[QUOTE=SEPowell;7610721]
Thatâs your point of the thread.
The actual quote and question was whether or not breeding to a thoroughbred will kill the jump in a warmblood. Many of us are simply trying to dispel that myth. The thoroughbred may add other qualities to the get that will make winning at that level difficult, but the jump is not going to suffer. That is of course assuming you use a tb with the desirable conformation for jumping.
There are a few more myths to dispel about thoroughbreds and jumping. Twice in this thread it was said that thoroughbreds have a powerful jump when galloping and thus their success at jumping 5 and 6 foot jumps when steeplechasing. But even perfectly conditioned steeplechasers canât fly every jump and remain competitive in a four mile race. It takes too much energy to fly them. In an interview with Jody Petty, jockey of this yearâs winner of The Maryland Hunt Cup riding Guts for Garters, he said that at the 16th fence, the largest jump on the course, his horse was forced to jump it from almost a standstill after another horse darted into his path.
Guts for Garters was bred in Ireland but in the forth generation you see many North American bred horses; Riverman Nijinsky, a mare by Chieftan, a mare by Swaps and Bold Lad is by Bold Ruler. The second place horse in the 2014 Maryland Hunt Cup was Imperial Way, by Point Given out of a Rahy mare; very American breeding. Imperial Way started his racing career at Belmont and moved into steeplechasing as a second career.
Point Given stands for $10,000 which actually does not seem like much when you consider price of some show jumpers. But Point Given doesnât have the classic show horse look and I doubt if anyone in the world of warmblood breeding would consider breeding to him or his phenotype. Similarly, the look of Northern Dancer horrified many jumper breeders in Europe. But for steeplechasing Northern Dancer sired two excellent jumping sires that I can think of off the top of my head, Northern Baby and Nijinsky. As a side note, Northern Dancer is way back in Guts for Garters pedigree.
For those of you who said thoroughbreds who can jump are too hard to identify, itâs interesting to note that Guts for Garters was bought after his current trainer watched him on a video. She did not fly to Ireland and look at him before buying him. She grew up around steeplechasing and knows her game. Itâs there for anyone to learn.
By writing this Iâm not suggesting that warmblood breeders or any sporthorse breeder change a strategy that works for them. However, I do think they should be careful about making sweeping statements about a subject where they seem to have limited knowledge. In the end they discredit themselves.[/QUOTE]
The jump absolutely suffers ! Go to Europe where they breed sporthorsesâŠsee what happens in F-1âŠthere are almost none showing. Why ? Because the damn jump suffered !
Go to a TB Stallion approval in a European WB StudbookâŠthey donât ask them to free jump the same heights as the other stallions. Why ? Because the damn jump suffers !
Go to any major GP in the world and there are almost no half TB horses there. Why ? Because the damn jump suffered !
The TB has been relegated to only the TB Stallion contributing to the generational production of the warmblood. Even this practice is at an all time low. Why ? Because the damn jump suffers !
This is not a myth and you canât dispel it.
