Same old story - too many horses and no time but I was intrigued by Giant’s Causeway. I don’t know anything about the dam side. Can somebody help me out?
Might this guy be worth a look? I was told he is huge (not that size matters):D.
The dam side is quite lovely for sport. There are almost no sire lines that haven’t proven themselves with sport descendants.
Tail female goes back to Myrtlewood, a well known blue hen mare. Dear April was sired by My Babu, a Herod line sire with Many descendants who have done well in sport in the US. Her daughter was bred to Bold Bidder, one of the greatest lines in sport in the past few decades. He had four eventing grandchildren in the 2000 and 2004 Olympic games. La Griffe was an excellent racing broodmare, and Blushing John was a champion son of hers. Her sire, Prince John, is from the Princequillo line which is extremely well proved as a sport horse line-Princequillo was one of the three most prolific sires of winning sporthorses in the AHSA records for 2000(?), according to research done by Dr. Birdsall. Prince John is lovely to find. Blushing Groom brings Wild Risk through Runaway Bride, and Wild Risk is one of the best sport horse lines in history.
Theatrical combines Matchem and Eclipse, so with My Babu, you have all three of the foundation sires on the first page. Nureyev was a 3/4ths brother of Sadlers Wells, and has been used a lot in European Jumps racing breeding. With Tree of Knowledge, you get Matchem through Sassafras and you get a line to Hail To Reason, a notable line for jumping for decades. Pange was a good race broodmare, and is the second dam of Landaluce. Sensibility has been designated a Reine de Course by Ellen Parker which testifies to her status as a racing broodmare. Tree of Knowledge also produced a superior broodmare called North of Eden who produced a champion and a couple winners in the million dollar and over range.
In my opinion, the dam side is much more proved for sport than Giant’s Causeway, and it has good sport lines from top to bottom.
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The sire line is great for sport as well. You have Blushing Groom there (as well as in the dam line), plus Roberto, Cairo and Fappiano. Both top and bottom are pretty drool-worthy. Would love to see a photo/video.
I love his pedigree for sport. I bought a Creative Cause x Giant’s Causeway mare out of a Mineshaft daughter, last fall. She’s a gorgeous mover with a lovely laid back and sweet disposition. Haven’t been on her yet as she had a slight tendon bow when I got her. It’s cold and set now and I intend to get on her in the spring.
FWIW…I have had several direct Giant Causeway get…they were all red…LOL and 2 were well difficult, one just plain BatSh!t…all drop dead gorgeous …the others were lovely just lovely good fluid movers nice athletic jumps built for Sport…all were out of well bred good race mares…1 had a minor tendon injury the others were sound but poor race horses whose connections wished to see them disappear so not to taint the mare or sire records…one was fancy FEH but wasn t cutting it in eventing the others are fine mid level horses happy in their homes…Theatrical s were all leggy horses not the soundest uphill good minded for the most…
Giant’s Causeway almost always makes large framed horses - and good movers. Every direct offspring I’ve seen has been big framed enough to be considered a WB, very gorgeous horses. And he has such a distinct head he passes on, which I can see in this horse’s sire. I’ve found GC is synonymous at this point with a very nice moving horse.
I think it’s a lovely pedigree. I love GC in a pedigree, he is very hard to get as a sire in a prospect, as his offspring tend to do very well on the track. Those that don’t, still get snapped up quick. As far as his temperament I think he’s very similar to his sire Storm Cat. I don’t think SC horses are crazy, but they are sensitive. They need fair handlers.
RE: Sire side not being as proven for sport… it depends. GC’s sire, Storm Cat, is definitely proven for sport, SC is probably one of the more athletic sires for jumping in recent memory, they’re very catty. Not always easy to ride, which is why I think SC does not enjoy the same success in the UL as some other sires do, but SC has several turf and steeplechase sons standing that are just oozing eventing potential.
I think the damside is lovely but is more “old fashioned” - not as many good movers, though I do like Theatrical (or moreso, Nureyev) for jump potential. Neither Theatrical or Blushing Groom produce as good moving horses as Giant’s Causeway do. Nothing in the damline says this horse can’t jump.
Hold Me Back’s dam is absolutely lovely for sport. It is a shame there is no picture of her. I imagine she must have been a very nice looking horse. Combining GC with Unbridled’s Song is almost guaranteed, in my mind, to make an almost-dressage like mover. UBS has so many get on the ground but they tend to be great jumpers with good canters and very good shoulders.
Another poster mentioned Creative Cause. I just want to add, I am drooling over his kids. He and Stonesider (another GC son) are some of my favorite GC sons to see. Stonesider had a lot of progeny in my neck of the woods, every one as big framed and floaty moving as the next. Frost Giant is another one that has some seriously beautiful moving horses, as is Eskendereya.
This is an extremely strong pedigree for sport.
Thanks for all of the positive comments. He is now decorating my pasture. I’ll get a picture. He is HUGE, only 4, and a touch butt high. Poor guy is at the end of the pasture furthest from the barn as if he doesn’t want to be caught and tossed into another stall after 20 minutes.
The intent is to leave him out through the winter and start him back in the spring.
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Congratulations! My CC daughter HATES being stalled. I think they kept her locked in her stall for the better part of a year after she bowed a tendon the first time; then it started to bow again in June, so there was another 3 mos. of lockup. She will tolerate it, but definitely prefers to be out which was another reason to allow her a good long let down and to just be a horse. She is in with five minis and we laugh that she is the queen of the Liliputians. She’s 4 this year and pushing 16.1. I think she’ll finish at 16.2. Not huge, but good sized. She’s really laid back and not hot or sensitive; at least on the ground. I don’t plan to put her back under saddle until spring.
LOVE blushing groom. I’ve had a few and they have the best brains!!
