Christopher Hector finds a few surprises in this year’s list of the most popular stallions in Hannover…
Last year, for the first time, the Hanoverian Verband released a list of the stallions with 30 or more foals for the season. This year’s list showing the most popular stallions for the 2021 season is a fascinating list and again, demonstrates how completely the flow of dressage blood has been reversed – once it flowed steadfastly from Germany to Holland, now the flow is in the other direction…
Fusionist – number one
Like the number one on the popularity parade, Fusionist, who stands in a joint partnership between the State Stud Celle and Ingo Pape’s well-known private stud. Fusionist, was the Top Scoring four-year-old in Stallion Sport Test in Verden. The bay scored 8.88 points in total after receiving 8.2 for walk, 9.5 for trot, 8.7 for canter, and 9 for rideability and general impression.
Franklin
Fusionist is the ultimate Dutch / German fusion. The stallion is by Franklin by Ampère, who is by the Ferro son, Rousseau out of a Roemer mare. Ampère is out of Larivola by Flemmingh out of an Amor / Farn mare – Holsteiner sires who provided the foundation of Dutch dressage breeding. Franklin is out of Warkle M by Ferro, out of Sparkle M by Flemmingh out of a Pion mare.
Fusionist’s dam is an exceptional Westfalien mare, Evita, who is by the Ehrentusch son, Ehrentanz I, out of a Florestan mare. I am indebted to my friend and colleague, Thomas Hartwig who informs me that Evita was bred in 2001 by Markus Schulze Finkenbrink. She was placed in some young horse competitions at A and L level. The family Schulze Finkenbrink has bred three generations of this mare line. Edmund Schulze Finkenbrink, the father of Markus, bred Evita’s dam, Farina F (Florestan / Newcastle), and her grand-dam, Nora (Newcastle / Goldlack).
Evita, the dam of Fusionist, is also the dam of the stallion, Fascino by Harmony’s Fiorano by Rousseau, out of a Rotspon mare. In all, Evita has ten registered FN foals.
I asked Ingo, what is it that Fusionist gives his offspring?
“Very much strength in the topline, a very solid, strong topline, and very quick light footed hindlegs. Altogether a very correct and compact exterior.”
Do you know the mare Evita that he is out of?
“Yes, he is the third offspring I have from this mare. Before Fusionist, I had two Fiorano (Rousseau / Rotspon) sons, one was an approved stallion and the other was not approved.”
Things have changed in Hanover, when I first visited, Dr Bade didn’t want to take Donnerhall blood because he was from Oldenburg and a private stallion, now four of the five most popular stallions are fusion horses, and three of them are a partnership between Celle and a private stallion owner…
“Times have changed dramatically, that is true. I think the other thing that has made Fusionist so successful is his bloodline, there is no Sandro Hit blood, no Donnerhall blood, no Bolero blood, no Rubinstein blood, no Weltmeyer. From all the bloodlines we have in Hanover, he has only Florestan, so he fits for a lot of mares, plus the top top quality of his hindquarters, he has something we really need in the dressage world, so that is part of his success.”
Want to see the stallion in action? Here he is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b29uD_tHwvk
Have you been able to see a pattern, which mares Fusion is working best on?
“When we have mares that need to improve behind, especially with the Sandro Hit line, it works super well – they can really use these quicker hindlegs.”
Like a lot of the horses with Dutch blood, his worst score is for walk…
“He is still above an eight so that is pretty good.”
You wouldn’t want him with a problem walk if you are putting him over Sandro Hit mares…
“And I wouldn’t want him in my stallion barn if he has a problem walk, that’s for sure. I hate that.”
Do you think this is the way of the future, with private stallion owners standing horses in conjunction with Celle?
“I think so, we have to put our forces together. The State Stud is very well connected to the little bit more conservative thinking breeders, and they have a very good influence there, but it is not really their strength to perform stallions in the higher level sport. But on the other side, that is something that the breeders want to see, they don’t want the stallion’s sport career to be finished when they are four or five years old.”
Do you think Fusionist will go to the big sport?
“Yep, absolutely.”
Von und Zu
The second most popular stallion, Von und Zu, is another fusion. He is by the Vivaldi son, Vitalis, out of Flori, by the Florencio I son, Floriscount out of a Santino (Sandro Hit) mare. This stallion was the crowd favorite at the 2019 licensing, and stands at Celle in association with Thomas Berger.
And the third?
Friedrich der Grosse
Friedrich der Grosse, like his name, is thoroughly Deutsch. He is by the Fürst Heinrich grandson, For Romance II (Fürst Romancier /Sir Donnerhall I) out of a Davignon / Cavalier mare. He too stands at Celle.
Secret
It’s back to the fusions with the fourth most popular stallion, Secret. The stallion was bred in Germany, by Hubert Vogler, but he is by the Danish stallion, Sezuan (Zack / Don Schufro) out of Seline by the Sandro Hit son, St Moritz (De Niro) out of a Rotspon mare. Secret, ridden by Jessica Lynn Thomas, has been a star in the Young Horse classes, Reserve Champion to Jovian at the Worlds in 2019, 6-y-o Champion at the 2020 Bundeschampionate. He is a striking individual and it is no wonder that he has been so popular.
Despacito
The next stallion, also a resident at Ingo Pape’s station, Despacito, is solidly German bred – by Harmony’s Don Nobless (Dancier / Don Davidoff) out of a Sandro Hit / De Niro mare.
Diacontinus
The sixth most popular stallion, is the first jumping bred sire on our list, Diacontinus is by the fusion stallion, Diarado (Diamant de Sémilly / Corrado) out of a Contendro I / Argentinus mare. Diacontinus is out of the proven breeding program of Klaus Juergens in Sehnde. Diacontinus represents the successful damline of Pension, which also produced the stallion Perigueux’s sire Perpignon. Diacontinus’ full-sister Diarada KJ successfully competes at 1.40 m with the breeder’s daughter Katharina Juergens. In 2012, she was the champion mare in the jumping discipline at the Herwart von der Decken-Show. He too stands at Celle.
Fürst Belissaro
The seventh most popular was Fürst Belissaro by Fürstenball (Fürst Heinrich / Donnerhall) out of a mare by Belissimo M (Beltain / Romadour II) out of a mare by Daidalos by the Donnerhall son, Dream of Glory. Another Celle resident.
Vitalis
In eighth we have the Schockemöhle stallion, Vitalis, Vivaldi’s first licensed son and the most influential transmitter of the blood of the Dutch stallion, Vivaldi (Krack C / Jazz) in Germany. He is out of a D-Day mare and has had a somewhat of a chequered career. Bred by Toon de Crom and W. Verbakel, he was presented at the Westfalien stallion licensing in 2009, where he was crowned Reserve Champion. Leased to the Westfalien State Stud, he stood for three years. During that time he was presented at the KWPN stallion licensing, but was not accepted.
Vitalis competed in the 2012 World Young Horse Championships to finish sixth in the consolation finals. He was sold to the American based, Danish rider, Charlotte Jorst in September 2012. Ms Jorst and Vitalis competed at the 2013 World Young Horse champs in the six year old class to finish 13th. He went on to win the US Young Horse Championships that year. In 2014, the pair competed in Small Tour classes and were 11th in the Inter I Freestyle at the US Dressage Champs. Vitalis disappeared from competition in 2015 before being sold in September of that year to Paul Schockemöhle and Lone Boegh Henriksen and brought home to Germany.
The Vitalis son, Vaderland is ninth in the popularity stakes. He is out of a Krack C / Contango mare, and was one of three Reserve Champions at the 2019 Westfalien Licensing, before his acceptance was withdrawn when he proved positive to acepromazine. Two months later, he was represented and accepted. The controversy did not affect his popularity and right from the start he was one of the most popular stallions in Westfalia.
Caytens
Rounding out our top ten is our second jumping stallion, Caytens by the great Cornet Obolensky out of a Stakkato / Mytens xx mare. The youngster, who grew up on the traditional Celle rearing station, Hunnesrück, was a star in his 14-day test in Neustadt/Dosse. He finished as the winner with top marks and has been the talk-of-the-town ever since. He received a 10.0 for his jumping ability and he finished his test with a jumping final score of 9.43. He too stands at Celle, so it would seem that the Hanoverian breeders still look to the State Stud for their stallions…
