Choosing a stallion

ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING PARTS ABOUT BREEDING, PARTICULARLY FOR A FIRST-TIMER, IS PICKING THE FOAL’S FATHER. HELEN TRIGGS GETS SOME TOP ADVICE FROM SOME OF BRITAIN’S MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE BREEDERS AND EXPERTS TO HELP YOU MAKE THE BEST CHOICE TO GET TO YOUR FINAL DESTINATION – OFFSPRING THAT DOES THE JOB YOU WANT.

There are a huge amount of photos and videos on the internet featuring testosterone packed specimens that fl oat around the arena showing off their spectacular movement and muscled athletic bodies. s oodlander tud’s ynne rowden says when considering potential sires all that glisters is not gold’. ou need to be able to see through the hype to select the partner for your mare that will produce the off spring to match your aspirations. our planning needs to start well before you start eyeing up the boys’. ou need to ask yourself a series of uestions fi rst Is this the only foal I intend to breed r part of an e isting breeding programme hat do I want to produce Is the off spring for me to ride or to sell If it’s to sell do you want to sell as a foal a youngster or a produced horse If it’s for you what are your ambitions and are they realistic If you produce a

big moving hyper-sensitive horse are you able to ride it and would you en oy it hen you’ve honestly decided e actly what you are looking for it’s time to evaluate the mare. If you aren’t knowledgeable enough about conformation or tend to see your horse through rose-tinted spectacles get an e pert opinion.

“I would take a good look at my mare and pick one or two things I would like to improve in the off spring then pick a stallion that is known for reliably passing on those traits. ong term soundness is very important so I pick stallions which have long and proven competition records reliability as a progenitor and e cellent conformation comments ara ongworth of averley tud.

ABOVE LEFT: SARA LONGWORTH, BREEDER OF WAVERLEY FELLINI, LOOKS FOR STALLIONS WITH LONG AND PROVEN COMPETITION RECORDS.

BELOW: CONSIDER THE GOALS OF YOUR BREEDING OPERATION WHEN CHOOSING A STALLION. THIS LOVELY FOAL FROM THE HEADMORE STUD IS BY SPIELBERG - CAMARILLA-CALIMERO (DAYANO). THE SIRE WAS SUCCESSFUL AT GRAND PRIX AND OBTAINED THE TITLE OF PREMIUM STALLION.

ABOVE: HAWTINS SOAVE, BY SIR DONNERHALL, WITH LUCINDA ELLIOTT. BREEDER JUDITH DAVIS SUGGESTS STUDYING YOUR MARE’S PEDIGREE AND CHOOSING A STALLION TO COMPLEMENT THE SIRES AND DAMS FEATURED. RIGHT: BRITISH BREEDING’S VIDEO LIBRARY OF THE FUTURITY EVALUATIONS IS A USEFUL RESOURCE WHEN STUDYING BLOODLINES.

BELOW: LYNNE CROWDEN’S WOODLANDER DIE ROSE, BY DANCIERO OUT OF DORNROSCHEN (DIMAGGIO). LYNNE SUGGESTS THAT BREEDERS LOOK FOR STALLIONS WITH PROVEN PERFORMANCE GENETICS.

“Genetic health in relation to OCD and fragile foal syndrome (WFFS) are also considerations,” points out Sara, “You need to know if your mare is WFFS positive or choose a stallion that is negative.”

“Understanding your mare’s pedigree will give you an insight into your mare and what you might be looking for in a stallion. Look at the sires and dams that feature and research their qualities and performance,” advises Judith Davis of Hawtins Stud. FASHIONABLE STALLIONS

Some stallions achieve status because of their own success in the show ring and that of their progeny. Some become fashionable in later life when their off spring are successful. Some large studs have marketing machines which create a buzz around their young stallions.

“People looking to breed for themselves should be wary of focusing on the fashionable stallions. It is important they look beyond the media profi le and access the suitability of the stallion for their mare,“ says Judith Davis. “If this is the fi rst-time breeding from your mare, it’s a good idea to choose a stallion with a proven breeding record. As you don’t yet know how your mare will breed, it will at least help to limit some of the uncertainty.” “If I was breeding to sell a foal I might use a ‘fashionable’ stallion but that’s not for me,” said Sarah Oppenheimer whose Headmore Stud has produced a number of successful Grand Prix horses. “If I use a young stallion, I’ll look at the bloodlines and his mechanics.”

“I love Belissimo M. He doesn’t get fl ashy foals but produces very good adults. I’ve bred 13 from Dimaggio and he always improved on the mare’s movement.”

Emma Blundell of Mount St John is another who isn’t swayed by a stallion’s ‘fashionability’. “I use what I like,” she says. “I focus on those who are performing well or have successful off spring. For me the most important thing is

ABOVE: HEADMORE BELLA RUBY (RIGHT) DAM VIA ET OF THIS SO UNIQUE FOAL ON THE LEFT, IS HERSELF BY BELISSIMO M, OF WHOM BREEDER SARAH OPPENHEIMER SAYS ‘HE PRODUCES VERY GOOD ADULTS RATHER THAN FLASHY FOALS.’

LEFT: BREEDER LIZ CONNOLLY VISITED A STALLION SHOW TO CHOOSE RAGAZZO AS A SUITABLE MATE FOR HER HOMEBRED MARE, AND THE RESULT IS RAZZLE DAZZLE, HEADING FOR GRAND PRIX WITH KIM SEABY.

to look critically at the mare and decide which one or two traits you would like to address. The stallion you choose may not necessarily have those traits himself but has the ability to pass them on.”

“Choose a horse that has proven performance genetics,” advises Lynne Crowden whose Woodlander stallions are all licensed internationally and are bred from successful performance sires.

DO YOUR RESEARCH

There is no lack of information to help you inform your choice. Check out The World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses which has decades of data, stallion performance testing results are available online and the FEI database will give you international performance results. Societies such as the KWPN and Hanoverian Verband publish breeding values data.

Talk to other breeders about the stallions they have used and the characteristics they produce. Talk to the AI services about their stallions and quiz them about fertility data, breeding values and bloodlines.

If you are planning to become a long-term breeder, then take advantage of the resources of the breed societies, including breeders’ courses. The British Breeding website is a valuable resource with a video library of the Futurity evaluations so you can see live presentations of progeny together with all their breeding details.

“I’m a great believer in travelling to see the stallions I want to use,” says Reay Campbell of Caledonia Dressage. “When you get your eyes on the horses you can pick up details of conformation you won’t see on videos. At the licensing events you can see which stallions are creating stallion sons and are replicating their best qualities.”

When mating a mare and stallion, you cannot predict the outcome but careful research can you help you limit the variables and get closer to your goal.

Frank and Liz Connolly’s homebred Razzle Dazzle is a second generation homebred and the grand-daughter of Liz’s daughter’s show pony, Ashdown Jewel, by Downland Folklore. “We couldn’t bear to part with Jewel so put her in foal to produce something bigger,” recalls Liz. She bred two mares from Ashdown Jewel. Jade (by Trakhener stallion Adamello) has competed up to advanced medium with Liz and Jemarni (by Inspekteur) who Liz competed at novice.

Jemarni was a talented mare but her career was cut short after a hernia operation. Liz decided to put her into foal and attended a stallion show to fi nd the right mate. Hanoverian stallion Ragazzo caught her eye. “He was a lovely stamp of horse, very uphill and scored 10 for conformation. He was an elite sire of both jumpers and dressage horses.” “She’s very sweet but sharp and not the easiest to ride for an aging owner! She found her way to Kim Seaby who unlocked her obvious talent and work ethic. They have climbed from novice to inter II with GP fi rmly in their sights.” Liz’s foray into breeding has produced two lovely mares she has enjoyed riding and an exceptional daughter who needed a professional rider to bring out her potential. However, Liz has had the pleasure of watching Razzle come up through the levels and seeing her talent shine.

PRODUCT WATCH

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