If you ever get serious, you should consider Catherston Dazzler. He is a proven performer who went advanced in eventing & GP in dressage PLUS he is a proven sire of at least one Olympic horse (Hyde Park Corner).
Aberjack is beautiful but he can’t touch Catherston Dazzler’s record.
www.rougelandfarm.com Home of TB stallion Alae Rouge, sire of our filly Rose, ribbon-winner on the line at Dressage at Devon.
Yay Heather! Denny had given much to the sport, and is doing a substantial amount to increase the perception of the American TB as a viable and sustainable sport-horse sire. While I don’t disagree that Dazzler is a stunning stallion, I don’t think you can question the talent or capabilities of the THF studs. These are tough, athletic, gorgeous horses. For an event horse, I find a compelling attribute to be the horse’s sire’s soundness. That these horses raced at a serious level and were able to continue racing for some time says to me that they had the bone/tendon/design to withstand the pounding on the track, and that if they pass that on, their offspring may be more likely to stay sound. Now I know that fluke accidents can happen on the racetrack or in the pasture, but I’m impressed by a record which demonstrates either a resistance to or an ability to withstand the dings and wear that racing causes.
Well said, Fred.
If a TB stallion is a good sport horse type, you would hope that the racehorses he produces would also be of sport horse type – this would tell you that he passes along those qualities. This is why certain lines of racing-breds – the Buckpasser line, the Roberto line from Hail to Reason – do turn out a significant number of eventers/sport horses.
I have looked at a number of affordable TB racing stallions for breeding. The owners send videos with the horse in motions, of his offspring racing, etc. And even though it’s all racing stuff, you can get a good idea of what this stallion passes on and if the offspring have sport horse potential. Unfortunately, I can’t afford the stud fees for FuPeg, Silver Charm (who’s too closely related to my mare but what a horse) or War Emblem.
In the UK/Ireland, there are the very reasonably-priced National Hunt (steeplechase) stallions – TBs who may have failed as flat stallions but are successful in producing jumpers. This is an alternative that we simply don’t have in this country.
Personally, I’d just like to see photos of foals and youngstock. I don’t care if they’ve won/competed – you can tell a lot from what they look like. I would like to see what a stallion passes on before paying the stud fee. In the case of Loyal Pal, the list of mares he’s bred to is relevant in a way, because my mare looks nothing like these mares. What’s right for Rox Dene is probably not right for her.
And yes, Fred, I was going for ‘outside blood’ – just a bit of it. In a few years’ time, I would like to breed my 13/16ths TB filly to a full TB.
I should also mention I like your filly, Daydream Believer, as well as those two Erin Go Bragh fillies. But I’m a sucker for small, short-coupled mares!
“If a TB stallion is a good sport horse type, you would hope that the racehorses he produces would also be of sport horse type – this would tell you that he passes along those qualities.”
I agree with JER and Fred, but the actual odds of one or more of Denny’s stallions’ racebred offspring falling into the right hands to become event horses after they retire are slim to none. I was only trying to point out at least one reason, maybe, why Denny’s website does not feature older offspring. 
JER,
Thanks for that link! I was drooling over those handsome guys! Wow, what a resource. Why can’t we have something like that here in the states or do we? What convenience for the mare owner looking for a stallion…all on one website. So many top stallions with performance records.
I really liked Mill Law too however I couldn’t get Stanhopes’ Diddicoy to come up for some reason.
Thanks again! 
“I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself.” D.H. Lawrence
the mare -
SOmeone wanted to see the mamas of these babies.
This is Shilling. Candian TB (15/16ths TB, they claimed there was some Clyde back there but I never saw any of it…)
16h, solid body, a bit fine in the legs, and her feet were ALL TB. So was her brain.
She could jump a bus, hated flatwork.
The websites with Windstar have been posted- I think Star looks more like him than like her mother.
Gry2Yng, here’s my Dazzler filly at 4 months (she’s now 7 months old but I don’t have the pics here). Her mom is my OTTB mare.
BTW, Summersong is by the English Trakehner stallion Fleetwater Opposition, who evented at advanced and did GP dressage. Fleetwater Opposition is still doing stud duties in his mid-20s and has produced many excellent horses is all disciplines. Unfortunately, Summersong’s semen does not freeze or cool, although he does have babies on the ground in France.
(I did a LOT of research before I bred my mare!)
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Archie:
JER wrote “I just don’t get what Mark Todd thinks is so great about him (Aberjack.)”
Mark Todd wrote me “One of the features that first attracted me to Aberjack was his fantastic form over a fence. He uses his shoulder very well, is very neat and even with his knees, supple through his back and opens out very well behind. He had such tremendous scope in his jump that it would have been easy to imagine him excelling in the jumping arena. With his amazingly laid back temperament, and good looks that he is passing on to his offspring, he will be the perfect sire for the hunter jumper market, as well as for eventing.”
Archie<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
MARK TODD WROTE YOU A LETTER??? TELL ME YOU’RE SERIOUS!! I AM SO EXCITED!!!
& other reproductive technologies. Of course, you can’t register a TB with the JC if you use those technologies, but you can record your horse, its birth date & parents with the Performance Horse Registry.
Anyway, using those technologies means that the really great stallions will get the opportunity to continue to sire foals after they are not able to otherwise. A reproductive vet told me that frozen semen will last, essentially without degradation, for 53,000 years, so here’s to Aberjack, Catherston Dazzler & all the other great ones, still siring babies 530 centuries from now!
www.rougelandfarm.com Home of TB stallion Alae Rouge, sire of our filly Rose, ribbon-winner on the line at Dressage at Devon.
bonfire, this is where the stud can make a difference.
I’ll use the Catherston Stud as an example because I am familiar with their program. I know that many European studs do the same with young stallions. I’m sure many US breeders do as well – Hilltop and Iron Spring for sure do this.
When your stallion is young and first graded (about age 3/4), you breed him to some of your own mares. Or you offer very low fees to mare owners as an incentive. But ideally, the stallion owner should hand pick these ‘test’ mares in order to get the best results.
Your stallion starts his competitive career at about the same time his first foals are born. By the time your stallion is reaching his prime, you have some good young (5/6) horses on the ground. (And if your stallion is not producing nice foals, you might have considered cutting him.)
Catherston Dazzler’s very first foal was Broadstone Harvest Moon, who was imported to this country and had a solid career as an Advanced event horse with Amanda Warrington then Buck Davidson. Dazzler was born in 1984, BHM was only 3 or 4 years younger. And BHM was a good selling point for Dazzler as a stud. Hyde Park Corner is how old? 12? Then he was born when Dazzler was 6, meaning the breeding happened at 5.
This is one of the benefits of a breeding program – you get the first foals out there early. In Europe, it is not unusual for quality mares to be bred at three, then start their sport horse careers.
Again, for all the supersensitive types out there, I’m not slamming anyone, I’m simply stating the way that a stud can overcome the ‘age problem’ that bonfire described.
"Still, I have to say, I (along with many other breeders) am always looking for “a better mousetrap” &, worldwide, there are very few stallions that have proven themselves in eventing & then have proven they can pass that talent on to their offspring.
Denny Emerson does not stand a single stallion who has both attributes. That is a fact."
I don’t believe it’s wise to be throwing out false facts…especially if you don’t know the half of what you’re talking about. Now, I know I run the risk of sounding biased, but I assure you I’m not…Denny does stand stallions that have talent and have passed this talent onto their offspring. Perhaps you should call Tamarack and get some information about their studs before pouring out false information onto a public discussion board.
Carrie
yes, I will give you that – the website holds little information on the offspring of these studs…and I cannot give you information offhand because I’ve never really been interested in it until now, but I know from talking to Tamarack staff that they do have some successful offspring. If you are interested, call the farm. They would be more than happy to give you information. All I am saying is that you stated a fact based on what little knowledge the public has on those peticular stallions’ offspring. I’m really not up for an argument, I just think that before saying that they don’t have any successful offspring you should take the next step and inquire about it. No need to give false information to the public.
Carrie
I went to see Denny’s stallions this Spring when I was considering rebreeding my Conn/TB mare. By far, Aberjack was the most impressive…at least while he was moving. What an incredible mover. WB’s have nothing on him and he can really jump too I guess. He was pretty naughty and was playfully biting at one of my friends but it was not mean natured. The funny thing is until he moved, I thought he was pretty plain and ordinary looking. He’s my top pick but his stud fee is quite a bit more than the others.
Wintry Oak was a pretty nice mover too although more thoroughbredlike than Aberjack. He as really quiet too which I liked. He’s not too big but has a pedigree full of top eventers and jumpers. Very classic and nice horse. You can’t beat that he did a 100 mile endurance ride too. Very tough.
Loyal Pal was so elegant and lovely with a regal bearing about him. We couldn’t watch him move since he has a fused fetlock area from a racing injury. Reputed Testamony was also a lovely creature. He doesn’t move as well due to arthritis but you can see how he must have been once before. I didn’t get to see Prussian Blue unfortunately.
“I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself.” D.H. Lawrence
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Several of you who are CD fans (and FWIW, I think he’s a gorgoues stallion with a good record), have mentioned choosing to go through the whole shipped semen riggamarole because of him being “part of true breeding program which is not avaialble in this country.”
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Heather, your quote is a misquote. That is NOT what I said. I wrote: “[Catherston]…is a true breeding PROGRAM, which is not so easy to find in this country.” Perhaps you can point me in the direction of a 50-odd year sport horse breeding program in the US, but I don’t know of any. I do know of more recently developed programs, like Tamarack’s or Bruce Davidson’s (can’t recall the name) or Iron Spring or Hilltop. I repeat: true sport horse breeding programs are few and far between in the US. There aren’t that many outstanding ones in the UK either.
I’m not bashing your friends Denny and May. I think they’ve done great things with promoting eventing and TB stallions but ultimately I found (1) their stallions are not the best matches for my mare, (2) the stud fees were very high, and (3) I couldn’t seem to get more info on the stallions’ offspring (emails went unanswered or pointed me back to the website). And I’ll repeat that I found it odd that they promoted some of their stallions by the quality of the mares bred to them and not by the quality of their offspring.
As for the “whole shipped semen riggamarole”, I have this much to say: I live in California. I’m not toting my mare to VT or NC for live cover at Denny’s, and in fact, I’m not doing live cover at all. So I can’t very well avoid shipping semen in some form, can I? Shipping is shipping, FedEx is FedEx, it’s the same process whether from Vermont or England.
I don’t think I should feel guilty for breeding my mare to a foreign horse. (My mare is an American TB, but I bought her in Canada. Big deal.) BTW, Aberjack is also a foreign horse, brought here to attract US-based breeders with his foreign credentials.
Breeding is about suitability not nationality. US breeders should be taking advantage of AI and modern shipping technology to breed great sport horses at home.
that would be fantastic to see! Thank you!
Greenbean - I wasn’t posting opinions either; I am always more prone to give someone the benefit of the doubt, and I think Denny’s breeding program appears to be really on-track for producing Thoroughbred sport horses.
I just had an experience that left me a little sour, that’s all! I think with all things in life, it’s meant to happen for a reason. I was pointed to a different TB stallion and he is everything my mare needed, x20!
I think it’s very neat that you get to ride the stallions. I’ve only sat on 2 stallions in my entire life; one was a retired racehorse when I was a teenager in Alabama, the other was A Fine Romance this summer in Toronto. There is something markedly different about sitting on a stallion. Particularly if they like you! You get the feeling that they would take you anywhere, and that they are really working hard to “co-habitate” with you!
Robby
You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
And glad to hear from everyone who likes Rep, as I’m expecting a Rep baby this spring! Have a Wintry 18 month old filly whose photo I’ve wanted to put up here. but scanner issues have prevented that.
As to the lack of photos on the website, my only guess is that Denny and May might put more of their energies into running the farm and selecting good sound stallions than they do to website maintenance. I know I’ve sent a photo of Oakus Pocus which hasn’t appeared under Wintry’s get section, and I know I’ve seen some nice Pal and Rep babies at clinics and such - the nice offspring are certainly out there!
When we decided to breed my mare, a TB was the obvious choice as she’s a Welsh/TB, and as much fun as I have on the ponies, a little more height does make it easier to get through combinations and cover ground. Didn’t want to risk a mutt by adding another breed to the mix.
Originally was going to breed to Rep first, but was so impressed by Wintry’s temperament, and thought he might throw an easier “first foal all my own.” Hazel (Oakus Pocus) has certainly been fun so far - bold and sensible, and though she has a few opinions (as does her mother), she’s quite willing to alter them when a better way is explained to her.
Can’t wait for the Rep foal to come! Especially as he has a reputation for throwing uphill foals, and my mare is not the most uphill in the world.
None of this, of course, has a thing to do with Aberjack… But I think Denny and May have a fair eye for a horse, and plenty of knowledge of bloodlines, and I can’t wait for someone to post some pictures in answer to the question ! Though didn’t Aberjack just start standing at Tamarack last season, so maybe there aren’t that many on the ground???
rebecca, please stop with the accusations. If you’ve actually been reading this thread, I can’t imagine why you keep saying these things. Your remarks certainly don’t contribute to a thoughtful discussion of eventing stallions.
If you read my very first post, back on page 1, you’ll see that I briefly noted Catherston Dazzler’s accomplishments. A few posts later, I posted his web page. When I described some other English stallions available through one service, I gave the web page and again, briefly noted their records.
As for how you think I could be ‘venting’, I just don’t get it. Loyal Pal has a fine race record but no sport horse background. Aberjack has competed in Advanced horse trials. Neither one is an appropriate match, IMO, for my mare, and if my breeding choice reflects any kind of bias, I hope it shows clearly that I’m interested in getting the best quality offspring from MY MARE. I can’t chnage what she is, how she goes or what she looks like, so I pick the best stallion for her.
I considered breeding my mare to Wintry Oak. In the end I bred her to another stallion not because of Wintry Oak but because he had already gone up to vermont and I live in nc. May was wonderful and very honest with me. She told me Wintry Oaks semen did not ship well, which I of course appreciated since I was doing AI. If I had the money I would have bred to Aberjack. If Mark Todd believes he’s worth standing at stud that’s enough for me!
“There are times when you can trust a horse, time when you can’t, and times when you have to.”
I have a good friend who has an Erin Go Bragh baby. He is drop dead gorgeous, dam was a nice TB…he is 16.1 I think, Black, but quite a handful. Just turning 4 soon, so has not begun his competition life. She tells me Go Bragh babies have a reputation for being hot-headed.
She said the Connemara stallion she really wanted to breed to was Sparrow something…they are supposed to be really nice. I forget why they didn’t breed to him, but they traveled around and looked at alot of his babies, and were very impressed.
I am lucky enough to own a Connemara/TB sired by Denny Emerson’s Forfeit (now gelded). The dam ( Connemara) is from the MacDaire line – the closest standing Connemara stallion in that line I believe is Maplehurst Michael MacDaire. The great grandfather Connemara was a GP Dressage horse.
Anyway, our Conn/TB is a dream…16 hands, very easy going, quiet, beautiful mover, and can jump the moon. Fast learner, great work ethic. He’s 7, doing well at Novice and getting ready to move up to Training with my 14 year old daughter.
The Conn/TB cross has been great for us. Wish I could clone him!
jodi
Daydream B, take a look at the stallions listed at stallionsdirect.com. They have a subsection of ‘Eventing’ sires, but look through all the sport listings – I know the Catherston stallions are all listed there but not under eventing. This info is pretty useful – pedigree, photos, offspring, qualifications and to what countries semen is approved for import.
If you like color, check out Stanhope’s Diddicoy. I think he stands at the Broadstone Stud (he was featured in their ads) and has produced a number of quality offspring, some of whom are eventing. SD is a coloured stallion who has enough quality to be a stallion even if he was solid coloured.
There are a number of advanced eventers on the site, notably Mill Law, who’s produced some quality eventing offspring, and the part-Cleveland Bay Pembridge Mistrel, a very handsome horse who’s competed at the CCI*** level. If you look under showjumping, there’s No Complaints, who is Grade A in SJ but two years ago took up eventing with great success.
British breeders have made great efforts to organize and promote British stallions. This website, as well as the one for the West Kington Stallion Centre, which is the semen bank that handles the AI collection and semen export for most of these horses, are very informative, the result of cooperation among breeders to promote their sporthorse stallions.
I do apologize to everyone who’s about to spend too much of their valuable time looking at (and drooling over) these stallions – it’s very hard to tear yourself away!
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
