I looking for expert COTH opinions on the stallion Banderas. I am a small-time sporthorse breeder and I focus primarily on Oldenburgs. I have a petite TB mare who I am going to incorporate into my broodmare program - very typey and refined with some nice suspension and very pretty, feminine features. I have leaned in the past more towards Dressage stallions but I really do like how Banderas moves in his trot.
Any thoughts/opinions would be very much appreciated. If you would prefer to message me privately that’s fine too!
Thanks in advance 
I love, love, love Banderas, but as a jumper sire. He would not be what I am looking for in a dressage sire. You didn’t say whether you are wanting a dressage or jumper-type foal. Although my colt by Banderas is of very good size, I have heard this is not always the case. My mare throws size, for sure.
I am expecting another Banderas foal in 2012.
Thank you for the response, and thank you to those of you who PM’ed me! I tend to breed primarily for Dressage, or at least I have in the past. But I want to have versatility in my program (I am an eventer AND Dressage rider, so I have complete respect for both forums.) The four year old that I just sold I thought would make a great Dressage horse and was bought by a Hunter rider :lol: So I really just want to breed youngsters that are totally versatile for both ammies and professionals who want to go far.
The mare is only about 15.2hh, so added height would not be an issue. My feelings are basically this though: When the movement is there, it’s THERE. I tend to be a “movement first” person when it comes to looking at a stallion and I don’t dwell as much on which discipline he is presented in. For example, I always preferred Hickstead’s movement over Totilas. Crazy, right? But Hickstead always got me to stand up and take note and I always thought that he would make a great Dressage sire.
So that’s a bit of where I’m coming from.
Thanks for any more advice!
You can breed a jumper stallion with exceptional 3 good gaits to a dressage mare and end up with a gorgeous dressage horse. Banderas has quite a lot of expression to his gaits and so far, his foals have been showing a propensity for expression.
The VhW always recommends influxing a bit of jumper blood into the dressage breeding program. It improves the strength and usually the freedom through the shoulder.
Banderas has a G-line motherline descending from Graphit / Grannus. Grannus produced a few foals that went Dressage, but most went Jumper. This is a very capable lineage for infusing into the dressage line. Also on his motherline is Beach Boy who had quite lovely rideability and very good athletics.
I would say Banderas is more refining and tending to produce a really modern type, but most of his foals should mature to over 16 hands in height with enough bone to be satisfying under saddle. Some of the size influence comes from the mare. If you have a mare that tends to throw short stature, then she may dominate this genetic trait.
I find this interesting about Banderas.
I have a Banderas weanling who is very pretty, appears to move well but is also very small. He is much smaller than his sister (by another stallion) was at this age. The mare is a very good moving mare which is why I wasn’t that concerned using him, however his movement is one of the things I like least about him
