1998 1.72cm Chestnut Breeder: Didier Viaene
Vigo d’Arsouilles well-and-truly fulfilled the predictions that he was the son who would inherit the mantle of his sire, Nabab de Rêve, when he starred at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, carrying his rider, Philippe le Jeune to a World Jumping Title.
Joris De Brabander (BEL) with Nabab de Reve Stal de Muze © Dirk Caremans
The Belgians initially looked to France for jumping blood when Warmblood breeding kicked off in the mid 1950s, and at a time when the French shunned Ibrahim, the stallion destined to be the greatest of them all, picked up two sons: Fleuri de Manoir and Hedjaz. Then for a period of time, the attention switched to Holstein, but the Belgians sensed that Quidam de Revel was where it was at, and when his son, Nabab de Rêve was born in Belgium at the Haras de Rêve, he was an instant success.
Ridden by Philippe Lejeune, Nabab was a member of the Belgian bronze medal winning team at the 2002 WEG in Spain. It was to be another eight years before the Belgians tasted success at a WEG, and this time, the charge was led by Nabab’s son Vigo d’Arsouilles.
Vigo d’Arsouilles was bred by Belgian businessman, Didier Viaene. Not surprisingly, Mr Viaene found after the WEG that his stud was suddenly in the limelight. He told Jo de Roo in an interview published in the February 2011 edition of Breeding News:
“Since he became World Champion, the interest in my stud farm has increased enormously. There is a great demand for breeding mares or fillies out of Vigo’s dam line. I have to disappoint those concerned because for the last three years exclusively colts have been born. If it happens that fillies are born, I always try to keep one. The others are sold.”
Didier Viaene describes himself as ‘an amateur’ and only breeds with three or four mares a year – taking the advice from the famous vet, breeder and stallion keeper, Joris de Brabander. He has been working with the Brabander family for more than 35 years, starting with Joris’ father, Walter.
Mr Viaene was a keen dressage rider in his youth, and early on took his first steps as a breeder: “At the age of 18, my father advised me to buy a dam of great quality. We bought a grey mare from a farmer living in Ruiselede. The mare was called Quinta, a daughter of Audacieux. She was six or seven months old. Ramona, Quinta’s dam, was a French army horse left behind after the war. My father prohibited me from breeding with Quinta, but without his knowledge I chose a stallion to cover her. My choice was the French stallion, Childebert, and out of this combination, Venzin d’Arsouilles was born in April 1975. Talking in terms of breeding, the most valuable daughter of Venzin was undoubtedly Illico d’Arsouilles (a daughter of Fleuri du Manoir) who became Vigo d’Arsouilles’ dam.”
(The suffix ‘d’Arsouilles’ comes from the village of Aarsele where Mr Viaene grew up with his parents.)
Childebert was an influential stallion in the development of the Belgian Warmblood, siring 71 males and 92 female foals in the period 1971 to 1978. The Selle Français import was 75% Thoroughbred, carrying the blood of Umidwar, Teddy, Phalaris and Rantzau, with just a touch of Trotter thanks to the two crosses of Vas Y Donc, who himself carried two crosses of the Trotter stallion, Norodum.
Quinta’s sire, Audacieux was a grandson of the great Thoroughbred, Fra Diavolo, and his dam, Kami de l’Ile was by another great Thoroughbred, Furioso, out of a mare by Laerte, a son of Vas Y Donc, out of a daughter of Hedjaz.
Venzin d’Arsouilles produced 16 foals before she died in 2003. Her daughter, Gucci d’Arsouilles by Fleuri du Manoir (Ibrahim / Le Mioche xx) competed at 1.30 level, and produced two full sisters, Katinka and Joyce by Pachet II, both of whom competed in 1.40 to 1.50 classes. Katinka also proved a useful brood mare, with several medium level performers to her name.
A full sister to Gucci, Illico d’Arsouilles, was born in 1985. As already noted, the sire, Fleuri de Manoir was one of the very early sons of Ibrahim, out of a mare by Le Mioche, a Thoroughbred stallion that stood at Saint-Lô from 1960 to 1975. Perhaps his most famous product was the mare, Tanagra G, the dam of the influential stallion, Grand Veneur. Bernard le Courtois suggests that it was Le Mioche who contributed to most to Grand Veneur’s success:
“Why did Grand Veneur, whose paternal line was not the most remarkable, have such success? Could it not be linked to his maternal grand-sire, the Thoroughbred Le Mioche – many of Grand Veneur’s get are flaxen-maned chestnuts with white, just like their ancestor, Le Mioche.”
(Annuaire du Cheval de Sport et d’Élevage 2000)
Le Mioche also appears on the dam line of another important Belgian import from France, the Galoubet son, Skippy II.
Illlico produced a number of international competitors: the full sisters, Oruro and Pucci d’Arsouilles – by Pachat II. With Apache du Forest, she produced Regina d’Arsouilles, who bred to Quasimodo van de Molendreef, produced Comte d’Arsouilles, who in October 2010 participated in his first international Grand Prix, 11th in the CSI** at Hulsterlo.
Illico d’Arsouilles died in 2004, giving birth to her 13th foal, Eclips d’Arsouilles (by Pachat II)
Undoubtedly the most famous foal of Illico is her 1998 foal – Vigo d’Arsouilles.
He was a successful competitor in Young Horse classes with Kurt de Clercq before commencing his international career with Philippe Lejeune in 2006. Two years later, he was in the Belgian team at the Nations Cup at La Baule. In that year he placed in the Grand Prix at Aachen, London, Lyon and Dublin, before going on the wins the Belgian Showjumping Championship. In 2009, he won at Windsor, was third at Moorsele and Paris and fourth at Aachen.
And of course, in 2010 came the triumph at Lexington.
In his final year of competition, 2012, Vigo was part of the winning Nations Cup team at La Baule, where he placed second in a top class Grand Prix. His trip to London for the Olympic Games was not so successful, he finished in 46th place and was retired soon after.
Already Vigo has proven himself a very superior sire indeed. Some of his stars of 2013 include:
Super Trooper de Ness (out of a Polydor mare) ridden by McLain Ward, winner of a 1.60 Accumulator at Dublin CSIO*****, two 1.45 classes at Calgary and a metre fifty at Wellington.
Vagabond de la Pomme (out of a For Pleasure mare) 6th at a two star CSI at Valkenswaard with Penelope Leprevost.
Golden Hawk (Figo de Muze – out of a Chin Chin mare) was second in the Grand Prix at the Lummen CSI with Shane Breen.
Ego van Oti (Darco mare) is a promising competitor with Edwina Tops Alexander, their best score 5th in a 1.55 class at Donetsk CSI****.
Dixson carried Ian Millar to victory in the 2014 CP International Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows
Dixon and Ian Millar at the WEG in Caen in 2014
In 2014, the list grows longer: Denver van het Goemanshof was 2nd in a 1.50 at Arezzo with Oliver Phillippaerts, Dixson (Olisco) was a member of the winning Canadian Nations Cup team at Wellington, with Ian Millar, Donatella N (Burggraaf) won the Grand Prix at Göteborg***** with Nicola Philippaerts (it was a good field, Plot Blue was second),
Ego van Orti (Darco) and Edwina Tops-Alexander at the 2014 WEG
Ego van Orti (Darco) and Edwina Tops-Alexander were 4th in the Madrid Grand Prix and 13th at the World Cup final in Lyon, Golden Hawk (ex Figo de Muze – out of a Chin Chin mare) was 2nd in a 1.45 at Braunschweg with Shane Breen and Vagabond de la Pomme (For Pleasure) won at 1.55 at Antwerp***** with Penelope Leprovost.
Penelope Leprevost and Vagabond star at Gothenburg
On the 2015 rankings, Vigo has moved to 23rd, with Vagabond de la Pomme, who won the first round of the 2016 World Cup Final and finished 4th overall, his major points winner.
On the 2015/16 KWPN breeding values, Vigo had a value of 156 (75%) with 70 progeny over 4, and 28 competitors (40%). He also has a fairly disastrous OCD rating, scoring a negative 90 (68%), the equal second lowest rank on the OCD ratings. 100 is neutral, above, a positive influence on OCD status, below, a negative influence.
and win the CSI5* Championship of Knokke!
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