Formula One Offspring

[Wits_End_Eventing]

Our first home bred baby, The African Queen, is now 5-years-old. She is by Formula One and is out of my old CCI** TB mare, and we have her full sister who is 2-years-old now. Hillary Irwin has done a super job bringing Africa along, and she was just first at her second training level. She is a lovely mover (when she isn’t naughty like her mother) and has a great jump. I have heard mixed things about Formula One babies and was wondering what other breeders experiences are with him? Our Formula One babies are athletic but a bit temperamental, but that could VERY well be from their Mom who got 8s and 1s in the same dressage test on more than one occasion…We are very, very happy with them both, and feel they have real CCI**** potential; however, I would also say that they are not an amateur ride. Wondering what others experiences are.

Also, the mother now has had 6 offspring. Her colts seem to be easy going and her daughters seem to be just like Mom - opinionated alpha mares. Random occurrence?

[PhoenixFarm]

Here is our 6yo Formula One filly jumping clean in her 2nd prelim (she also jumped clean in her first one). She is out of a full Irish TB by a son of Sadlers Wells. Every way you described your mare sounds like ours as well–fab jump, tons if ability, a little tricky on the flat, a bit of a pro ride, but out of a dam with a tricky personality so hard to judge. We are thrilled with our mare, and would recommend Farley as an event sire.

http://www.rideonvideo.net/mobile/watch.php?vid=b208db48a

We love ours, but she can be “just a wee Irish” lol.

[Perfect_Pony]

I lost out on a 3 year old, he was out of a sport Appy mare (Appy/TB) that had gone prelim herself. He was lovely, sweet, easy as a 3 year old. I was second in line and the first person wrote a check.

Everything about him pointed to an easy ammy ride, but he was only 3 years old so that could have changed.

The relatively small experience I have with riding young horses points to the mare counting a whole hell of a lot with temperament. There is a local RID who has a perfect temperament himself, but after spending some time around many of his babies they sure all seem to take after their moms! I would imagine a horse like Formula One is being bred to a lot of TB mares and Eventing mares making his offspring slightly more likely to be on the hotter side.

[goodmorning]

He’s been bred to some quality mares. From what I’ve seen, there isn’t a consistent type or stamp. He’s a lovely horse, with many good qualities, so it will be interesting to see how they develop as riding horses. I wonder if they’re late bloomers? There is nothing wrong with that - Voltaire the perfect example - and he does have a small % of Irish blood…It does seem like they have careful hind-ends, but again, from the dam? Smallish n? For those who bred to him, did he add jump? I’m not sure I would breed to him with the intention of improving jump, until I saw more develop u/s. His jump is great, and he is such a good horse, but at this point I’d question prepotency, and breed him to a proven mare. This includes temperament. I have seen great hooves on them.

I know he probably has a fan club due to his connections, but, I think its important to have candid discussions…no horse is perfect; there will always be pros & cons.

[GAEventer]

I’ve heard mixed reviews as well, that some are tough/piggish or hot.

I also find it very interesting that with as many stallions Denny has competed and stood at stud, that Formula One has had virtually no career. As a breeder of event horses (and Irish ones to boot) I want to see a stallion with a consistent, long career, and/or enough offspring at the upper levels that are doing well. When a young, sound stallion is advertised as a sire for upper level eventers, yet he isn’t out competing himself, it makes one wonder…

[ThirdCharm]

IIRC Denny may have expressed a sentiment along the lines of having no interest in exposing a valuable stallion to the bloodbath that UL eventing had become (around the time xc became flat-out galloping in between clusters of spectator-friendly technical complexes so horses were flipping over left and right, it seemed). F1 won his first outing at Training and then went and did Jumpers in FL at 4’6" (IIRC). He has had more of a show career than Loyal Pal, Prussian Blue, or Reputed Testamony… He also has some credentialed relatives.

I have two, the older is 3 and has been saddled and longed twice, seems very good-minded. Her mom is pretty nice, but spooky (only on trails!) and takes a particular ride, and the dam of my current Int horse, who is much like her except all you have to do is get her eyes on the flags. The 2yo seemed like she was going to be tough as a baby but seems pretty sweet now–she is out of my other Int mare, who was a super sensitive diva. Both very sensible, no spook or stupid. Both very fancy and athletic. But moms were too.

Jennifer

[SBH]

I have a yearling by Formula One…I am interested in hearing about the temperament of your older ones when they were young. My filly has an excellent temperament and nothing we have thrown at her has flustered her at all! Of course I have to give credit to her momma she is very level headed and as easy going as you can ask for from a TB mare!!

[Wits_End_Eventing]

[QUOTE=goodmorning;6987668]
He’s a lovely horse, with many good qualities, so it will be interesting to see how they develop as riding horses. I wonder if they’re late bloomers?..For those who bred to him, did he add jump?[/QUOTE]

Interesting, Africa has been a late bloomer, and she just gets better and better all the time. She is a fabulous jumper but so was her mother. I do think both of our fillies got more bone from Formula One which was something we hoped for. The mare is very fine boned and both her Formula One daughters are more substantial.

Realized my earlier link was initially to the wrong video: here’s the vid of her first training level. I think it shows off the jump.

[PhoenixFarm]

PePo I know the one you wanted, breeder/owner is a friend. The dam on that one was very ammy friendly, and that boy I’m confident would have stayed so.

Farley def added, jump, bone and bravery to our mare. I don’t think they’re terribly precocious, but then again ours is a 6yo prelim horse, lol. But the first event we tried with her was about 2 mos too early, and she let us know, lol, too early!

[clivers]

We have a 2010 filly by Formula One - she will be 3 in June.

She is out of a sensitive, hot full TB mare who ran 96 times and retired sound.

Fizzy is hot, but very, VERY brave. She has great feet and jumps on her own when turned out in the ring. She is a lovely mover too.

I am backing her this summer.

If there was one thing I could change it would be her size; she is only 15.1hh. Mom was 16.2 but barely looked pregnant when she was. Anyone think she’ll make 15.3+?

Oh, and the 5 whorls on her forehead freak people out

Here’s a video of her loose last weekend: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=M91K7U5utMA

[Wits_End_Eventing]

She is lovely! Our mare has been a LATE grower… She has just probably hit 15.3 or 16 hands. By the way, Lenamore who was an amazing 3 day horse was only 15.2. Mark Todd’s Charisma could walk under the stick at 15.3. Headley Britannica won 3 CCI**** and was 15.3. I think height is overrated. In fact, our data base shows that, in eventing, height over 17 hands is statistically a detriment to performance.

[clivers]

Thanks Wits End!!
Her bum is about 15.3 so if she evens out I will be happy with her size