tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67197630367770737522024-03-13T21:40:39.176-07:00Superior Equine Sires BlogNews and opinion about the sport horse breeding industryCarol Austin, Superior Equine Sireshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03369056064472461218noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719763036777073752.post-10730613475419356362021-07-21T09:27:00.002-07:002021-07-22T14:41:17.490-07:00<p style="text-align: center;"> <b>Sandro Hit and the Olympics</b></p><p style="text-align: left;">The American team for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics includes Salvino by Sandro Hit, ridden by Adrienne Lyle, Suppenkasper, by Spielberg/Sunny Boy/Sandro Hit, ridden by Steffan Peters and Sanceo by San Remo/Sandro Hit, ridden by Sabine Schut-Kery. Sort of makes it an S-line super sweep, doesn't it? And let's not forget he had five offspring at the Rio Olympics!<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">I find this quite ironic considering the "Sandro Hits don't have good walks," or "the Sandro Hits are okay but they don't make it to the upper levels," or "Sandro Hit doesn't sire good temperaments" and other negative nonsense I've heard through the years. Any stallion with as many offspring as he has is bound to sire a few bums. (God forbid we blame the mare!) But the statistics speak for themselves, and this is a stallion whose influence on modern sport horse breeding is significant and lasting. </p><p style="text-align: left;">When I first began offering his frozen semen at less than $1000 per dose, he was the greatest thing since canned jam. But I noticed that the more expensive his semen got, the more "bad" characteristics he sired and fewer breeders used him. Yet his results speak for themselves--use him, don't use him, the line continues its upward trajectory. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Sandro Hit semen has always had and still has excellent fertility. Sandro Hit sons, like him, also tend to be good, fertile sires. Sandro Hit mares are some of the best producers in the world with high fertility and good, maternal characteristics who bring the Sandro Hit beauty to the mix. I regularly tell my clients, "If you see a Sandro Hit mare for sale, buy her."</p><p style="text-align: left;">For a good article on Sandro Hit, read this article from The Horse magazine:<br />https://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2020/09/sandro-hit/</p><p style="text-align: left;">And here is a video published by Elite Stallions:<br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFMOSB4q6UI</p><p style="text-align: left;">Oh, and can I suggest my dream breeding cross to those of you lucky enough to own a mare by Diamond Hit, who is out of the same dam as Sandro Hit? Breed her to Sandro Hit! Linebreeding to great stallions is one thing, and not too difficult to accomplish, but imagine linebreeding to one of the great mares of recent times, Loretta by Ramino. </p>Carol Austin, Superior Equine Sireshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03369056064472461218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719763036777073752.post-69067202249158769482020-12-15T11:08:00.004-08:002020-12-15T12:23:41.030-08:00If you like it--buy it!<p>Just this morning, minutes after speaking with a client who planned to purchase Totilas frozen semen next year, I received an email from the Schockemoehle Stud informing me of his passing following colic surgery. </p><p>Once again, I advise breeders that if you really love a stallion but don't currently have a plan to breed to him--consider buying his semen anyway. Stallions become unavailable for a variety of reasons: death, infertility, a performance career, sale to a new owner with no interest in making semen and changing USDA regulations are some of the reasons why a stallion's frozen semen becomes unavailable. </p><p>So if you have a dream of breeding to a stallion "some day," buy it and store it for the future. You never know when your dream will become unattainable because the semen is no longer available. </p><p><br /></p>Carol Austin, Superior Equine Sireshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03369056064472461218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719763036777073752.post-5944776571787582502020-02-24T16:12:00.000-08:002020-02-24T16:12:16.620-08:00<div style="text-align: center;">
Research Tools</div>
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It's that time of year again when breeders are madly researching their breeding ideas, so I thought I'd pass along some of my favorite research tools. </div>
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First of all, country-specific google sites can often lead to results not available on Google.com. </div>
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Each country has its own google. For example:</div>
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Germany = google.de</div>
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Netherlands = google.nl</div>
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Denmark = google.dk</div>
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France = google.fr</div>
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Belgium = google.be</div>
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United Kingdom = google.co.uk</div>
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Portugal = google.pt</div>
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Spain = google.es</div>
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Italy = google.it</div>
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And so on . . .</div>
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Use the <a href="https://translate.google.com/" target="_blank">google translation tool</a> to translate the words stallion, mare, foal etc. into whatever language you are researching. Also use the English terms for the most results. </div>
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<a href="http://horsetelex.com/">HorseTelex.com</a> is a useful site, where you can look up a stallion and also see his dam's produce. It's helpful to see the dam's produce in this rather sire-centric business. Here in North America we don't have the extensive background in mare families, that they do in Europe. More great features are the registration numbers, inbreeding coefficients and approvals also provided. </div>
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<a href="http://www.hengstregister.de/" target="_blank">Hengstregister.de/</a> is another great website; it lists the test results of every stallion tested in Germany. </div>
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<a href="https://www.hippomundo.com/en/" target="_blank">Hippomundo</a> is another pedigree site which includes an up to date performance record of a stallion and the produce of his dam. </div>
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<a href="http://youtube.com/">YouTube.com</a> YouTube is a fantastic resource for horse breeders, and one I'm sure most are already using. You can sometimes find videos not otherwise available by searching the country-specific google sites mentioned above. </div>
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<a href="http://clipmyhorse.tv/">ClipMyHorse.tv</a> is a pay site that features all important sport horse events worldwide in real time. Plus, they have an archive of events.</div>
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<a href="https://www.pedigreequery.com/thoroughbred-bloodlines" target="_blank">Thoroughbred bloodlines</a> is a good source for researching Thoroughbreds. </div>
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<a href="http://equineline.com/">Equineline.com</a> is another Thoroughbred pedigree research site. </div>
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The Superior Equine Sires <span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><b><a href="https://www.superiorequinesires.com/cdb-listing.php" target="_blank">Conception Database</a> </b></span>was developed to give breeders access to frozen semen conception results on many stallions, both in Europe and North America. All data is user entered. Users can view reports, create reports and request stallions be added to the list. </div>
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There is also a <b>"Search"</b> feature in the upper right corner of the Superior Equine Sires masthead, where you can search the website for name, breed, color, height etc. Just keep in mind that it will pull up stallions from the archive which are no longer available, so you must check the active roster to be sure a stallion is available. </div>
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<a href="http://thehorsemagazine.com/">TheHorseMagazine.com</a> is an excellent website which contains a wealth of historical articles on famous stallions, riders, competitions and more. </div>
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Please let us know of other good research sites: info@superiorequinesires.com </div>
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Carol Austin, Superior Equine Sireshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03369056064472461218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719763036777073752.post-64604419869239050712020-01-17T16:32:00.002-08:002020-01-17T16:32:48.342-08:00Motility versus FertilityThe most usual question for semen shoppers to ask is "what's the motility?" Unbelievebly enough, we often do not receive motility percentages from our suppliers, but must extrapolate from the number of straws per dose. For example, three straws per dose indicates approximately 50% motility and four straws per dose about 40% motility. When selling single straws, we do however, usually get a motility report. <br />
Breeders often rely on their veterinarian or technician for a motility count, and share information between themselves or via our database. But just take a look at our <a href="https://www.superiorequinesires.com/cdb-home.php" target="_blank">Conception Database</a> (you must sign up to use it) to see how the reported motility of the same stallion can vary wildly. Our experience has been that even semen from the same collection can vary. It would seem that it's not an actual variation of the semen, but perhaps that it has been compromised by handling and thawing, or by a flawed assessment when looked at on a slide.<br />
The most reliable assessment of semen motility is provided by CASA (computer assisted semen analysis).<br />
And while good motility is never a bad thing and often bodes well, the far more important question is "what's his fertility rate?" We've seen stallions with 5-10% motility settle mares at a high rate and stallions with 75% motility that didn't work at all.<br />
We built our Conception Database so breeders have access to important data to use in making informed breeding choices. So, if you haven't entered your results or you have searched the database, please do! And if you don't see the information you're looking for, call us. We often have information that is not entered in the database. The database information is only entered by breeders.Carol Austin, Superior Equine Sireshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03369056064472461218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719763036777073752.post-62997995686069018562019-12-27T11:13:00.004-08:002019-12-27T11:13:53.704-08:00Three Best Practices for Success with Frozen Semen<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Breed Post Ovulation Only</span><br />
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Inseminating within six hours from ovulation is the number one priority for success with frozen semen. The timed protocol may work in some instances, but why inseminate with expensive, no-guarantee frozen semen before the mare ovulates? Mares are known to regress follicles, which means your expensive semen is wasted. And what if the semen only lasts for six hours in the reproductive tract, and your mare ovulates at ten hours post insemination? This is why the veterinarians will put another dose in when she/he checks the mare again, regardless if the mare has ovulated or not.<br />
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The main reason veterinarians want to use the timed protocol, which calls for one dose to be inseminated before the mare ovulates and one dose after ovulation, is so they don't have to get up at night and check a mare. There is no reason to use two doses per cycle when one will do. If your vet uses nothing but the timed protocol, I suggest finding one who will inseminate post ovulation.<br />
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There are, however, reasons to use the timed protocol, such as when you have a mare or foal you don't want to ship to a breeding facility or you don't have the option of using the post-ov protocol.<br />
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I believe the most fertile frozen semen stallions are those whose semen lives the longest in the reproductive tract. I've seen frozen semen that is still alive on a slide after 12 hours, but most lives far less. With stallions that are less fertile, consider asking your vet or tech to shorten up the interval between checks, to inseminate closer to ovulation.<br />
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It can't be overstated, inseminating post ovulation is the single most important way to be successful with frozen semen.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don't Breed on a Transitional Cycle</span><br />
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Even though mares get in foal at the end of a transitional cycle at the same rate as with any other cycle, the fact that transitional cycles can last up to 21 days means it can cost you a fortune in board and veterinary costs. Plus, the transitional cycle gives the mare a cleansing cycle, as nature intended, and gets her hormones working. After the transitional cycle she'll settle into a normal, regular cycle in most cases.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don't Breed on Foal Heat</span><br />
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Your vet might tell you she/he no problem getting mares in foal on foal heat, which is true enough. But the more important fact is that there is only a 30 to 35%<i> live foal rate</i> from foal heat breedings. I bred on foal heat only once, to save money on very expensive board. The mare came home pregnant, but aborted at nine months. The placenta was horribly infected, as was the mare's uterus. The uterus needs time to cleanse and heal after foaling, that is the purpose of the foal heat. So give your mare's reproductive future a boost by waiting a couple weeks for the first "real" heat.<br />
<br />Carol Austin, Superior Equine Sireshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03369056064472461218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719763036777073752.post-4575119763779296812019-12-24T09:15:00.000-08:002020-01-28T16:24:10.253-08:00New Schockemoehle Contracts for 2020T<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">he Schockemoehle Stud contacted me last month about how the contract had worked for me last year. After discussing why I felt it was not favorable to North American clients, we came up with a new contract system for 2020. It's still a contract, but at least now you can purchase a single dose or choose the two-dose contract, which has some breeder benefit if you don't get a conception. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The details are as follows:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">--One dose, one contract for one mare, contract fulfilled when you get a conception or viable embryo transfer (from fresh or ICSI embryo) No discounts next season if you don't get a conception.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">--</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Two doses, for one mare,as in 2020. If you get a conception and don´t use the second dose, the remaining dose to be as used as above with one contract or purchase another two dose contract and receive a 2nd dose to fulfill the 2nd contract. If you use two doses for one mare and no conception, a 50% discount this (if available) or next season, with another two doses. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The contracts may be viewed on our website. </span></span>Carol Austin, Superior Equine Sireshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03369056064472461218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719763036777073752.post-30012849358977903492019-06-06T11:52:00.001-07:002019-06-06T11:52:30.728-07:00The Internet is a Double-Edged SwordWe all use it, often many times per day. You can't even have a good old-fashioned argument anymore, without someone pulling out their cell phone to settle it almost immediately. Yet, rarely does anyone challenge the internet's authority.<br />
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With an online-based business, I use the internet more than many people. But when it comes to passing on information about stallions I try to only repeat firsthand information. Firstly, from the mouths or the websites of the stallion owners themselves. Secondly, from clients who have firsthand experience to relate. Passing on opinions from someone who heard it from someone who read it somewhere is not acceptable to me. Unfortunately, this happens a lot in this business.<br />
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My first example of this was years ago when I first started in the frozen semen business. Brentina, by Brentano II, was all the go, brilliantly winning Grand Prix events and Olympic medals. Yet no one would buy her sire's semen. It seems someone on a popular sport horse chat room opined that his semen was no good, because she had used it and didn't get a conception. The hue and cry was raised; it was shared all over the internet and it killed all interest in Brentano II. Eventually, I asked the assistant director of the Landgestuet Celle about it and mentioned the name of the woman who had declared him a dud. "Hmm," he said. "That doesn't make sense. She only bought one dose." One opinion, amplified, had effectively killed a marvelous stallion's reputation. When I finally persuaded someone to try using his semen, she got a conception, the first of many for a stallion with an excellent conception rate. I have had this situation come up several times through the years, with stallions being unfairly maligned. Recently I had a stallion criticized for having semen that didn't work by one breeder, only to have another get a conception with a single straw from the same collection.<br />
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Unfortunately, in the case of using new stallions, North American breeders are often the guinea pigs for newly offered semen, because the Europeans don't use it much. They generally don't even test it on a mare of their own (my dream) before they ship it. Most stallions end up being at least average conception-wise, but a few end up being basically non fertile (my nightmare). This is why I tell breeders using unproven stallions that all I can rely on is the reputation and honesty of the supplier and the fertility of the sire line to guess at a untried stallion's fertility. These situations illustrate why it's important to rely on firsthand information.<br />
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Stallion owners invest significant time, effort and money to provide semen for sale to the public, so it's really a crime to let unfounded rumors stand as truth. But, boy is it ever hard to convince some people otherwise when they've read it on the internet. This is the reason I built my Conception Database, <a href="http://www.superiorequinesires.com/cdb-home.php"><b>http://www.superiorequinesires.com/cdb-home.php</b></a>, which is completely user driven. The only time I have any input is when a stallion I know to have good fertility is unfairly disparaged. Then, I offer my input via the "Brokers Note" at the top of a stallion's page. If there's no information on a stallion, call me, as I often have information that has not been posted. I'll tell you what I know straight up: excellent, average, low or no conception or don't know.<br />
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Keep on reading and researching, but deal with trusted sources of information and try to base your breeding decisions on firsthand knowledge.<br />
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<br />Carol Austin, Superior Equine Sireshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03369056064472461218noreply@blogger.com0Unknown location.88.541884531272558 -155.6542972561.763427031272556 39.111327749999987 90 9.5800777499999867tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719763036777073752.post-25300560057700745962019-04-09T14:55:00.003-07:002019-04-10T10:02:03.120-07:00Learning the horse businessThis time of year I speak with a lot of newcomers to breeding. Even though I tell them mostly the same things over and over again, I really don't mind. They often apologize for so many questions, but I tell them their questions are always welcome--and I mean it. Better questions before, than wishing you'd asked them later.<br />
Even though there are equine courses taught at colleges and universities, horse breeding is largely self-taught or passed on by experienced breeder-mentors. Horse breeders are some of the most generous people with their time and expertise of any people I know. Many are continuing the practice of handing down their knowledge to the next generation, as it was handed down to them.<br />
As a kid in southern California, back before all the old ranchos went down to development. (Yep, they paved paradise and, put up a parking lot.) I was lucky enough to live near several working horse ranches. And being a horse crazy kid, I propped on the top of many a corral fence watching the ranch hands, most of whom were Mexican, as they went about their business. That was <i>my</i> introduction to horse breeding.<br />
Years later, when I had my own kids and they had playmates over at the house during breeding season, I'd pick up the stallion's chain shank and head for the barn to tease or breed mares. One of the kids would hear the chain rattle and say to their friends, "C'mon, you gotta see this." And a little trail of children would join the dogs following me to the barnyard. Like the old vaqueros who didn't shoo me away, I figured it was a good lesson in how babies are made. Nobody's parent ever called to complain.<br />
When I went to the racetrack I first worked as a groom, learning the basics of horse care, including how to properly clean a stall, grooming and leg work, feeding, tacking and most importantly, assessing a horse's mental and physical condition and relaying important details to the trainer. Has the horse been digging in his stall? Might be sore or colicky, or bored. Did he pin his ears and go to the back of his stall when he saw you coming with the tack? Might be sore or sour, which is usually caused by being sore. Being a groom is one of the very best ways to learn the horse business from the ground up. They are the often unsung heroes of the horse industry. I love it when a top trainer hails their groom as the reason for their success.<br />
When I was training racehorses myself, I never missed an opportunity to learn from other trainers. Even the "worst" trainer might have some nugget of advice that you can use. The old guys were especially willing to sit in the shed row on a hot summer afternoon and let me pick their brains. I learned so many tricks of the trade that way, and still have the little recipe book of liniments and cures that I wrote them down. When I once asked a prominent trainer the secret of his success in developing so many top class horses he had a one-word answer that I regard as the key to raising and training horses. "Patience," he said.Carol Austin, Superior Equine Sireshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03369056064472461218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719763036777073752.post-45594745773390898062019-03-20T14:00:00.001-07:002019-04-10T10:06:28.893-07:00Blog Relaunch<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I have always enjoyed
doing blog posts while on European trips, but I haven’t blogged from home yet.
That‘s about to change! I plan to blog on topics of interest to North American
breeders and enthusiasts. I hear the most interesting things from people, which
are often learning experiences for me. I hope to share topics of interest and hope
you will send me suggestions for topics and continue to share all those
interesting factoids with me. Please contact me at <span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="mailto:superiorequinesires@gmail.com">superiorequinesires@gmail.com</a></span>
if you have ideas to share. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My new assistant since 2016, when I relocated to Spokane, WA, is my
daughter, Annie Grinolds. It has been a delight working together. She is smart,
friendly, capable, polite, has great phone skills, and can even spell! Though
she was raised on our family horse farm and thus has good basic knowledge of
horses and rode a bit as a kid, she was new to the warmblood world when she
began working for me. Annie has studied diligently to learn about sport horses and
really enjoys our work. She has been responsible for upping our social media
presence and freeing me up to do things like, well, writing a blog. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A recent topic of
interest to breeders has been Warmblood Fragile Foal Syndrome. When the topic
first broke to the general public last April many people pretty much freaked
out. Some were advocating eliminating all carriers from the breeding pool. Now
that folks have had time to do some research, most have come to realize that
the most critical thing is to <i>test your
mares. </i>Then you can breed to <i>any </i>stallion
without getting a fragile foal. You still have a 25% chance of getting a carrier,
but a carrier can be a performance horse, or even be bred, as long as you breed
it to a non-carrier, as then there is no risk of getting an lethal foal. Over
time this gene can be eliminated from the warmblood population, without
eliminating valuable bloodstock from the breeding population. Again, <i>test your mares!<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Yesterday, I received from Germany the book “The Hanoverian Horse,” by
multiple authors. I’ve lusted for this book when I’ve seen it in the Verband’s
sales booth at the stallion licensings. I haven’t purchased it because it’s
only been available in German, so I was thrilled to see a 2018 edition in
English. It’s a large-format 400 page book packed with the history of the
Hanoverian and famous farms and breeders. As I go through it, I’ll share some of the
many insights. This tidbit of history details the first German breeding system:
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Until the 17<sup>th</sup> and 18<sup>th</sup> century, horses
predominantly reproduced without breeding control and selection in so called
“wild studs” (Wildengestuet), untouched in nature from where they were captured
and domesticated, depending on the individual purpose. Prezellius reported in
1777 about so-called “half-wild studs” with mares living in the wild all year
round and stallions kept in the stable and only released back into the wild
during the breeding season. This type of horse keeping can certainly be
considered a first specific breeding measure, mainly implemented by studfarms,
which were initially separated from rural horse breeding.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I loved this little tidbit. It reminds me of the way Western ranches,
beginning in the 1930s and 40s, turned out Army Remount Thoroughbred stallions
with their “native” mares. The Army then made regular buying trips to the
ranches to buy the tough, hardy offspring as mounts for the Army. Because the
local cowboys had (and still have) a predilection for colored horses, many of
the mares were colored. The offspring the Army didn’t buy were sent by the
rail carload back East to be used as polo ponies and “English” horses. Old
photos reveal many show horses of that time as having spots, high white socks
and bald faces. I’ve often thought that the discrimination against colored
horses that used to prevail in the early sport horse world here in North
America was because people wanted to distinguish their European warmbloods from
American-bred horses. Remember when sport horse owners and breeders only wanted
solid bays with no chrome? Well, those days are long gone and even the
Europeans have to admit that a good horse can be any color. And as many
breeders have found out, you can have two horses of equal quality, but the one
with four socks and blaze will usually sell first. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This reminds me of reading Mary O’Hara’s novels as a girl. She wrote a
fictional series about her real life on the Remount Ranch in Wyoming. <i>My Friend Flicka, Thunderhead</i> and <i>Green Grass of Wyoming</i> are the titles of
her books, and if you’ve never read them, you must. They are atmospheric and
fun and actually helped inspire my vision of rural living. I used to look for
the ranch when I drove past Tie Siding and Virginia Dare when I lived in Wyoming for
a few years but I never managed to locate it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A little commercial: Superior Equine Sires is the only semen brokerage in
the country that still conducts "open" orders, where you can order
any stallion from our list, depending on the country of the sale. This allows
breeder to choose from a vast array of stallions not offered anywhere else. We
also offer shipping services, if you prefer to buy your own semen and have us
import it for you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">With that, I’ll close for now but I’ll be back with more blog posts in
the near future. </span></div>
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<br />Carol Austin, Superior Equine Sireshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03369056064472461218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719763036777073752.post-78847091854475761762017-11-17T12:53:00.000-08:002017-11-17T12:53:04.444-08:00Hanoverian Stallion Licensing, Verden, Germany, October 25--28, 2017Okay, so I'm running behind with this post. Blame it on exhaustion and acute jetlag. But I wanted to at least offer a few comments on my favorite stallions' offerings and post the judge's comments on the premium stallions at the licensing.<br />
Among the jumpers, the offspring of Grey Top (Graf Top / Singular Joter I) really impressed as a group. His eventing Bundeschampion son, Gentleman, made an appearance, along with several other of his kids, and they are a beautiful, athletic and impressive group. I have liked Grey Top since I first saw him several years ago at the Langestuet Celle. He's the new best hope for saving the venerated G line in Germany. Plus, his semen works really well, so that makes him even better in my book.<br />
I also particularly liked the Stolzenbergs and the lone Cascadello I son who topped the jumper sales at 85,000 euros.<br />
Seeing the first crop of nine sons of Finest presented reminded me of when I saw the first crop of his sire, Fuerstenball, presented at the licensing a few years ago. I remember looking down at a group of them from the top tier of the arena, and thinking they walked like "snakes," with a sinuous swing rippling through their toplines. The Finest sons were an equally impressive group and six were licensed. The second high seller of the auction was a Finest. His frozen semen is working very well, so I suspect we'll be seeing a lot of these charming horses in the US in the future.<br />
Fuerstenball himself presented four sons at this licensing, all of whom were licensed. The rest of the entries were of varied and diverse pedigrees.<br />
Prices and comments on premium stallions in auction:<br />
7. Cascadello I / For Keeps, 85,000 €, "Ability, movement, and genetics."<br />
14. Contendro I / Stakkato, 45,000 €, "The best bloodlines for sport."<br />
15. Cristallo Boy / Cassini II, 24,000 €, "Elegant, eager and a quick takeoff."<br />
28. Quidam de Revel / Cassini, 50,000 €, "Power, technique and demeanor."<br />
30. Sivlio / Vulkano, 24,000 €, "Leaves nothing to be desired."<br />
44. Dancier / Bonafatius, 90,000 €, "Elegant, powerful and light-footed."<br />
46. Danzador / Royal Highness, 74,000 €, "Shines in his movements."<br />
62. Finest / De Niro, 360,000 €, "Smooth, beautiful and a calm character."<br />
75. Franziskus / De Niro, 55,000 €, "Energy and swing."<br />
93. Livaldon / Worldly, 120,000 €, "Combines the genes of two top stallions."<br />
96. Millennium / Donnerhall, 140,000 €, "Presence and very dynamic basic gaits."<br />
97. Negro / Christ, 70,000 €, "Power and stability with special bloodlines."<br />
102. Scuderia / Belissimo M, 54,000 €, "The powerful hind makes the front light."<br />
105. Sezuan / Donnerhall, 650,000 €, "Well made and powerful with a good frame."<br />
109. Toto Jr / Sandro Hit, 360 €, "Beauty and movement combined."<br />
<br />
<br />Carol Austin, Superior Equine Sireshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03369056064472461218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719763036777073752.post-41489538452059191162017-11-05T01:44:00.004-08:002017-11-05T01:44:46.808-08:00Gerd Sosath for Stud and Sport<div class="MsoNormal">
Gerd Sosath<o:p></o:p></div>
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October 26, 2017<o:p></o:p></div>
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A visit to the family owned and operated Gerd Sosath Stud is
always interesting. You can count on Inga, Gerd’s wife, to ply you with cakes
and coffee. Our group was shown around by Inga and daughter Janna, as Gerd and
son Hendrik were busy at the Verden stallion licensing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We looked at the stallions currently in residence. What a
super group; though the stud has focused on jumpers (with Gerd riding many/most
of them in the past), they maintain some nice dressage horses too. I
particularly like that they are good legged and good footed horses. Many of
their broodmares feature the bloodlines of Landadel, Lordanos and Landor S. All
of their stallions are quiet and well manner, in beautiful condition and people
oriented.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Adoro (Ampere/Donnerschwee/Landadel) is a typical Ampere:
pretty, with a beautiful neck and smooth, powerful hindquarter.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Beniro (Bretton Woods/De Niro/Placido) is also a model of
his sire. Tall, elegant and eye catching. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Casino Berlin (Berlin (Caspar)/Landor S/Carolus) is a tall fellow
with a friendly demeanor who reeks of athleticism. “Impressive” doesn’t do him
justice.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Casiro (Cassini II/Landgraf I/Ramiro) has a pedigree full of
legendary sires but is amazingly modern in type. He’s charming and gregarious. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Florenz (Florencio/Sandro Hit/Donnerhall) This
Bundeschampionat qualifier is as pretty as he is talented and is a real people
horse. <o:p></o:p></div>
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For Dance (For Romance I/Rubiloh/Ehrentusch) A stallion with
a “10” character that everyone loves to love. He brings a bit of a outcross
dressage bloodline via Ehrentusch. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Diamant de Plaisir (Diamant de Semilly/For
Pleasure/Landor S) This stallion’s pedigree combines several legendary sires
and. He is made in the model of a Diamant—big and correct, with great caliber
and those fabulous Diamant feet, which are good-sized with wide heels. These
horses are built to hold up. And they can jump over your house!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Fuerst Fabrice (Fuerstenball/Sandro Hit/Castro) The utterly
charming winner of the Oldenburg licensing in 2016 is one of a growing number
of stallions out of Sandro Hit mares, who brings just what you’d expect (beauty,
elegance, type, gaits).<o:p></o:p></div>
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Levisonn (Levisto/Lennon/Roman) This guy is a bona fide
jumper, with the smooth gaits, prettiness and temperament to make lovely
hunters. In fact, Sosath stallions Catoki and Lordanos have already produced
champion hunters, indicating the carefulness with which they choose their
breeding stallions for top performance, good characters and rideability.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Of course, the grand old man of the barn Lordanos (Landos/Ahorn
Z/Calypso I) was very pleased to have company visit him. He is sweet natured
and knows he’s a bigshot. Use him for making hunters or jumpers with really
nice gaits. The cover of the most recent catalog features a picture of him with
the Sosath grandbabies, one astride and one holding his lead.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ogano (Ogano Sitte/Diarado/Cantus) This tall, modern
stallion with the hard to find Darco bloodline is the model of a jumper. This
is the kind of stallion that makes you say, “Yes! That’s a jumper.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bundeschampion
Devonport (Dancier/Ravallo/Westbury) was not at the farm on the day of our
visit but we had the pleasure of seeing him in an exhibition ride at the
Niedersachsen Hall the next day. All superlatives apply: beautiful, elegant,
light footed, tactful movements and charisma all wrapped up in a shining black
package. He knew he was on display and loved it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Sosath Stud makes good semen and stand behind their
product. <o:p></o:p></div>
Carol Austin, Superior Equine Sireshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03369056064472461218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719763036777073752.post-72427440247261576372017-10-30T10:58:00.003-07:002017-10-30T10:58:42.473-07:00Dressuerpferde Leistungszenrtrum Lodbergen<div class="MsoNormal">
October 25, 2018<br />
Dressuerpferde Leistungszenrtrum Lodbergen<o:p></o:p></div>
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Located in the pastoral German village of Lodbergen, the Dressuerpferde
Leistungszentrum Lodbergen is a world class dressage center. We met with Lars
Schoon for a look at most of the stallions currently in residence:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Best for Me (Bretton Woods/Latimer/Brentano II) is a large
framed, strikingly beautiful stallion son of Bretton Woods, with the bling that
gets him extra attention.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dominy (Diamond Hit/Pour Plaisir/Piaster) is and elegant stallion
in the mold of his sire, Diamond Hit. He is charming with an alert personality,
exuding quality and class.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Finest Selection (Follow Me/Lauries Crusador xx/Donnerhall) was
under saddle and in the ring for a training session when we arrived. He was
going quietly and nicely for his age and has a lot of eye appeal and should
offer some refining ability as a sire.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Frascino (Fuerst Wilhelm/Don Frederico/Wolkenstein II) is
interesting for his relation to Desperados on the sire’s side and Don Frederico
on the bottom, combined with Wokenstein II, called the “jumping Weltmeyer.” An
interesting way to bring performance blood to a dressage pedigree.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Herakles (Gribaldi/Michelangelo/Arthus) brings the best
Trakehner blood to sport horse breeding. Trakehners are sometimes looked down
on in North America, but I’ve noticed many top breeders in Europe regularly use
them. Look at a photo of a Trakehner from 1929 and a Hanoverian or Oldenburg
from 1929 and it’s apparent why they have been called “the Improver.” This guy
brings their best qualities forward. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Quel Plaisir Quantensprung/Placido/Corlando) is one of the
first crop of stallions by Quantensprung, from which seven of his sons were
licensed. Lars Schoon commented that he was a bit “sensitive” when worked with as
a youngster on the ground, but under saddle became a focused and willing worker.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Rock for Me (Rock Forever I/Florencio I/Longchamp) is a
typical Rock Forever, a model of a horse with a beautiful burnished-bay coat
and a charming disposition.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A couple of “oldies but goodies” we saw at the station are
Royal Doruto (Royal Hit/Rubinstein I/Matador), Rubin Royal
(Rohdiamant/Grundstein II/Akzent II) and Couleur Rubin
(Cordalme/Grannus/Ramino). These grand older fellows need no introduction,
having proven themselves through the years. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The highlight of our visit to Lodbergen was the serendipitous
opportunity to happen into the arena viewing area when Dante Weltino (Danone
I/Welt Hit II/Noble Roi xx) came out under Swedish rider Therese Nilshagen for
a training session. As if that wasn’t enough, Klaus Balkenhol soon arrived to
coach her lesson. Unfortunately, they won’t be making frozen semen from him for
a couple of years, while he pursues his dressage career.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Carol Austin, Superior Equine Sireshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03369056064472461218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719763036777073752.post-48252571430933624992017-10-25T23:44:00.002-07:002017-10-25T23:44:30.869-07:00Verden, Germany, October 24, 2017<br />
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Hengststation Boeckmann, Lastrup<o:p></o:p></div>
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A visit to the Boeckmann station is always a pleasure. Wibke
Hammermann is welcoming and friendly and gladly showed me and my guests and around
the farm. Its white brick buildings, spacious, well-kept pastures and
surrounding forest create an idyllic haven for horses.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Many of the stallions were absent at this time of year but
we still had a nice tour of the stallion barn:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Checkter (Cellestial/Lord Pezi/Ile de Bourbon) was one of
the best four year old jumpers in Germany last year. He is a calm, confident
young stallion with an appealing character and a nice type for sport.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Fire and Ice (For Contest/Coronino/Lados) represents the For
Pleasure line, which continues to exert its influence at the highest level of
international sport. This young stallion is moving up the ranks.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We enjoyed watching Floriscount (Florencio/Donnerhall/Waldorf)
training. He is a beautiful stallion with a strong impression of athleticism
and is very serious about his job, making it apparent that he enjoys his work. <o:p></o:p></div>
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And of course we saw the star of the stable, Fidertanz
(Fidermark/Ravallo/FruehlingstraumII). So gorgeous, harmonious and noble—he is
the epitome of a warmblood stallion. He is quiet with impeccable manners and
knows he’s on display, relishing the admiration. <o:p></o:p></div>
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While at the Boeckmann station, I got to meet Wibke’s new
colleague, Christoph Rowald, who offers breeding advice. I look forward to
another year of working with both of them. <o:p></o:p></div>
Carol Austin, Superior Equine Sireshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03369056064472461218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719763036777073752.post-37303047758981473282017-10-22T04:21:00.000-07:002017-11-05T01:45:07.607-08:00Verden, Germany, October 22, 2017<div class="MsoSubtitle">
Verden, Germany, October 22, 2017<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
We began our trip in Italy and spent
four days in Venice sightseeing, shopping and eating pasta. Then we traveled to
Vienna, where I met with my colleague/friend Dr. Sven Budik of the University
of Vienna Veterinary School. Dr. Budik is one of the world’s foremost authorities on freezing and transferring
embryos and doing ICSI. He sometimes comes to the United States and is always
interested in speaking with people about his specialties. During our
conversation, he informed me that DNA testing has proven that <i>all</i> women are descendants of one of
eight different women, while <i>all</i> men
are descended from one single man. Of course I exclaimed “this explains so much.”
Being a bit doubtful, I did a little web research and it backed up his assertion.
Food for thought.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
While having an after dinner digestive
in the Hotel Holtje bar last night, I introduced myself to the man sitting next to me who represented the Haras de la Gesse in France, which prompted the guy next to him to exclaim,
“Hey, I know you!” It was Dr. Miguel Bleibernicht who produced the Rubi AR
(Lusitano) semen that I have offered for the past couple of years and which is
excellent. Turns out he studied at the University of Vienna under Dr. Budik,
whom he contacted for verification of the all-men-from-one-man theory.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My assistant/daughter Annie and I
attended the pony koering for a while yesterday. They inspect New Forest,
Welsh, Shetland and Hanoverian Riding Ponies. I discerned that many of the riding
ponies contain Frierenhof Stuecker bloodlines, which I offer on my roster. I
loved the Shetlands, which are the old-school Thelwell Pony type I learned to
ride (persevere) on: shaggy and funny and cute as heck. They haven’t yet
evolved into the miniature Saddlebred type of our American Shetlands, though I
suppose there are some North Americans breeding the same type as Germany. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Gestuet WM<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
On Saturday we visited Gestuet WM
and were shown the stallions curently at the stable, by Ecki Wahlers. It was very kind of him to take
time with us, since they are building a new stable area and have six young
stallions to take to the Hanoverian Stallion Licensing on the 25<sup>th</sup>.
He took the blankets off each stallion and let us take our time looking at them
and ask questions. (At some stations they rush you down the center aisle,
pointing to heads hanging over stall doors and calling out the names of
blanketed stallions, so I really appreciate it when they take the time to actually
show you the horses.)<br />
Based on the viewing, I have a few observations about the
stallions we saw:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Martinez (Millennium/Laurentio/De
Niro) is a charming young stallion who exhibits his Trakehner influence in his
finely chiseled head, beauty, elegant type and alert demeanor. He is active and
likes to play in his stall, “killing” on average one rubber play ball per day. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Fantastic (Fuerst Romancier/Sandro
Hit/Welt Hit II) is, well, fantastic. He is a handsome and friendly fellow,
interested in meeting his visitors. He is a beautiful and harmonious individual
as his pedigree would indicate. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Bon Coeur (Benetton Dream/Sandro
Hit/Carismo) reminds me very much of his sire in type and conformation. He is cordial
but somewhat reserved in his demeanor.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Finest (Fuerstenball/Wie
Weltmeyer/Prince Thatch xx) is referred to around the stable as the “king.” He
is incredibly wide between the eyes and has a huge, kind eye. One of the most
intelligent looking horses I’ve ever seen. He is charming and friendly and as gentle
and kind as a kid’s horse. Ecki Wahlers told us that he is so special to the
family because he was orphaned at ten days old and bottle fed around the clock
by his wife and children. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Secret (Sezuan/St. Moritz/Rotspon)
is the stallion everyone’s been waiting to hear about, and it’s no secret that
he’s sensational. He is a handsome and charming stallion with a deep
heart girth and capacious body well-connected to a big, smooth-muscled hind end
that helps account for his dressage excellence. We look forward to offering his
semen in 2018, and have pre ordered it, contingent on the frozen semen quality
being acceptable.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Gestuet WM has provided us with
great semen quality in the past and stands behind their product. I was impressed
with their stallions, who have obviously been well reared and well trained and
love their owners. This is a wonderful family owned and operated facility whose
horses are part of the family. <o:p></o:p></div>
Carol Austin, Superior Equine Sireshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03369056064472461218noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719763036777073752.post-18363224688738642982015-11-18T15:11:00.001-08:002015-11-18T15:11:33.892-08:00Holsteiner Licensing, 2015<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Last month, in October, I attended my first <a href="http://holsteiner-verband.de/front_content.php?client=1&lang=2&idart=2836" target="_blank">Holsteiner stallion licensing and auction</a>. I was both surprised and pleased by what I saw. I
had not expected the quality of movement that the stallions displayed, clinging
I suppose to the old idea that Holsteiners are for jumping, and not so much for
dressage. However, most of the stallions I observed were very good-moving. Stallions
like Contendro I and Diarado, respected as dual purpose stallions both in terms of
their own and their offspring's ability, seem to be more common nowadays. Based
on what I saw at the approval, more like
them will become available in the future. Gone are the days when a breeder used
Holsteiners only for their jumping capacity. Using modern, dual purpose
Holsteiners to inject performance blood without diminishing movement is also an
exciting opportunity for dressage breeders. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I was very impressed by the strong type, and
couldn't help wondering how a population with a studbook that is relatively
closed and so linebred to the C and L-lines remains so vigorous, strong and athletic. The athleticism is palpable.
Maybe someone more astute in the bloodlines of Holsteiners could tell me this
secret. I also noticed that the Landgraf I line seems to be receding back in
pedigrees, but the Cor de la Breyer line is still prevalent closer up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Cascadello I (Casall / Lavall I), had the best
performance as a sire at the licensing. He had the most sons present, four, and
of those three were approved, two were premium, with his son <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWV17gJhoVs" target="_blank">Charleston</a> named Siegerhengst
(champion). This guy was a crowd favorite due to his uphill movements, great jumping ability and enormous charisma. He topped the auction at 300,000 euros. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My personal favorite of the licensing was the Casall
son, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmFixFOcOh0" target="_blank">Central Park</a>, who ended up as vice champion stallion. Top jumping capacity and spacious movement combined with a noble beauty garnered a 100,000 euro auction price. The Casalls were overall quite impressive. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The licensing committee is not too generous with their premium awards and there were a lot of very nice stallions who did not get approved. Perhaps this accounts for the overall uniformity and quality of the presented horses. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The dressage stallions presented were quite interesting and an Ampere / Lorentin I son, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oJ9YpVDGUM&list=PLDQCp69fsYqoMMlQ-qfEEG8MKSR6QG_JB" target="_blank">Alsandair</a>, was approved and sold for 55,000 euros. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqSTcaYULPs" target="_blank">DeVille</a>, by De Niro / Linaro, was not approved but was a very nice stallion. Another dressage stallion that was not licensed, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=297pvps4hEU" target="_blank">Kracker</a> by Krack C / Accord II, was a great favorite with the crowd. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_j7mxV6uhXA" target="_blank">Tocanto</a>, by Totilas / Canturo, another crowd favorite was licensed. None of the dressage-bred stallions achieved premium status. </span></div>
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Carol Austin, Superior Equine Sireshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03369056064472461218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719763036777073752.post-52208362946366951182015-11-10T14:38:00.001-08:002015-11-10T14:54:03.325-08:00<span lang="">A Visit to Katrinelund<br />
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Whenever I go to Denmark for a stay with my friend Jytte Jarl, one of the founding members of Dansk Varmblood, I also have a visit with her neighbor Ib Kirk. His stallion station, breeding farm and training center, <a href="http://katrinelund.dk/GB.aspx" target="_blank">Katrinelund</a> is right next door. Ib Kirk is one of the nicest guys in the sport horse business, not to mention a first class horseman. Not only is he welcoming to visitors, he loves to show them around and talk about the horses. He takes time out from his busy day to guide visitors on a lengthy tour of his farm. He talks about the stallions at length, mentioning both their strengths and shortcomings as sires in a fair and balanced way. He brings them out so one can have a good look at them. I have been to many stallion stations where the person showing me the horses points to the stallions standing blanketed in their stalls and never offers to remove the blanket or bring the horse out. I have never been in such a relaxed and peaceful training center. Each horse is an individual whose quirks and preferences he understands and works with. It's obvious they adore him. <br />
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Katrinelund is situated on the edge of the Limfjord on the island of Mors, northern Jutland, Denmark, and is one of the most lovely settings imaginable. The horses run out in huge pastures, where they spend their lives until winter feeding, training, foaling or show preparation requires them to be brought in. Their environment is perfect for rearing sound, happy, healthy horses. The view from my friend's windows is of the Katrinelund horses running along the horizon between the land and the sea. There could not be a more ideal way to raise horses into well-grown athletes. <br />
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Among the stallions offered for breeding by Katrinelund are<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-8cli7h96M" target="_blank"> Crelido</a>, a marvelous dual purpose Holsteiner son of Calido I / Raimondo who competes at S level in dressage and Grand Prix level in showjumping under Stein Endesen, achieving international successes all over Europe and in North America. His offspring are highly placed nationally and internationally, and in 2012 he was honored as Danish Warmblood's "Sire of the Year."<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8jqW5Ca50A" target="_blank">Skoven's Raphael</a> is another top stallion for Katrinelund; he was Danish national young horse champion at four and represented Denmark at the World Championshipsi n Verden at five and six, where he placed well. His offspring inherit his charming personality and high rideabillity. Among the other stallions on the Katrinelund roster are Freestyle, Zodiac and De l'Or.</span>Carol Austin, Superior Equine Sireshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03369056064472461218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719763036777073752.post-48153559411101506002015-10-29T01:29:00.000-07:002015-10-29T01:54:46.476-07:00Hanoverian Stallion Licensing and Auction, 2015<span lang="">The new world record price for a sport horse at auction was set at the 2015 Hanoverian stallion licensing in Verden, Germany. By Rocky Lee (a son of Rock Forever), out of a Rouletto/Wendenburg mare, the large, elegant, uphill-moving stallion was knocked down for 1.2 million euros to Andreas Helgstrand of Helgstrand Dressage, Denmark. The record crowd roared its approval as the gavel fell. <br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjoJXVYdIP8" target="_blank">Rocky Lee sale topper</a><br />
The Verband must now update their auction display board to reflect one more digit! When the bid went over a million, the board had to be rebooted to continue posting the bids. The under bidder on the stallion was the Danish stud farm Helgstrand once rode for, Blue Hors. <br />
The catalog number 102 Rock Forever grandson is lovely in all regards, with beautiful gaits, a kind, relaxed manner and enormous presence combining into a breathtaking stallion. His sire, Rocky Lee is out of a Justinian xx mare; Rocky Lee stands at and is trained at Jo Hinnemann’s Krusterhof in Voerde/Rhineland. He is ridden by Stefanie Wold, and has collected his first wins and high placings in advanced dressage competitions. <br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTwBMKcsjYQ&feature=em-uploademail" target="_blank">Top-priced stallions</a><br />
One of my favorite things about attending auctions and licensings in Verden is staying at the Hotel Hoeltje in the Verden town center. Just slip through a passageway between the beautiful old buildings and one is in the town center. The cobbled center is closed to cars and is a lovely place to stroll and window shop or have a drink or a meal. A nice walk loops through town and along the Aller River, past the John Lennon memorial; in 1966 he filmed part of an anti war film in Verden. And of course, the abundance of horse breeders in the area makes in a perfect place to stay a few days. <br />
<span lang="">The top-priced jumper was by Comme Il Faut, out of a Calido I mare, and was knocked down for 65,000 euros. I really liked the Contendro I’s, the Lordanos and the Perigueux’s. And of course the Stakkatos are always impressive. My favorites of the jumpers were the Stolzenberg colts, both of whom were licensed, one as a premium who sold for 45,000 euros. <br />
A per usual at stallion licensing auctions there were predictable high sellers, some that one thought would sell higher but didn’t, some that seemed to over sell and others that appeared to be bargains. In the dressage stallions, I really liked the Belissimo M sons, the Bon Bravours and of course the Danciers always look fabulous. The Devereauxs also impressed, as did the Floriscounts and For Romances, one of which was purchased by the Landgestuet Celle. I also quite liked the Londontimes. Not that there weren’t plenty other excellent stallion, these just stood out for me. And, of course, my favorites are always those stallions that I know to have excellent quality frozen semen that results in conceptions!<br />
<a href="http://en.hannoveraner.com/fileadmin/user_upload/pdf/Stutbuch/2015-HM-Statistik.pdf" target="_blank">Final auction results</a><br />
I mainly go to the stallion licensings to get an idea of the stallions' strengths and consistencies. There’s nothing like seeing several sons of a stallion at the same time and same stage of development to get a good idea of what he sires. I don't claim to be an expert, but I am always happy to share my observations with others. </span></span><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Carol Austin, Superior Equine Sireshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03369056064472461218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719763036777073752.post-12260136060686412542015-10-21T04:04:00.000-07:002015-10-21T04:04:59.504-07:00Trakehner Licensing and Riding Horse and Foal Auction, Neumuenster, GermanyMy first trip to the <span id="goog_1446152062"></span>Trakehner Verband <span id="goog_1446152063"></span>stallion licensing, and just getting there was the hard part. After inching along the autobahn in gridlock from about 25 miles south to 25 miles north of Hamburg, I arrived in Neumuenster, Germany. Unlike the Verden (Hanoverian) and Vechta (Oldenburg) areas, most people I encountered in the north don't speak much English. "Kein Deutch. American," has been my most useful German phrase <br />
<span lang=""> <br /> The first view of the horses was of them in-hand on hard ground, which occurred outdoors on a cold day with intermittent rain. Not the best environment for watching anything after arriving hours late after being stuck in traffic. It rained every day I was in Neumuenster. <br /><br /> My first impression on seeing the most Trakehners I've ever seen in one place, is how strong the Thoroughbred type is. I know, duh, but it really brought home to me the importance of Thoroughbred and Arabian blood for refinement, beauty and type. The Trakehner Verband allows only Trakehner, Thoroughbred and Arabian bloodlines, including Anglo Arab and Shagya Arabian. This concentration of "blood," with no outcrosses to other warmbloood breeds, makes theTrakehner the closest thing in warmbloods to a true breed (as opposed to a type named for a region). They are most deserving of an old fashioned term for them: "the Improver."<br /><br /> In North America, and to some extent in Europe as well, there has been a long held opinion that the Trakehners were substandard to the other warmblood breeds. And as for the perception that they are all hot, I think it is natural that they are a bit more spicy that some warmblood breeds, but no more than would be expected according to their level of hot blood. And, there are many warmbloods I've encountered that could use a bit of "waking up." I was impressed with the overall quality, temperament and movement of the horses I saw. <br /><br /> During a conversation with Ludwig Christmann of the Hanoverian Verband a couple of years ago, he remarked that he thought many American warmbloods were becoming too heavy. Now might be the time for American breeders to look to Trakehners as the source of blood and refinement to lighten up their mares' produce. Caprimond and his son Hohenstein have had a major influence as purveyors of type in the Hanoverian breed in recent years. And it looks like Gribaldi and his son Easy Game and grandson Millennium are the next dynasty to assume the mantle. The Easy Games and Millenniums retain all the best Trakehner traits while giving up nothing in terms of quality movement. Their type is stunning. <br /><br /> The Champion Stallion of the 2015 Trakehner licensing was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVUD8hlbqo0" target="_blank">Perpignan Noir</a>, by Schwarzgold / Maizauber, who also topped the auction at 340,000 euros. He is a gorgeous animal, and a super uphill mover exuding confidence and class. As expected, the Millenniums also sold very well. The second highest priced animal was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwTH5vgfJL8&list=PLl_cz6hGzDI2dM5kBoyX5u5Y4hc_hxoOL&index=8" target="_blank">Sir Samoa</a> (Millennium / Cadeau) at 240,000 euros and the third highest seller was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htJ4imkKeX8&index=9&list=PLl_cz6hGzDI2dM5kBoyX5u5Y4hc_hxoOL" target="_blank">Heaven</a> (Millennium / Friedensfuerst) at 180,000 euros and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8jGKYxq574&list=PLl_cz6hGzDI2dM5kBoyX5u5Y4hc_hxoOL&index=10" target="_blank">Helium</a> (Millennium / Induc) at 170,000 euros. He was my personal favorite, the Reserve Champion stallion. The crowd literally moaned everytime he trotted. </span><br />
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<span lang="">The best jumping stallion was Edmonton, by Horalus / Abdullah, an American bred stallion, who was also the top selling jumper at 45,000 euros.<br /><br />Another stallion whose offspring really impressed is Berlusconi. He is sired by EH Axis, out of a mare by EH Friedensfuerst. I hope his semen will become available in North America. <br /><br /> The venue for the licensing, the Holstenhalle, is a beautiful light-filled building with excellent seating and visibility from the grandstand. The Saturday night gala was great fun. I loved the pack of beagles and the rider who jumped the rails held by the human jump standard-bearers in rollicking fashion. I'm sure he could sell the horse he rode a thousand times over based on his performance. </span><br />
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On to the Hanoverian Approvals!</div>
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</span><span lang=""><br /></span>Carol Austin, Superior Equine Sireshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03369056064472461218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719763036777073752.post-6213019352047258282015-09-29T15:52:00.001-07:002015-09-29T15:52:18.149-07:002015 Trip to the German Stallion ApprovalsIn October, I'll attend the Trakehner, Hanoverian and Holsteiner stallion approvals and auctions. These venues are an excellent place to see the best young warmblood stallions in the world presented for licensing. In addition to being a great opportunity to see the individual stallions, many of whom will end up on the Superior Equine Sires website, it is most instructive to view multiple offspring of stallions already on the roster. This is when one can really get an idea of a stallion's strengths and consistency as a sire. Enjoy!Carol Austin, Superior Equine Sireshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03369056064472461218noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719763036777073752.post-66161787743370822082013-11-12T00:46:00.002-08:002013-11-12T00:46:27.480-08:00France's Camargue RegionThe final stop on my 2013 equestrian tour of Europe was to the <a href="http://www.saintesmaries.com/en/home/share-traditions/the-breed/the-camargue-horse.html" target="_blank">Camargue</a> region of Provence in southern France. The sturdy little white horses that originated in the Camargue marshes, known simply as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camargue_horse" target="_blank">Camargue horses</a>, are raised for riding horses and as stock horses to work with the bulls the region is also noted for. They say they originated in the marshes, but my money says they came from Spain or Portugal. They have a decidedly Iberian or Lippizan look to me. I love their compact size, and despite being a small gene pool, they remain hardy and correct with almost indiscernible differences between individuals. <br />
The bird life is vast in the Camargue, with dozens of species along with <a href="http://www.arlestourisme.com/pink-flamingo-other-birds.html" target="_blank">flocks of flamingos</a> that have taken up residence. <br />
And of course, the Camargue also produces the world's most prized gourmet sale, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleur_de_sel" target="_blank">fleur de sel</a> or "flower of salt," which is harvested from the Camargue's marshes. <br />
The <a href="http://www.npr.org/2013/09/14/220784963/in-frances-camargue-bulls-are-a-passion-and-a-way-of-life" target="_blank">black fighting bulls</a> are distinct to the region. The fields are full of large herds of them, beautiful to behold. On a walk from the 1700s farmhouse I stayed in, down the lane past their pastures I enjoyed pausing to look at them. Of course every ear and eye was turned toward me, as they are alert and wary and have been trained since youngsters to consider humans as sparring partners. When I stared too long, they all began lowing in their throats and advancing toward me. They are used for bullfights but with a wonderfully humane twist. The bullfights do not involve killing the bull. Instead, a medallion is fastened to the horn of the bull. At the end of the "fight" whichever possesses the medallion, the man or the bull, is the winner. If it's the man, he receives the prize money. If it's the bull, its breeder receives the money. Bullfights were over for the season, but I was lucky enough to arrive in town on a weekend when there was a special festival of bringing the bulls onto the beaches of Saint Maries de la Mer for a herding exhibition. <br />
White horses, black bulls and pink flamingos! Ah, the fantastic color scheme of the Camargue. <br />
Carol Austin, Superior Equine Sireshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03369056064472461218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719763036777073752.post-46401110859339736442013-11-11T21:18:00.001-08:002013-11-11T21:20:40.215-08:00Haras de Couvains and Haras de Hus, FranceA brief stop in Paris to visit friends was followed by a trip west to Normandy, to pay a visit to the <a href="http://www.semilly.com/gb/haras-gb.html" target="_blank">Haras de Couvains</a>. I was most interested to meet Sophie Levallois, whom I began doing business with last year when I began selling the frozen semen of the excellent Selle Francaise stallion, Diamant de Semilly. The Diamant semen is sold by the individual straw, yet it has an excellent conception rate when used deep uterine. This stallion is one of the kindest, most generous of horses and is in the top percent of the world's best sires of showjumpers. Their temperaments and characters are excellent, not at all the hot, hard to ride type that some have come to associate with some of the Selle Francais lines. Sophie mentioned how different this line is from the lines that come from Alme Z and Galoubet. I saw several Diamants last summer at Spruce Meadows and was very impressed by their type, jumping style and the correctness of their legs and feet. <br />
I plan to offer two more stallions from the Haras de Couvains in 2014, as a source of blood, which North American showjumpers are in need of according to some experts. They are <a href="http://www.semilly.com/gb/calypso-gb.html" target="_blank">Calypso D' Herbiers</a> (Hurlevent / Double Espoir), who features a wealth of impeccable Thoroughbred jumper blood. Calypso D' Herbiers was the winner of the Grand Prix CSIO and the Derby de La Baule 2004. He was the triple French Champion of Hunters, Dressage and CSO at four, triple French Showjumping Champion at four five and six and French vice champion at seven. He is ranked "elite" at eventing and "very good" as a Selle Francais jumping and dressage stallion.<br />
Also available soon via frozen semen is <a href="http://www.semilly.com/gb/herald-gb.html" target="_blank">Herald 3</a>, a 3/4 Thoroughbred son of Heraldix xx, out of an own granddaughter of Ladykiller xx. Herald's sire, Heraldik xx, is the leading sire of event horses in the world and his Holsteiner dam, Alissa, is a direct granddaughter of the great Ladykiller xx, making Herald a 3/4 Thoroughbred of the most exceptional breeding. He is a multiple international Grand Prix winner, reactive but with a cool mind, tested at the top level.<br />
The Selle Francais lines should be of special interest, due to their ability to impart blood through a slightly different way than strictly Throughbred crosses.<br />
The French/German cross seems to be working very well, as evidenced by the recent success of the sires Diarado (Diamant de Semilly / Contendro) and Balou du Rouet ( Baloubet du Rouet / Continue by Contender). <br />
I also stopped by the <a href="http://www.harasdehus.com/actualites.php?current_language=en" target="_blank">Haras de Hus</a>, a showplace stud farm if ever there was one. Their dressage stallions, Don Juan de Hus and Solimon de Hus, are making names for themselves as dressage sires, but they have begun to produce showjumper stallions that we will no doubt be seeing more of in the future. Carol Austin, Superior Equine Sireshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03369056064472461218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719763036777073752.post-10425525527277775272013-11-11T21:04:00.004-08:002013-11-11T21:04:56.676-08:00Klosterhof MedingenA visit to Klosterhof Medingen is always a special treat. To see the Wahler family horses at their home stable, interacting with their handlers is a delight. And, as always, they present the king of Klosterhof Medingen, Caprimond, to his adoring fans. He knows he's a star and is very good at posing for the cameras. This year, at age 28, he's finally starting to show his age and is buckling over a little on the knees. Though his handler, Peggy, says he is her favorite horse on the farm, states that he is still okay for the grandchildren to ride a little. Truly a grand old gentleman. <br />In adddition to seeing the stallions presented for our inspection, we were lucky enough to have a chance to watch Theresa Wahler schooling the Trakehner stallion Herbskoenig under the watchful eye of the master of Klosterhof Medingen, her father, Burkhard Wahler. Theresa warmed up the beautiful, typey young stallion and then schooled him in the beginning of passage. Mr. Wahler, mounted on his riding horse, watched from the middle of the arena and spoke to us briefly about his stallions and his theories on breeding. Of course, everyone at KM is exceedingly proud of the status of senior sire De Niro as the number one sire of dressage horses in the world, according to the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH). Last season he bred over 800 mares in Germany, which was 300 more than the year before, and which was 300 more than the year before that. Yet, you can scarcely find one for sale in Europe, so coveted are they as performance horses and breeding stock. Mr. Wahler elaborated as he watched Theresa. To paraphrase, he said it's hard enough to raise a superior horse when you start with two superior animanls, let alone when you begin with less than brilliant animals. But, he went on, even when you have two excellent animals, the result is sometimes not as good as you hoped for. Even though all breeders know this, it was good to hear it coming from one of the world's premier breeders. After all, how many people ever own a stallion that leads the world's WBFSH standings?Carol Austin, Superior Equine Sireshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03369056064472461218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719763036777073752.post-90146918689576871332013-11-03T00:00:00.002-07:002013-11-03T00:00:57.609-07:00Impressions of the October 2013 Stallion LicensingThe <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlym8BwRzX0&feature=em-uploademail" target="_blank">Hanoverian stallion licensing</a>, Oct. 24--26, was a welcome upward trend for German breeders. I attended with a lovely tour group that included three Americans, including my assistant and our able driver, Stephanie Law, who lives in Germany, a Canadian and three women from Botswana, Africa. We immersed ourselves in the process of over 100 stallions being presented for licensing. The first day occurs outdoors on the triangle, where the stallions are walked and trotted in hand and posed in front of the judges for evaluation. Keep in mind that these stallions have already been selected for this phase by a pre-selection committee. <br />
The second day, the stallions are presented in the arena loose and all are free jumped, even the dressage stallions, though they don't raise the bars as high for them. It's interesting that some of the dressage-bred stallions actually have quite good jumping form, but the poles are never raised as high as for the jumper bred stallions. They are jumped to give the judges another impression of their willingness and athletic ability.<br />
The loose presentation of the dressage and jumping horses allows a look at their gaits, conformation and attitude to their handlers and surroundings. Most take it pretty well considering the excitement and noise level, but there's always at least one who tries to jump out of the jump chute or over the flower decorations. <br />
They are brought back in groups of six to eight for a final walk ring in front of the judges for a last assessment of conformation and the walk (extremely important in the selection process). Then, it is announced which stallions are licensed and which are not. Even if not licensed, the stallion can still be auctioned, and in fact this is where many a good future gelding is purchased. At the end of the day they determine the premium stallions from those which have been licensed.Those will be the first auctioned on the final day. <br />
The next day the horses are presented on the lungeline which offers another impression of gaits, athleticism and shows suppleness and how well the stallion responds to the trainer.<br />
Stallion licensings are an excellent opportunity to see what the stallions that I offer frozen semen from are siring. With a group of stallions by the same sire, it is possible to get a good impression of what that stallion is doing particularly well or where he is lacking a bit. <br />
The auction itself was exciting and inspiring. After several years of downturn in the number of horses produced and falling prices, the 2013 licensing auction was a welcome reversal of that trend, as this <a href="http://en.hannoveraner.com/home/breeding/stallions/stallion-licensing/stallion-licensing-2013/" target="_blank">auction summary</a> shows. <br />
I was extremely impressed by the Fuerstenballs. They were fantastic--elegant, refined, beautiful with three balanced gaits. They are quick behind with good reach under themselves, their trots are balanced with supple shoulders and reaching strides and their walks are long-strided with swing through the body. I cannot say enough how beautiful these horses are. I am wondering if he is homozygous for black as I don't recall seeing an offspring of his of another color. And based on what my clients say about his offspring, it seems they have exceptional temperaments to match their stunning good looks. Based on the uniformity of his offspring from a wide variety of mare bloodlines, I'd say he is a stamping sire. And he has excellent semen quality and conception rate.<br />
Another stallion I was very impressed by was Diamond Hit. From a variety of mare bloodlines, he made beautiful, elegant, typey foals, usually of dark bay color. You just couldn't fault them on their gaits, presence, style or quality. I am very excited to have him on my 2014 roster, as his reputation for good conception precedes him. <br />
The Danciers continue to be sought out and also sold very well. The are gorgeous, light footed horses with style, good gaits, lovely toplines and heads and incredible presence. You can always tell when a stallion is going bigtime, when every stallion station in Germany is adding one to their lineup, which seems to be the case with Dancier. <br />
The De Niros were of course good, there just weren't many of them in the sale, which has to be because everyone is holding onto theirs. He bred over 800 mares in Germany last season. <br />
The Fuerst Romanciers continued to impress with their size, conformation, light-footed movements and good presence and kind demeanors. They also sold very well.<br />
The lone Totilas colt of the auction was booed by the crowd when he was licensed. A Verband official told me that though he has heard the crowd boo when certain stallions were not selected, he had never before heard booing when a stallion was licensed. The colt was knocked down for 100,000 euros to Edward Gal, so it will be quite interesting to see how he develops as a dressage horse. <br />
From a wide selection of jumpers I preferred the Stolzenburgs. He sires horses more leggy and modern than his legendary sire, Stakkato. They are impressive jumpers: powerful, careful, scopey, with good techinique. The Valentinos were also on their games. And of course a high-priced Diarado was a highlight. Carol Austin, Superior Equine Sireshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03369056064472461218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719763036777073752.post-52991765570110109252013-10-24T00:05:00.000-07:002013-10-24T00:05:08.857-07:00Dose size, volume comments by University of Vienna vet school directorI met with Dr. Christine Aurich of the U of Vienna veterinary school to discuss a variety of topics. When I lamented the fact that a couple of my suppliers had gone to two straw doses, she quickly corrected me and said, "No. When you are getting fewer straws, you are getting better semen with more viable sperm!" The important thing is to purchase semen from manufacturers who know how to make a good product and concentrate on providing the correct number of post thaw sperm. <br />
Dr. Aurich then went on to say that the important thing with a two-straw dose, for example, was to get <em>all</em> of the semen into the mare. Unless the veterinarian or technician is using the minitube system, which gets every last bit of semen from the straw, this is nearly impossible to achieve. In fact, when thawed semen is deposited into a tube and then aspirated into a syringe, the most active and viable of the sperm are missed, because they are so lively they are already climbing up the sides of the tube! This has sold me completely on the minitube system. Carol Austin, Superior Equine Sireshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03369056064472461218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719763036777073752.post-76367324285182076242013-10-21T12:23:00.001-07:002013-10-21T12:23:34.377-07:00October 2013 Hanoverian Elite Auction of Riding Horses and FoalsIt appears that my blog on the Hanoverian Elite Auction of Riding Horses and Foals <a href="http://en.hannoveraner.com/home/auction/129th-elite-auction/" target="_blank">(recap)</a> went missing in cyberspace, so I will give a brief impression here. Can you say Fidertanz? He not only sired the top-priced horse at 200,000, he had several other horses that sold extremely well. Each was consistently beautiful, light-footed, an impressive mover and responsive to its rider. Fidertanz is breeding a lot of mares in Germany and the success of his offspring there will continue to improve the marketability of his foals in North America. His excellent frozen semen should make him highly interesting to NA breeders. <br />
My personal favorite was Equitaris by Estobar NRW, which sold for 175,000 euros. An absolutely stunning, beautiful-moving, quiet-tempered horse which makes me wonder why Estobar is so underused in North America. He is a wonderful young sire and should be considered for his great outcross bloodline for North American mares.<br />
I watched a few horses sell with Dr. Ludwig Christmann and we agreed that both Dancier and Fuerst Nymphenburg could be considered as having good refinement qualities. Offspring of both are very elegant and typey. <br />
Of the jumpers, the top seller was the Catoki/Lordanos son, Cadanos, who sold for 155,000 euros to China. He was the typical Catoki type; smooth, balanced, correct and bay, with great technique and power. Those who own Catoki offspring remark on how amenable to training and fun to ride they are. Plus, he is making some good hunters. The Stolzenburgs also impressed. My personal favorite of the jumpers was the mare Graefin Escari by Graf Top, out of an Escudo I mare. Wonderful jumper, beautiful, feminine type and black with high white socks and a blaze. Might be a great nick for consideration for all those Escudo I mares in North America. <br />
The top selling foal was Diamond's Hit by Diamond Hit, which brought 30,000 euros. The foals averaged 6644.23 euros. Carol Austin, Superior Equine Sireshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03369056064472461218noreply@blogger.com0