Just curious if anyone out there had a horse by the tb stallion War Front? A friend is looking at one, we checked it out this morning, he was a lovely mover and sweet, and I told her I’d see if anyone on COTH knew anything about the offspring.
If you know of any that have done any jumping or had other careers, we’d love to hear about them!
This is a cross post, just trying to see if anyone in COTH-land can give us some insight!
TIA!
He certainly does not have a great sport horse peidigree, but he is such a classy horse, and his stud fee is so high that he attracts classy mares. So I guess he could sire just about any kind of horse.
Be wary though: His offspring are doing so well at the track, that only a few number will be retired and sold cheaply as sport horses (many have residual value as stallions in other countries, given their exceptional breeding). I would look carefully into the possibilitythat this horse sustained an injury, and that is why he is being sold into another discipline.
His oldest would only be five right now, and Claiborne doesn’t overbreed their stallions so I can’t imagine there are many from his first couple of crops that are seeking new career opportunities yet.
Ok, that does help. We know the trainer and his history, he did not get injured. He is 5, so he’d be one of the earliest from the stud. He was like a puppy to handle and looks just like the stallion.
Don’t know about War Front specifically, but Danzig/Northern Dancers can have an excellent jump. Sometimes they get a little bit QH-like (stout, compact) but they are often quite athletic.
[QUOTE=Lord Helpus;7286992]
He certainly does not have a great sport horse peidigree, but he is such a classy horse, and his stud fee is so high that he attracts classy mares. So I guess he could sire just about any kind of horse.
Be wary though: His offspring are doing so well at the track, that only a few number will be retired and sold cheaply as sport horses (many have residual value as stallions in other countries, given their exceptional breeding). I would look carefully into the possibilitythat this horse sustained an injury, and that is why he is being sold into another discipline.[/QUOTE]
You think he doesn’t have a good sport horse pedigree? Do you mind expanding? (Genuinely curious, no snark here). I didn’t see a stallion in his pedigree I wouldn’t like to see in a sport horse.
War Front is one ugly stallion. He does sire horses who have won at pretty much all distances, even though he was a sprinter and had to stretch to win at a mile. He’s got a QH type sprinter build.
[QUOTE=vineyridge;7288315]
War Front is one ugly stallion. He does sire horses who have won at pretty much all distances, even though he was a sprinter and had to stretch to win at a mile. He’s got a QH type sprinter build.[/QUOTE]
Huh? I was going to say the exact opposite.
War Front is ugly? huh? I’d give the horse a shot. You might have something really special on your hands and an early opportunity at a very nice horse
I wouldn’t say War Front is ugly at all. He is the typical Danzig build-- stocky with powerful hindquarters. Danzig was not known for his length of leg. War Front’s stallion photo isn’t the prettiest…Claiborne, for whatever reason, likes their stallions very fat and they all look bulky. Pulpit’s stallion photo was ugly, too, but it was an illusion; and he produced some NICE looking horses.
Data Link is a son of War Front standing his first season at Claiborne in 2014. He’s a nice looking individual; maybe he doesn’t scream 4* eventer, but he looks like an athlete. If he showed up in my barn I wouldn’t turn him down!
[QUOTE=EventerAJ;7288959]
I wouldn’t say War Front is ugly at all. He is the typical Danzig build-- stocky with powerful hindquarters. Danzig was not known for his length of leg. War Front’s stallion photo isn’t the prettiest…Claiborne, for whatever reason, likes their stallions very fat and they all look bulky. Pulpit’s stallion photo was ugly, too, but it was an illusion; and he produced some NICE looking horses.
Data Link is a son of War Front standing his first season at Claiborne in 2014. He’s a nice looking individual; maybe he doesn’t scream 4* eventer, but he looks like an athlete. If he showed up in my barn I wouldn’t turn him down![/QUOTE]
I don’t care much for the look of War Front as a sport horse (well event horse as that is what I’m typically looking for)…but I don’t find him ugly either. Now Data Link I like the look of more…but then looking at the Pedigree of Data Link…his dam line has a lot more of the horses I like to see for event horses (In Reality and Deputy Minister).
[QUOTE=vineyridge;7288315]
War Front is one ugly stallion. He does sire horses who have won at pretty much all distances, even though he was a sprinter and had to stretch to win at a mile. He’s got a QH type sprinter build.[/QUOTE]
Beauty is in the eye of the breeder. Much of which is based on their knowledge of the family behind the horse standing in front of them. War Front looks exactly what a Danzig line stallion should look like. History has shown with the Danzig, Northern Dancer line, one does not want the apple to fall far from the tree.
Ones that took more to the their dam line by and large were not much on the racecourse and even less so in the breeding shed.
The Minstrel by Northern Dancer was an exception. A rather larger more imposing son of, chestnut with a far bit of chrome. A very good sire but was not a sire of sires. Nijinsky though bay, as are the majority of ND’s get, was also an over all bigger horse then typical get of Northern Dancer. Instead of having a pleasing large and round hind end that was typical of Northern Dancers his fell off sharply. Nijinsky a top sire but also was not much of a sire of sire. A very good broodmare sire.
Bear in mind when looking at War Front that he has become very “cresty” through his neck which all stallions do. But IMO his is more pronounced. He looked a lot different in his racing days.
But one things that is usually consistent with most good stallions is their get have good minds, most not all and are athletic. Maybe not always the soundest some will say. IMO soundness issues in good horses is more due to the fact they will give their “all” and out run their legs then being congenital.
As to War Front’s get being useful as sport horses only time will tell IMO.
I think his photo would look a lot more sport-friendly if he lost 150 pounds. he is a beautiful horse, a little downhill. Shoulder structure shows he will have a good range of motion. I would take a horse looking like that in a heartbeat as a sport prospect.
I like his big, powerful rump and good hind end. Good balance in the three parts which flow together well. I don’t mind his pedigree and like Fappiano, though it is light on sport horse superstar names. I don’t see what is not to like here besides the downhill which I personally can live with if the horse moves well.
[QUOTE=EventerAJ;7288959]
I wouldn’t say War Front is ugly at all. He is the typical Danzig build-- stocky with powerful hindquarters. Danzig was not known for his length of leg. War Front’s stallion photo isn’t the prettiest…Claiborne, for whatever reason, likes their stallions very fat and they all look bulky. Pulpit’s stallion photo was ugly, too, but it was an illusion; and he produced some NICE looking horses.
Data Link is a son of War Front standing his first season at Claiborne in 2014. He’s a nice looking individual; maybe he doesn’t scream 4* eventer, but he looks like an athlete. If he showed up in my barn I wouldn’t turn him down![/QUOTE]
I like Data Link and thinking of using him. He seems to be a nice blend of Danzig and Known Fact. Have a Capote mare who takes after her dam sire, Sovereign Dancer much more then Capote/Seattle Slew. More close coupled, big round butt, more of an “Arab” look about her. Though I haven’t looked at the “paper” on that mating yet there will be a fair bit of Northern Dancer going on.
We bred for the market by and large but are happy to race what we bred unless it is a “must make money year”. So my reservations with Data Link is the fact he did not get “good” until he was 4 and all of his wins were on grass. I am not a true believer in “Grass gets Grass” but the market tends to be. And it likes “early” horses.
I prefer running turf horses they seem to stay sound. But with the limited opportunities offered in this country it can be a bit of a crap shoot. But being a Steeplechase guy there is plenty of life after the track. And we have been doing more sport horse things with our TBs if they race or not.
I like Data Link also. He looks to have more functional sport horse conformation than his sire. His history is also more consistent with what we know makes for good sport horse TBs.
But the racing market chews up and spits out late maturing lines.
[QUOTE=vineyridge;7292899]
I like Data Link also. He looks to have more functional sport horse conformation than his sire. His history is also more consistent with what we know makes for good sport horse TBs.
But the racing market chews up and spits out late maturing lines.[/QUOTE]
The War Fronts aren’t late maturing. Could be that Data Link takes after his sire.
As for the racing market chewing up and spitting out late maturing lines…it’s a popular stereotype but buyers of horses by Dynaformer, A.P. Indy, Arch, Empire Maker, Street Cry, etc. would probably disagree.
[QUOTE=gumtree;7292691]
I prefer running turf horses they seem to stay sound. [/QUOTE]
Really glad to hear you say this, gumtree – I just bought a five year old turf horse. He’s remarkably sound, free-moving and not at all body sore to be right off the track. I’m impressed.
Thanks for sharing, love to hear your perspective on TBs, the depth of experience shines through.
Hey! I’m late here but I had one who was a phenomenal hunter. He had gorgeous movement, big sweeping step in all gaits and was naturally slow. Great tidy knees and a slow jump too.
He was out of a mare by Red God. Handling wise on the ground, he was mouthy and bitey- likely he was left intact and additionally, he was treated pretty rough by the home who had him prior to me.
It took awhile for him to really be rideable. He would shut down, stop moving his feet altogether and take about 10-15 minutes depending on the day to finally be convinced to move. This resolved over the span of a month- afterwards, if another person got on him aside from me, he would plant his feet and refuse to move. Lol.
I got this horse for free from someone who moved out of the country. Really so beautiful to look at- he was like a statue. I would love another by War Front.
Welcome to COTH, @cadeau128! If you don’t get many replies, it’s because you resurrected a thread that is 11 years old. 
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