By Christopher Hector
Photography: Peter Llewellyn
I do find it amazing, and disturbing that I have to head to HorseTelex to find the breeding of the most popular sire in Westfalia: The stallion Diamantenglanz (who is by Diamond First – well bred by Diamond Hit out of a Fürst Heinrich mare).
However, Diamantenglanz’s performance career is somewhat lacking. Back in August 2021 he competed in two Preliminary Tests for a seventh and ninth place, and since then? Diamantenglanz is out of a Bon Coeur x For Compliment mare. Bon Coeur competed in seven small-tour classes, winning two, in Wellington USA back in January/February 2020, and re-appearing in February 2023 for a seventh in a Prix St Georges. He is also out of a For Compliment mare.
Diamantenglanz was by far the most popular stallion, with 233 mares, although it ought be noted that his fee was an attractive €900 while the average fee was more like €1,500, this in a time when horse breeding is in decline, with the number of Westfalian mares covered down 11.9% on the previous year.
Second with 188 coverings was Escaneno (Escamillo x Veneno), and third, Glamdale (Glamourdale x Millennium) with 81.
It is a relief when we get to the fourth and fifth most popular stallions because they are jumpers, and the jumping breeders look to performance not fashion when it comes to choosing the stallion for their mare. Fourth with 79 mares is the truly great Cornet Obolensky, fifth his exciting son, Comme il faut NRW. That’s breeding for the big sport, that’s real breeding.
We should not be surprised that the trend to breed to unproven, but fashionable dressage stallions has been off-and-running for a while now. Back in 2019, the most popular Westfalian sire, was Zoom (Zack x Don Schufro), who may have Grand Prix top and bottom on his pedigree, but his performance has not reflected their success. Despite having the considerable advantage of Helen Langehanenberg in the saddle, Zoom’s only recorded appearance was at Verden in August 2021 where he was withdrawn in one Prix St Georges and placed 22nd in another... To read the complete article you need to be a subscriber
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