By Sally Reid
Photography: Rose Flats Equestrian, Walton Dressage, Helen Young
Once again, the NZWA classification judging was conducted remotely by video, with Matthias Werner of Germany as the tour assessor. Foals with budding talent and royal breeding galore, a record-breaking Best Mare, and a wonderful outcome for two 24-year-old women.
Cahoot RF (Cornet’s Air - Capriole x Cassini II), became the champion showjumping colt, champion Register 1 colt, and overall champion of the tour; 78.85% ‘Merit’.
“I sure wish he was a filly!”
The handsome Cahoot was bred by Georgia Sheard of Rose Flats Equestrian in the tiny village of Kaukapakapa near Auckland, and it’s no coincidence that last year’s top jumping colt, Up N Go RF (Up To You GFE - Ellen NZPH x Untouchable M) was also bred by this young woman. Her stud’s bloodlines are constructed very carefully around a mix of local and international jumping talent.
Cahoot’s dam, Capriole (Cassini II - Lonese x Locato), who was bred by Jacky Gilmore, is an NZWA studbook mare with some super jumping blood. Her own dam, Lonese, is a Holsteiner from Stamm 730B, with a pedigree that includes Lord, Ladykiller, Cor de la Bryere, Farnese and Thuswin xx.
According to Georgia; “We purchased Capriole as a six-year-old to be a broodmare. She’d been started under saddle then unfortunately had a paddock injury. When she had healed and was brought back into work she just wasn’t happy to be back under saddle. Her half-sister Capbella, by Corofino II, has a super jump on her; it really is a shame Capriole missed out on a ridden career, but she’s been a fantastic broodmare so far. Her first foal Burley RF – a three-year-old stallion by Bentley van de Heffinck – is gorgeous and produced two stunning foals this season for us. Capriole is currently in foal to Glenara Kannan Ball which we are very excited about.
“Cahoot is by the imported stallion Cornet’s Air. We had two fillies by him the previous season which we really liked, so we were keen to see what he would produce with Capriole. Cahoot has a wonderful temperament and has been such a pleasure with all his foal handling. I sure wish he was a filly, then I could keep him for breeding.” In fact, he’s now up for sale on the Rose Flats Equestrian website.
Georgia Sheard has just turned 24 years old, and for the past two seasons has done her own mare scanning, and this year also did some embryo flushes.
Top eventing-bred colt
Blue Incentive (Euro Sport Centavos - Kowhai x Pot Luck), 77.25%, is the first foal ever put forward for classification by his breeder, Hannah Steens of Rotorua – another a young woman of just 24. She works full-time as a police officer, competes in eventing, has a one-year-old daughter, and describes her life as ‘quite busy’!
Steens is understandably proud of her foal’s achievements, but has other reasons to treasure him. “Blue is very special to me because of his dam, Kowhai,” she says. “I bought Kowhai from a lady called Trish Douthett when I was 14; Trish was like a second mum to me, but she passed away in tragic circumstances – domestic violence – which is why Kowhai means so much to me. It’s like having a small piece of Trish still with me. She was where I got my love of horses from, and she adored Kowhai.
“It took two and a half years to get Kowhai in foal, but Blue has exceeded all my expectations. Breeding is such a rewarding but hard process, so to win an award is the cherry on top, and so awesome to have this recognition after all the effort it was to get him on the ground. I still can’t believe it – I really was just entering for fun.
“Kowhai was bred in Gisborne by Wendy Hindrup, and her own dam was a chestnut by Tobacco, who was by Kingsway Diamond [RID]. Kowhai’s sire, Pot Luck, was by Carbine 2 from a Stationbred mare; Carbine had Thoroughbred in him... To read the complete article you need to be a subscriber
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