Top Eventer breeding

[Drumbiggle]

Originally posted by rossi:
I have an even simplier request. I would like to see the Chronicle publish pedigree when it covers stories on our successful eventers or and including GP jumpers and dressage competitors. It would go a long way for those of us who do study pedigree lines trying to infuse a tiny amount of science into our breeding decisions. Just a note of the sire and dam line would be so helpful.

That would be great, but for eventing even the FEI and WBFSH can’t get it right. Look at the FEI rankings for Eventers, half the top 25 horses are listed as breeding “unknown”, or the dam and sire are given, but no breed is assigned. The sad thing is that on many of those horses the breeding is known (Winsome Adante was listed as “unknown” for the longest time). A lot of them are either TBs (many bred in Aus or NZ) or BSHs or NZSHs.

The idea that the Hanoverian is the number 2 producer of event horses in the world is a bit of a laugh.

For showjumping and dressage they seem to have meticulous records, but they are way off base with the eventing.

[Sacha]

Interesting that a few people think of the WB options to add into an eventing breeding program - the Holstein is the one.

My advanced mare is Holstein x TB, blood on the bottom, by Landino. We are looking at predominatly TB stallions for her for this year, as althoguh she herself was a demon across country, I think most potential buyers of her offspring will want something 3/4 TB.

[Fred]

Quick, small brag!
Romancing, an AFR daughter from his first small test crop, who has done a number of CCI**'s, just came 3rd at Pine Top at her first outing at Advanced Intermediate.
While you know I am a huge TB fan and proponent, and firmly believe in the importance of a LOT of TB blood in eventers, whether it is 100% to 50%, I do also love the Holsteiner TB cross, again with a higher percentage of TB blood .
One of the reasons I like Holsteiners so well, and introduced them into my own breeding program was because most of the foundation stallions are TB, giving some Holsteiners a substantial amount of TB blood,and many Holsteiners have a very TB phenotype.
I have a coming 3year old filly right now who is Hol/TB, out of a full sister to AFR, but since her sire is inbred to Ladykiller xx, by blood she is actually 11/16s TB. Will she be an event horse? Should be! I also love the ISH/TB cross, again,with the higher % of TB blood, as well as the TB Connemara cross.
just wanted to add that I also love the UK stallions that Christine represents, such as Catherston Dazzler - just wish it wasn’t frozen semen!.

[jhodkin]

Fred - I agree about with you about using ‘warm-blood’ lines with lots of TB - you’ve used Holsteiner, I’ve used Trakehner - for exactly the reason you stated - it’s saturated with TBs !!

[jws]

I am excited to be seriously considering breeding my mare to Welton’s Double Cracker. She’s an Azteca, a Mexican breed Andalusian/Freesian/QuarterHorse. I understand WDC has a wonderful temperment, which is my first criteria. Somehow I think the two will complement each other. I certainly hope so. I am a backyard breeder, but my babies have won some substantial prizes, so my fingers are crossed that my eye/intuition is still good!!!