By Chris Gould/CWHBA
Photography: Southern Designs, Aryane Tanguay, Virginia Cooke, Krista Kocot
A popular fundraising event in North America, Stallion Service Auctions (SSA) are offered by a large number of studbooks. It is a great way to support the activities of the studbook and an opportunity for stallion owners to promote their services. Certainly it often results in some very good deals on breeding fees for mare owners, but for the Canadian studbook it doesn't stop there.
Each year the Canadian Warmblood Horse Breeders’ Association regional chapters offer a foal futurity for offspring sired by the SSA nominated stallions. The futurity is funded by adding approximately 50% of the auction returns from the previous year, to the normal entry fees. As an added bonus stallion owners and successful bidders receive a free entry into the futurity. It is a great formula and with several thousand dollars up for grabs, it makes for an exciting and for some a profitable event.
Here is a sampling of this year’s results. In 2018 offspring of both Canadian-bred and imported stallions garnered laurels for their sires: On the East Coast, Dauphin, by the legendary Donnerhall sired the winning colt, Dorval, out of Ebon's Belle Ami by Beau Soleil, bred by Virginia Cook and Andrew Kielly. A second dressage legend, Rubinstein I, was grandsire of the West Coast winner Riverdale (Rubignon) out of CJ Gypy Rose by Plezar ox, bred by Kimberly Terrico.
Canadian bred-stallions stole the show in Quebec and Ontario. Charmant by Charmeur (Beaulieu’s Conquest) out of Jodie (Justice), bred by Louise Caron, topped the field in Quebec, and His Querido (His Highness) produced the winning foal out of Rivalia (Graf Royal) for Jackie Vandenbrink, who also owns the stallion. The Prairies were represented by the jumper sire Kumano (Kannan) with the feminine filly, Kiana out Fergie (Flexible) bred by Eric and Danae Martin.
The 2019 CWHBA Stallion Service Auction runs February 17-24.
