Thunder vd Zuuthoeve
Bay stallion – 1996 – 2015
BWP | xx : 29.3%

Breeder – René Vets

 Equestrian journalist, Charlotte Smet set out on the hippomundo website to find the successful, but under-rated stallions, looking at the most successful sires with a minimum of 25 and a maximum of 100 competitors in the sport, based on the average amount of prize money won by their offspring… She looked at three years: 2015, 2016, 2017 and while the top stallion in 2015 was Cumano with 33 progeny averaging €18,000 each, the second most successful that year was Thunder vd Zuuthoeve with 83 competitors averaging €13,000.

HH Azur – superstar

For the next two years, Thunder was number one. In 2016 he had 93 averaging €17,000, and in 2017, 94 progeny for an average of €17,400.

Domino competing at the WEG in Normandy

In 2015, four of his get won €100,000 – HH Azur, Domingo, Domino and Gunder. In 2016, HH Azur and McLain Ward were once again the stars, as they were in 2017.

Hanoverian legend Argentinus (Argentan / Duden II).

Thunder van de Zuuthoeve was born in 1996 in the fields of the late René Vets  from the Zuut in Lier, giving him the ‘van de Zuuthoeve’ extension to his name. His dam was Jura van St. Maarten ( Nimmerdor / Lord) and his sire was the Hanoverian legend Argentinus (Argentan / Duden II).

His dam Jura was a serious competitor and took part in the World Championships for Young Horses in Lanaken with Joris Vergauwen. She was also an excellent brood mare, producing Wunder Boy van de Zuuthoeve, the full brother of Thunder, who is approved by the SBS stud-book.

Thunder, the competitor

Thunder’s competition career was cut short when he was injured at the Sires of the World at Jumping Mechelen in 2008, but in the three years he did compete he showed his talents.

In 2006, under Jos Lansink, Thunder came 2nd at the Belgian Championships in Kapellen and won the Masters in the Panhof in Peer. In 2007, he has competed national Grand Prix with Jan van Dijck.

The tendon injury he suffered at Mechelen continued to deteriorate and in 2015 he was put down to end his suffering. The family fulfilled the promise made to his breeder, René, who had died in 2010, and after cremation, Thunder returned to his favorite stall.