The Boys Were Back In Town - Canada's top stallions show what they've got
by Martha Bell

Sixteen stallions, representing a broad cross section of breed registries, were presented for Canadian Sport Horse Association breeding approval at the 2002 stations located in Victoria, on Vancouver Island, at Milner Downs in Langley, British Columbia, and at York Equestrian Centre in Cedar Valley, Ontario.

At stallion inspection stations, evaluation percentages for Phase I (Conformation) of the CSHA stallion inspection process are meticulously determined by a panel of inspectors, which scores applicants 30 per cent on conformation, 30 per cent on quality, substance and sport horse type, and 40 per cent on movement. While an individual may receive high marks in one or more categories, a score of less than 50 per cent in a single category results in failure overall.

“We hope the information that comes out of the inspection helps people to be more selective with their breeding stock,” observed CSHA national president Jenny Day. “We’re trying to be educational in the way we score and explain how we came to those scores. We hope the information helps people to look at breeding up.”

For those successful Phase I graduates who have not already met the Associations’ Phase II (Performance) requirements, the CSHA allots a specified period of time in which candidates must fulfill performance requisites, thus enabling them to attain full (Bronze, Silver or Gold) CSHA breeding status. Phase II may be completed in disciplines ranging from combined training, dressage, eventing and racing, to show hunter and jumper.

On the West coast, eight of ten stallions were approved by inspectors Dr. John Twidale, DVM, Bob Henselwood and CSHA National vice president Sue Ockendon. Of those eight, three are CSHA F1 stallions and include Zintallator, whose dam, Southern Fanny Bay, won the Brigadier McKee CSHA National Achievement Award in 2000.
“I’m always happy to see Canadian Sport Horses showing up,” Day remarked.

High-scoring stallion of the B.C. inspections was Nicole Wylie’s homebred Celtic King, a 16.3hh dark bay Irish Draught cross by Snowford O’Donnell, by Banks Fee Daniel.

“Snowford O’Donnell competes in eventing [in Washington State] with his amateur/owner rider who is in her 50s. His temperament is outstanding and Celtic King has his father’s temperament,” said Wylie, who operates White House Stables in North Saanich, near Victoria, where she raises Thoroughbreds for the yearling sales’ market.
According to Wylie, Celtic King’s dam, Mexican Mindy, by Mexican General, was a durable runner and multiple winner on the track, and is now a proven broodmare. “Mexican Mindy produced many sound [Thoroughbred] winners. Celtic King is her first non-Thoroughbred [offspring], and he’s the one who brought me into the Canadian Sport Horse Association. He’s sired two small crops which sold right away.”

Wylie is considering completing Celtic King’s Phase II in eventing, although she is still undecided about her stallion’s future performance commitments. “He’s so versatile. He could do dressage or show jumping or just about anything.”

In Ontario, five of the six individuals presented at York Equestrian Centre successfully completed their Phase I before inspectors Henselwood, Ockendon and Diana Martyn. The only CSHA F1 stallion in this group was Marika VanHoogenhuize’s Rio Grande son, Rupert. Topping the list as high scoring stallion at York was Steven Wright’s 16.1+hh imported bay Polish Warmblood, Albit, by the Holsteiner, Demokraat Van Den Hoerst, whose pedigree is a combination of Oldenburg, Hanoverian and Thoroughbred bloodlines.

“When my trainer Grace Wanyuras was in Poland, she saw Albit running in a field and thought that somebody should buy this horse,” Wright said. After viewing Albit on video, encouraged by Wanyura, Wright purchased the two-and-a- half-year-old colt specifically as a potential hunter sire and brought him home to his and partner Kym Crepin’s W.C. Fields, in Uxbridge. Bred to Thoroughbreds, Warmbloods and Arabians in 2002, Albit’s first foal crop is due this spring.

Wright and Crepin, who are both involved in the film industry, plan to place Albit in professional hands and begin his performance career in the 2003 Baby Green Hunter division. “Albit moves and jumps beautifully,” said Wright. “With his movement and refinement, we hope he’ll be a great hunter stallion. We have very high hopes for him.”
All of the 13 newly inducted Canadian Sport Horse stallions must complete their Phase II performance requirements before being approved for breeding.

Horse Sport February, 2003