Thoroughbred Bloodlines for Performance Sports

re: Thoroughbred Bloodlines for Performance Sports

Kathy — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:08:28 GMT

I have first hand experience--I own a daughter of Napur (Damascus) and she is very athletic--I free-jumped her the first time at about 4 feet. Napur was a beautiful kind chestnut Hap Hanson and Will Simpson both rode. I wish I had had a chance to meet him.

re: Thoroughbred Bloodlines for Performance Sports

chelsey — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 02:36:14 GMT

i am looking for some photos of KEY TO THE MINT

re: Thoroughbred Bloodlines for Performance Sports

starberry — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 00:42:00 GMT

One correction:Gem Twist was a grand prix jumper, not an event horse.

Why wouldn't Bold Ruler line produce jumpers? Independence was his full brother, not as listed previously.Wead a good eventer by Indy and another by his son out of a SW Cyane mare who produced flat stakes horses too..

We have two foals by Northern Spur (Sadlers Wells) who LOOKs like a sport horse, will see how his kids do. One is out of Seattle Slew line mare, the other Gone West - Secretariat, Bold Ruler again.

re: Thoroughbred Bloodlines for Performance Sports

Marcos — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 03:54:21 GMT

I am a polo horse breeder from Argentina.

Here some of the most succesful sires in th last decades were descendants of the Halo male line, mostly by his son Southern Halo.

The Buckpasser line was also very succesful (sons of Logical, and Egg Toss were very good polo sires).

Other important male lines: Ambiorix, In Reality

Nowadays, top sires are grandsons of Mr Prospector (Lode), Irish River (River Slaney), Rainbow Quest (Rainbow Corner), Deputy Minister (Salt Lake).

re: Thoroughbred Bloodlines for Performance Sports

sarakerrigan — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:07:54 GMT

The Lucky Debonaire line seems to be producing terrific sport horses for Open Jumping competition.

re: Thoroughbred Bloodlines for Performance Sports

HorseFirst — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:04:40 GMT

In general, as has been stated before, the sprinting, short running Thoroughbred lines are not what sport breeders want. There are, of course, exceptions to every rule but the downhill build and sometimes bulk doesn't cut it, IMHO. It's more than the top line when considering the build, stifles higher than elbows, for example. (And I am indebted to someone on another blog for pointing that out)

In years past, there was a lot of Man O' War and Fair Play breeding in jumpers of almost any kind. In terms of versatility, the line seemed to have it all.

The Germans made a lot of use of the Hampton lines through Dark Ronald. Son-in-law from that line to Herbager.

Hyperion (Hampton again) through Alibhai.

What I see in most of these horses, depending on the photo angle, of course, are horses that are uphill or very close with low set knees and hocks, for the most part. I would love to have someone expound on that.

re: Thoroughbred Bloodlines for Performance Sports

Erin — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:12:07 GMT

txhorse fan--couldn't agree more! I also wonder about Zanjero--wouldn't he be a lovely sight going up a centerline to X?

re: Thoroughbred Bloodlines for Performance Sports

sceptre — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:57:47 GMT

Dear Grand Prix Show Jumper,

Not what I wanted to hear, but must agree with your ethics and logic.

re: Thoroughbred Bloodlines for Performance Sports

txhorsefan — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:21:55 GMT

Speaking purely as a spectator as I am not involved in sport horses in any discipline, the first time I saw a video of Mr. Hot Stuff trotting onto the track for a work-out, I thought that horse just screamed for a dressage ring as he was absolutely floating. It will be interesting to see if any Tiznows ever show up in dressage or show jumping.

re: Thoroughbred Bloodlines for Performance Sports

Grand Prix Show Jumper — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:15:57 GMT

I think the "by accident" route should be viewed to have a lot of positives (unless you are trying to stand a stallion, apologies to sceptre). "By accident" means a lot of horses that are finished their careers at the track might have hope of getting another job. At the end of the day, it's having a job that is a horses best protection from potentially bad ends.

That's a good thing but there's also the business angle. Different people have different models but personally, I would rather not breed my own and have to deal with all the risks of breeding and raising horses until the time I would start them in training as a show jumper. I have lots of friends that have beautifully bred warmblood pasture ornaments that came out with significant conformational issues or just a general lack of athletic ability. I think there's a great advantage to finding a horse that's sound after some training or racing, that carries himself well, that you can sometimes even try under saddle, who's 3, 4 or 5, AND in the off the track thoroughbred price range. That beats the breed your own angle and the "go to Europe to buy a 4 year old" angle handily if you are really running the numbers and can really ride and train.

re: Thoroughbred Bloodlines for Performance Sports

sceptre — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:39:27 GMT

Sorry, made an error re-Hand In Glove's pedigree. He wasn't Davona Dale's full-brother, as he was out of Miss Betty (Buckpasser-In The Clouds). Should have remembered, since I made several attempts at puchasing Miss Betty from Calumet, but finally did acquire one of her daughters (from them)-Samantha Starlight (Raise A Cup-Miss Betty).

re: Thoroughbred Bloodlines for Performance Sports

sceptre — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:51:25 GMT

I own a very well bred thoroughbred stallion that has stood for a few years as a racehorse sire. It has been my desire to transfer him to one whom would use him exclusively as a sport horse stallion. While he has done well at stud siring racehorses, I have grown weary of that business, and particularly of the wastage; I have also long felt that he was a rather ideal candidate for sport horses-he is a very athletic, beautiful moving, 17.1 h. well-boned and correct, leggy, rather elegant dark bay, very much the Buckpasser-type in appearance. He was a gifted runner, but later developing type who preferred a route of ground. But it was not those attributes which most fostered this idea. Rather it is his disposition and that of his offspring; they, like their sire are extremely intelligent and consistently very well dispositioned-evident almost from birth, and rather remarkable. It seemed to me a pity that they were channeled into the racetrack world. I can well remember Hand In Glove (Davona Dale's full-brother) as I was a frequent visitor to Calumet during those days. I watched him grow up and saw him train. Lovely, tall solid dark bay, who much resembled my stallion. After his racing days he became a highly successful show jumper, and then a show jumper stallion. Herein lies the difference-he first competed successully as a jumper before assigned to stud duty in that discipline. I have encountered difficulty finding a suitable person/situation to take over my stallion. Most seem to prefer warmbloods, and others prefer a thoroughbred stallion who had competed as a "sport horse". Rather short-sighted from my perspective, because it doesn't appear (especially after reading some of the posts on this blog) that sport horse breeders have much of a handle, or consensus, on what makes a potentially elite sport horse stallion, with regard physical attributes or pedigree. I am left to conclude that thoroughbred sport horses become accomplished sport horses (by design at breeding, or othewise) essentially by "accident".

re: Thoroughbred Bloodlines for Performance Sports

Ana — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:35:19 GMT

postergeist ,

I totally forgot about First Secretary. I haven't come across any of his get or grand-get knowingly.

re: Thoroughbred Bloodlines for Performance Sports

vineyridge — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:25:12 GMT

A Ribot line stallion who is getting on in years but has produced chasers and high quality event horses is Roanoke. Again pedigree and performance that are not good for 6f sprints.

Part of what is happening today is that the majority of races at small tracks are dirt sprints, and the horses with routing pedigrees are being run at the wrong distance, failing, and leaving the TB breeding pool.

re: Thoroughbred Bloodlines for Performance Sports

vineyridge — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:16:06 GMT

Some current hunter riders like Deputy Minister get a lot.

I like to see Sea Bird. And Herbager and his son, Big Spruce. All lines that are/were big in chasing overseas and also in sport horses.