By Christopher Hector
Graphics: Gemma Alexander

While the FN breeding values for young horse dressage sires produced a somewhat eccentric collection of stallions, many destined to sink without trace, there is a real similarity in the jumping list between the young horse chart and the HEK and competition charts... I am not entirely sure what this tells us.

The exception to this rule is the number one on the young jumping horse values – Qualito, since he died before he had a chance to fulfill his potential. Writing in Der Hannoveraner after Qualito topped the young horse standings for 2019, Ludwig Christmann noted: “It definitely is quite a surprise, which is unfortunately connected with sadness, that Quaid’s son Qualito (breed value 160), born in 2011, holds the leading position in the breed value estimation young horse classes. He immediately rushed to the top position, as soon as his breed values were published. Sadness arises because this promising young producer passed away far too early in 2018; his sire, the also highly successful Quaid also died last year.
Christmann continued: “Helmut Habermann from Haenigsen bred Qualito out of St.Pr.St. Starlight by Salito x Calypso II. He stems from the superior damline of Norm (Hanoverian stutenstamm 2192107, Schridde 381), which calls the Habermann farm its home already since 1921 for exactly 100 years. Internationally successful sport horses emerged from this line like Elwood by Esprit, the winner of the Grand Prix of Neumünster in 2003, or Firth of Lorne by For Pleasure, the winner of the Grand Prix of Hamburg in 2017 with rider Katrin Eckermann.
“The 2006-born St.Pr.St. Starlight obtained the optimum score of 10 for her jumping ability in the mare test. She delivered a total of seven foals by the sire Quaid, including the 2013-born Qualibro and the one-year-older IB Qualita. Both already are successfully competing at the S-level at a young age. Qualibro lives at the barn of world champion Simone Blum and already competes at the international level. IB Qualita also found a home in a top barn. She has already won an international S-level class with rider Tim Rieskamp-Goedeking and placed very well in the Grand Prix of Opglabbeek/BEL and in the Grand Prix of Oldenburg in November of 2020.
“The performances of the individuals as well as its relatives are considered for the breed value estimation. It includes successful siblings as well as descendants. Qualito obtained outstanding assessments in his 30-day test in 2014 (overall score for jumping 9.58) and in jumping horse classes. With rider Heiko Tietze he won a total of 10 M-level jumping horse classes. An approved son, the 2017-born Quudo Boe, out of a dam by Embassy (breeder: Helmut Boettcher, Rehlingen) received above average scores for his talent for jumping (9.0) in his 14-day test in 2020.
“A total of 13 mares from the vintages of 2015 and 2016, which were stronger in numbers, were awarded the Hanoverian premium. Ten of them completed the mare test, including eight obtaining a jumping score of 9.0 and better. The top score of 10 was awarded three times. Twenty-six descendants – mainly from the foal vintage of 2016 – are already successful competitors, mainly in jumping horse classes at the A-level in accordance with their ages. Often Qualito’s sons and daughters were either the winners or placed well.
“Let us take a quick look at Qualito’s sire Quaid. The national champion from 2009 (breeder: Friedhelm Vehlber, Espelkamp; owner: Stud Staj Mustang, Czech Republic) is missing in the chart, since he was not registered for 2020 and 2021. His breed values for jumping 144 (Hanoverian breed value estimation) and 127 (FN, highest obtained level) would have been high enough for his inclusion in the chart. The Yearbook Stallions shows 33 descendants with successes at the S-level for the 2004-born stallion, including four with successes over 1m55. His most successful descendant is IB Querido (aka Querido 58: prize winnings of €37,153) out of a dam by Graf Sponeck. The dam is out of St.Pr.St. Marquesa, who also produced Lissaro van de Helle. IB Querido lives in the barn of Tim Rieskamp-Goedeking and already has impressive international successes to show. In January 2020, as a nine-year old, he won the Grand Prix of Kronenberg/NED. Later on he added second placings in Opglabbeek/BEL, and in the Grand Prix of Braunschweig to his show record.” (Querido was bred by Jürgen Dittmer from Neuenkirchen.)
Qualito’s 2021 number one ranking of 156 comes on the shoulders of 100 of his progeny, and must be regarded as somewhat speculative, hence a reliability percentage of 85%. This is certainly not the case with number two, Stakkato, whose 153 value comes from 1,076 competing progeny... To read the complete article you need to be a subscriber

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