Main image: Influential show jumping sire Conthargos, image from IHB.
Spring is just around the corner and those looking to breed their mares this season are busy studying pedigrees in search of the perfect match.
“When it comes to breeding horses, genes matter,” says Glenis Dyason of International Horse Breeders (IHB). “Those who have been in the business of breeding horses for many years will also say, that with breeding, you think in generations.”
IHB has certainly seen many generations of performance horse breeding, having supplied Australian breeders with the best dressage and jumping genetics from around the world via AI for 35 years.
Glenis has some words of wisdom for those looking to find the right stallion for their mare: “So you have a mare that you love, she is in a good breeding age group, and you want to replicate her through her foals. Take a critical look at her, where are her strengths and weaknesses? The idea is to improve on her weaknesses and capitalise on her strengths in the stallion you chose. Which stallion will do this… which stallion has the ability to pass on his genes for conformation, temperament and ability for jumping, dressage or both?”
It’s a question countless breeders are faced with, and as Glenis explains there are certain stallions out there who are known to greatly improve on the characteristics of mares bred with them.
“They are often termed the ‘spitzenvererbers’,” explains Glenis. “These stallions are proven sires who have the progeny on the ground to be able to determine how they pass on their genes and with a high degree of accuracy. Such stallions are revered in the breeding industry, and we are lucky enough to have access to many of them based in Europe through frozen AI.”
Each year, breeding associations in Europe collate data on breeding stallions based on the foals born each season, the young mares and stallions going through performance tests, and the competition results of the horses they have bred.
“The Hanoverian Verband, for example, publishes this sort of data in their Hanoverian Yearbook,” explains Glenis. “It’s a wealth of knowledge and is a living document. Stallions old enough to have sufficient numbers of foals bred each year are evaluated, and the data is collated and put online. Scores are given to each stallion for the way they are able to pass on dressage or jumping ability, conformation, and rideability. This sort of information can be helpful in choosing what stallions might click well with your mare. It is certainly very interesting.”
The late Sandro Hit has been an influential dressage sire.
Highest ranking European stallions
IHB offers some of the highest-ranking stallions from Europe through frozen AI.
The highest-ranking dressage sires in the Hanoverian Year Book on offer via IHB include Benicio, Escamillo, Vitalis, Da Costa, Sir Donnerhall 1, Fürstenball, Foundation, Fürst Romancier, Borsalino, Sandro Hit, Livaldon, Quantensprung, Fürst Bellisaro and San Amour.
On the jumping front, IHB offers top ranked stallions such Edward, Diacontinus, Stolzenberg, Balou du Rouet, Perigueux, Quaid 1, Casallco, Chacoon Blue, Grey Top, Diarado, Karajan and Stanley.
“Even stallions who are no longer with us, like De Niro, Sandro Hit, Stakkato, Totilas or Conthargos, are still available to breeders here in Australia,” adds Glenis.
Show jumping super sire Balou du Rouet. Image from IHB.
Every year new, young stallions are introduced for breeding, and they cause excitement in the industry. As Glenis explains, these pedigrees are researched and their performance tests are examined. As for which ones will pass on their abilities and become great sires of the future, only time will tell. “Every year there are the new sires who are evaluated on their performance only as yet, but who are greatly watched to see what they can produce in the future.”
You can find out more about the stallions on offer via IHB here.
This article was written in conjunction with IHB.
