Published courtesy of Hippomundo/Koen Terryn
Photography: FEI/Leanjo de Koster
Using our own [Hippomundo] data, we analyzed sibling families (horses with the same sire and dam) and examined their performance. Which mares produced the highest numbers, and which repeated crosses produced multiple 1m60 horses? The results show when buying a full brother or sister is a sound investment and when family ties prove to be more illusion than reality.
H&M All In: A top choice with full brothers and sisters
What do you do when one particular cross breeds a world-class horse? For many breeders, the answer is clear: repeat the cross. This explains why the mare Fortune, crossed with Kashmir van Schuttershof, has given birth to no fewer than 25 full siblings to H&M All In.
H&M All In, bred by Bas Huybregts from this cross, competed at the highest level with Peder Fredricson for years. His achievements include a silver medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, followed by a team gold medal and an individual silver medal in Tokyo in 2021. Buyers paid €130,000 for his full brother, Kashman vd Berghoeve Z, at a foal auction in 2021.
The success of All In is the reason breeders kept repeating this cross. But Fortune is far from the only mare whose winning formula was used multiple times.
So far, only Tiara M has proven that repeating the same cross can already produce several 1m60 horses. The other descendants of Tiara M – Fortune and Quasibelle du Seigneur – are still young so we will have to wait and see in the coming years if they too can reach the highest level.
When repetition truly leads to success
The following families have already demonstrated that repeating the exact same crossbreed pays off: several full siblings from the same dam and sire have reached the 1m60 level. So, why repeat the same crossbreeding?
• Proof of principle: as soon as an international benchmark horse appears (for example, H&M All In), breeders believe their chances increase.
• Business logic: a recognizable ‘brand’ sells more easily – buyers know it’s a good fit for them.
• Genetic compatibility: the dam line and the stallion’s type complement each other (blood, reflexes, conformation, respect).
Families with many young full siblings
Some crossbreeds have already produced an icon, but most of their siblings are still too young to reach 1m60. Here are the indicators that point to future success:
• Clear record in young horse events;
• Approval of stallions from the same cross: a guarantee of early quality;
• Consistent results between 1m35 and 1m50 at the ages of eight through nine.
On this basis, here are the families to watch in the coming years...
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