If we are thinking outside the box you could try Trakehners. My foal this year was by Silvermoon (Blue Hors Matine’s sire) out of an ID x TB mare who has been there, done that, in jumping and dressage. Silvermoon has already sired one advanced eventer from very few foals and my foal has sold to an eventing home who already have an Advanced eventer with William Fox-Pitt. I’m very excited that they’re running the foal on as a stallion prospect.
Other Trakehner stallions that may be worth looking at are Interconti. He’s not used much in Germany because he’s grey (they really have an issue with greys over there!) but he consistently throws outstanding stock. His son His Time was reserve champion at Neumunster last weekend and was widely regarded as the best stallion there.
Yet more to consider are Songline, Herzog and Grafenstolz, all these Trakehner stallions won the 6yo Bundeschampionat in eventing in different years.
If you really want to boost your mare’s jump you could use Hirtentanz. He is a lovely light framed stallion with an incredible jump and super temperament.
Or you could think outside the box by going back to the well-proven box. Many of the best eventing lines from the past 30 years are at severe risk of dying out.
The glorious Welton Crackerjack, sire of so many 4**** horses has only one stallion son and he is never advertised. He is called Bazaar’s Exclusive.
Just a Monarch was a superb eventing sire. He produced the world class stallion Rock King. Rock King has only one stallion son and he hasn’t got a sparkling eventing record. He is called King of the Hill II. Rock King frozen is still available to carefully selected mares if anyone would care to try to produce the next stallion from this line.
Shaab has only one stallion son: Upton’s Deli Circus. He’s an advanced eventer and gold medal winner at the Europeans (just like Fleetwater Opposition) and still sound and competing at the grand old age of 20. If you have a classy TB mare he could be the perfect stallion to produce a kind, easy and talented eventer.
Welton Louis’ direct male line has died out. What a tragedy! Same with Edmund Burke and I’m a Star. Sky Boy managed to produce a stallion son who has also been a very successful sire of eventers: Kiltealy Spring. So far Kiltealy Spring has no sons to follow in his footsteps.
The wonderful Java Tiger is represented by just one stallion son who failed his grading although he seems a nice horse. He is called One More Tiger.
Ballinvella seems to only have one graded stallion son. He is called Sand Hill and stands in Ireland. He’s an interesting pedigree as he is by Clover Hill who, despite being graded RID was in fact half TB carrying some of the best galloping and jumping lines around from Arctic Star.
Mayhill, Mark Todd’s great eventing stallion has two stallion sons. Downe Right Rebel has been exported to Germany. His other son Primmore’s Pioneer is full brother to one of the best eventers there has ever been Primmore’s Pride yet he doesn’t get many mares.
Stan the Man has passed away leaving only one son. That is the Trakehner Laurel whose damsire is Pregel so he should jump. He’s only had a handful of mares over the years although he may get more popular now the brilliance of Stan the Man has been belatedly recognised.
Welton Apollo is another one whose line may die out. He has one stallion son Up With the Lark. UWTL is an advanced eventer himself and has sired less than 40 foals. He still has some time left though, he’s only 10.
Nickel King’s male line has died out. Garnered’s male line has died out.
So instead of looking outside the box I think we’d all be wise to look inside the box instead and use these stallions who represent the best bloodlines in the sport. Many are third generation Advanced eventers and all of the above are in the top 100 producers of eventers in the UK. These stallions have produced dozens of 4**** horses, world cup horses and Olympic horses. We don’t need to look at warmbloods to breed eventers. Even the Germans are copying the British and the Irish in how to breed an eventer. What we need to do is appreciate just what we’ve already got and not let it slip through our fingers.
Did you know that the most successful Trakehner sire of eventers ever, Fleetwater Opposition, has no Trakehner stallion son to follow in his footsteps? He’s never even had a stallion presented for grading and is barely used within the breed. Strange isn’t it?
