BY ADRIANA VAN TILBURG
Following publication of the ‘dressage’ conference in last month’s issue, this article shares the perspectives of a celebrated panel of owners and breeders during the KWPN stallion approvals in Den Bosch last month.
A packed auditorium listened attentively as the panelists shared their perspectives on the future of breeding and its connection with sport. Moderated by Chris de Heer, the discussion brought together Irish breeder Cheryl Broderick, the German breeder Heinz Meyer, Dutch stallion owner Daan Horn (Wiemselbach) and the Belgian father and son Daniel and Nicolas Boudrenghien.
Heinz Meyer: Two decades of structured breeding at Lewitz
For more than 20 years, Heinz Meyer played a key role in the breeding program of Gestüt Lewitz, the large-scale operation of Paul Schockemöhle. During that time, he saw thousands of foals develop into sport horses, with a remarkable number reaching Grand Prix level. Later, he was also involved in stallion and auction selections for Studfarm Zangersheide. At the recent KWPN Showjumping Breeders Congress in Den Bosch, Meyer reflected on the system behind Lewitz’s success.
“Lewitz was a very good time for me,” Meyer began. “About 20 years ago, Paul asked me if I could work for him in breeding at Lewitz. At that time, we started with around 1,600 mares. The first step was always to really understand the mares we had. We evaluated them carefully, and we used free jumping a lot to see their natural ability. Based on that, we made our decisions with the stallions.
:We always asked: what does the mare need? More rideability, more scope, more carefulness? That was the foundation of the breeding decisions. After that, we followed the foals closely. As yearlings and as two-year-olds, we selected them again. We used free jumping regularly to evaluate their canter, their technique, their scope, and overall potential. From there, we also decided how to continue with the mares; whether to use embryo transfer or natural covering. This was a system we repeated every year. It was always about observing, selecting, and refining.
“In the last ten years especially, we have seen very strong results. When you look at the sport today, at Grand Prix level worldwide, you see many horses coming from Lewitz. Of course, from the beginning our goal was to breed Grand Prix horses. But with such large numbers, you will never have only Grand Prix horses. That is why consistent selection, every year, is so important.
“If I look at it now, I would say that around 30% to 40% of the horses reached Grand Prix level. Considering the scale, that is a result we can be satisfied with.”
Daan Horn: Continuing a legacy of foundation sires
Raised at De Wiemselbach, the stud established by his father Hans Horn, Daan represents the next generation of a stallion station built on influential sires such as Libero H, Numero Uno and Van Gogh. At the KWPN Show Jumping Breeders Congress, he spoke about growing up within that legacy and the challenge of finding the next foundation stallion.
Growing up with a stallion like Libero H left a lasting impression. “Libero is the kind of stallion that would still be relevant in today’s sport,” Horn explains. “There are many horses from 30 years ago that wouldn’t fit anymore, but with his fighting spirit, his character, his carefulness and his speed, he would still compete at the highest level today. He was the stallion that really built our station, the one that laid the foundation of our business. For us, and especially for my father, he is a very emotional horse. He bought him together with Alwin Schockemöhle when Libero H was five, and together with Jos Lansink he achieved tremendous success. That makes him incredibly important for our history.”...
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