Stallion Show 2015

Don't get too excited!  I'm not doing my usual 10 or 15 page Stallion Show Report this year, but I want to at least give some overall thoughts and comments.  If you have specific questions about crosses or horses that we would have seen, then I'm happy to answer them.  Either post a comment below or drop me an email.

Let me start by saying this was one of my favorite Stallion Show's because it was a family affair. Michaela and Keagan went with me.  I can't tell you how special it is to me to share the second greatest passion of my life with the first greatest passion.  Next year promises to be better yet, because I think Carol's going, too!  So, both kids are in on the stallion picks for our program this year, and I've given them each the go ahead to pick one stallion that they really want to see used in our program, and I'll buy either a breeding or a dose or two of frozen. Keagan's already made his pick.  I think Michaela is vacillating between two, but both are ones I want to use anyways, so we're all good! And, no, I'm not going to tell you which stallions!  You'll have to wait until we have mares pregnant and 2016 foals safely on the way.  It's my new motto:  Keep my breeding picks to myself until later in the season. I wouldn't worry too much, though--we all know I'll never be able to do that. My next post will probably divulge all my plans...

As usual, I'm not really qualified to give much of an opinion on the jumpers.  Because of my school schedule, we missed the first day; because of buying cheaper flights since three of us were traveling, we didn't arrive on Thursday until midday.  Although, from what I understand, the first day of jumpers was pretty much a bust, and the second day not much better until the last few groups of stallions, we saw most of the boys selected for the Championship round go through both the second and third viewings.  The Arezzo VDL's were my favorites. He is a top performing and producing sire.

My overall thoughts about the dressage horses is that the average quality of the stallions was pretty solid.  There were a number of good horses.  The Apaches were the best and most consistent group. The Johnson x Rousseau deserved to be Champion--he is a fantastic horse.  The Charmeurs were hit or miss, with the Vervoorn product, His Royal Badness (Charmeur x Havidoff x TCN Partout), being a huge hit.  It's amazing to me that 25-year-old Jazz is still producing such top horses.  Two of his sons presented are quite special.  And, of course, in the Championship Round, every horse had Jazz in the pedigree.  The Apache x Ferro has him the furthest back, in the fifth generation.  The Vivaldi x Donnerhall has him in the fourth generation.  The Chagall, Wynton, Johnson, Westpoint, and the DeNiro sons all have him in the third generation.  Then, of course, there is the Jazz x Flemmingh. As much as I am a Jazz devotee, can you say, "Scot's happy to have six mares with no Jazz in the pedigree?"  The KWPN is going to need some stallion sons out of my mares!

North American breeders should be excited that VDL has a top new dressage prospect.  The DeNiro x Jazz x Ulft is a super horse.  I'll be excited to have his frozen available to us.

North American breeders may also get a chance to breed to a Negro son.  Willy Arts's Negro x Welt Hit II x Urban was selected.

Rumor is that the super fancy Alexandro P x Upperville x Zep has sold overseas for a huge amount of money.  If North America is what is meant by "overseas", it could be really interesting for us.  Henke is an outrageous stallion.  His canter could be a little stronger, but his trot and his overall use of his body are outstanding.

So, that's my Stallion Show Report for 2015. It was a good time.