Looking at the starting lists for the dressage at Tokyo, we find the KWPN claiming a staggering 24 Dutch horses, and really Dutch, not like in the past, horses born in The Netherlands by German stallions, indeed there is only one of the 24 by a German, Bentley is by Samba Hit II. The rest are second and third generation Dutch.

Johnson (Jazz) and Hans Peter Minderhoud

Negro (by Ferro), but not represented by his most famous son – Valegro this time

Ampère (by the Ferro son, Rousseau)

Apache, who is by a grandson of Jazz, UB40

Total US – out of a Sir Donnerhall/Don Schufro mare

Totilas (okay his dad was bred in Germany but his mare line is solidly Dutch) although there might be some discussion about the second Totilas, Total US, he is out of a Sir Donnerhall I/Don Schufro mare and was bred at Lewitz by Paul Schockemöhle).

Jazz competing at the WEG in Jerez in 2002

Jazz has one direct offspring, Carl Hester’s En Vogue while his son, Johnson, has two. Jazz is also the dam sire of Vivaldi (Krack C) who has one representative.

Blue Hors Zack  Rousseau/Jazz

For some reason, the Dutch refuse to claim one of their best, Blue Hors Zack who is thoroughly Dutch, by Rousseau out of a Jazz mare. So that makes the total a genuine 24 after we’ve subtracted Total US.

Bohemian and Cathrine Dufour representing Denmark

Bohemian comes in as a German, but he is by the Dutch sire, Bordeaux (United / Gribaldi) out of a Westfalien mare by the Sandro Hit son, Samarant out of a  Foxiland xx mare.

Ferro and Coby van Baalen, successful at the Sydney Olympics in 2000

Krack C at the 2002 WEG in Jerez

It is interesting because for a while Jazz. Ferro, Krack C all competed at Grand Prix level at WEGs and Olympics , the second generation of stallions, almost all of them failed to get past Prix St Georges, whereas now the third generation seems to be making the leap…

Ludwig makes the intriguing suggestion that the current success of the Dutch horses is in part because their breeding authorities have deliberately selected for Grand Prix talent, concentrating on the ability to collect, while the Hanoverian breeding authorities concentrated more on loose, natural, swinging movement…

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Vivaldi

Read more:

How does the KWPN dressage horse compare to the German horses?