the Voltaire son and 1.30m jumper, Toronto, out of a Carbid mare) and Mount St John Freestyle (Fidermark / Donnerhall).
Weihegold
Third to the Oldenburger book, headed up by the great, and recently retired, Weihegold (4th, Sandro Hit/Don Schufro), Dante Weltino (15th, Danone / Welt Hit II), Sir Donnerhall II (35th, Sandro Hit / Donnerhall), Fiderdance (45th, Fidertanz / Don Schufro / Sandro Hit), Fidertraum OLD (48th Fidertanz / Rubinstein) and Dono di Maggio (52nd, Dimaggio / Santander H).
more follows
Jumping
Killer Queen VDM, a BWP representative
It is no surprise to find that the jumping studbook rankings are headed by the BWP again. The Belgian team features the two superstars, H & M Indiana and King Edward (ranked 1 and 2 in the world) along with Killer Queen VDM (6th, Eldorado vd Zeshoek / For Pleasure, from the famed Qerly Chin mare line), Hello Jefferson (17th, Cooper vd Heffinck / Irco Mena), Hester (18th, Wandor van de Mispelaere / Palestro vd Beginakker) and Mumbai (22nd, Diamant de Sémilly / Nabab de Rêve).
Unick du Francport for the Selle Français
Second place to the Selle Français with their top competitor, Unick du Francport (7th, Zandor / Helios de la Cour II) followed by Antidote de Mars (9th, Diamant de Sémilly / Jarnac), Urvoso du Roch (13th, Nervoso / Grand d’Escla), Vital Chance de la Roque (15th, Diamant de Sémilly / Rivage du Roncel), Bibici (26th, Norman Pre Noir / Nelfo du Mesnil) and finally, in 27th, Oak Grove’s Enkidu (aka Bohysra d’Auzay) by Ensor vd Pleville (aka Ensor van de Heffinck) out of a Quidam de Revel mare.
C. Vier
Leading the Holstein charge into the third spot is C. Vier ranked eighth in the world, and once again, we ponder how open breeding, even in the traditionally fairly closed, Hosteiner book has become.
Cardento at the 2002 WEG
C. Vier is by Cardento (Capitol / Lord) purchased as a foal in Holstein by Dutch breeding wizard, Weipke van der Lageweg, who then found he had to send the grey stallion to Sweden to prove himself when the KWPN licensing commission rejected him. C. Vier is out of a mare by the Dutch stallion, Concorde, who is by the Hanoverian stallion, Voltaire, who arrived in The Netherlands when the German authorities rejected him.
Then comes Con Quidam by Quinar by Quidam de Revel out of a grand-daughter of another Selle Français great, Almé, ranked 10th.
29th, Confu , 29th, by the Carthago son Contact Me, out of a Cambridge / Carolus I mare. 33rd, Cochello (Casall / Cartani) and finally, ranked 42nd, Bardolina 2 (Clarimo / Landos).
Just to underline the new open attitude in Holstein, take a look at the latest licensing champion, Esmeraldo by the Belgian star, Emerald vh Ruytershof – the chestnut has enough ‘chrome’ to be shown in a Paint Horse class, and underlies the message of genetic diversity that saw 70 colts at the licensing by 50 stallions.
more follows
Eventing
Given the dominance of French bred horses at recent top events, it is no surprise to find the Selle Français book heading the standings, what is perhaps a surprise, that the Holsteiners gave them such a run for their money, finishing just 17 points behind them.
Toledo de Kerser
The French team really are impressive. Their top, ranked 2nd in the world, Toledo de Kerser (Diamant de Sémilly / Papillon Rouge), Team Gold and Individual Silver with Tom McEwen at the Tokyo Games.
Armand de b’Neville and Julia Krajewski at Tokyo
They are joined by Amand de b’Neville (Oscar des Fontaines / Elan de la Cour) another five star star and individual gold medallist at Tokyo with Julia Krajewski. 14th, Api du Libaire (by the Anglo Arab, Fusain du Fefey out of a Tresor de Cheux mare. 17th, Toubleu de Rueire (Mr Blue / Bayard d’Elle). 23rd, Banzai du Loir (Nouma d’Auzay / Livarot) and finally in 24th, Vendredi Briats (by the Belgian sire, Winningmood out of a Selle Français mare, Camelia de Ruelles. This is a rare instance where ‘foreign’ blood is up close, the eventers are overwhelmingly French French, unlike the French showjumpers who have absorbed blood from all over Europe.
The Holstein representatives are headed by London who we discussed earlier. The second most successful Holsteiner eventer – ranked 5th in the world – is fischerwild Wave by Water Dance xx out of an Acobat II / Lux Z mare – so when we look at the fourth line of the pedigree we find four Thoroughbreds, three Hanoverians, one Rheinlander, and just one branded Holsteiner, Acobat’s dam Tschita (Capitol / Calypso). The gelding competes five-star with Michael Jung – placing 5th at Luhmühlen earlier this year.
JL Dublin
Then the tenth ranked JL Dublin (Diarado / Canto) who carried Nicola Wilson to team and Individual Gold at the recent European Eventing Champs in Avenches. They are followed by the 12th ranked Cartania (Cartani / Clinton) who Felix Vogg rode to individual 8th at Avenches. Then the individual 7th at the Euros, Carjatan S (Clearway / Galant Vert xx), then 44th at the same event, Casino (Casillas / Claudo).
Brookfield Inocent
The Irish contingent in third spot are headed up by another star at the Euros – Brookfield Inocent, who was individually second and in the Brits Gold Medal team with Piggy March. Brookfield Inocent is by the Dutch bred, Inocent, who combines two of the greats, Almé through his son, I Love You, and Landgraf, sire of Inocent’s dam.
Very Irish on the dam side – King of Diamonds…
But the breeding is very Irish on the dam side – Shalies Pet is by the King of Diamonds son, Kings Servant out of a Windjammer xx mare.
Second in the Irish group is Grovine de Reve by the Quito de Baussy son, Hermea de Reve, out of Erkina Jane, who is by the Thoroughbred, Rimilis, out of Diamond Star by I’m A Star xx, out of a King of Diamonds mare. Grovine carried Kiwi star, Jonelle Price to 5th in the Kentucky 5 star, earlier this year.
Then Ollie Townend’s Ballaghmor Class, 11th in the world, 1st at Lexington earlier this year, and Team Gold and individual 5th at Tokyo. He is by the Holsteiner who sired so many eventers in his short stud career in Ireland – Courage II (Capitol / Cor de la Bryère) out of Kilderry Place, of unknown breeding.
34th in the world, Off the Record comes in next, by the Dutch import, VDL Arkansas (Acobat II / Silvano) out of a mare by the Dutch stallion, Ard Ohio. Off the Record was a winner at Aachen this year with William Coleman. Piggy March’s Vanir Kamiro is 36th ranked in the world, the pair were second at Burghley 5* last year. Vanir Kamiro is by Camiro de Haar z (Chellano / Ramiro) out of a mare by the Thoroughbred, Dixi, with an unknown dam line.
Rounding out the Irish team is 42nd in the world, Gortfadda Diamond by the Irish stallion Water Valley Cool Diamond out of the Thoroughbred mare, Panda (Glacial Storm / Strong Gale).
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