By Christopher Hector
Photography: Hannoveraner Verband
Last year for the first time, the Hanoverian Verband released a list of the stallions with 30 or more foals. This year's list showing the most popular stallions in the 2021 season is fascinating, and once again demonstrates how the flow of dressage blood has been reversed: Once it flowed steadfastly from Germany to Holland, now the flow is in the other direction.
Like the number one on the popularity parade, Fusionist, who stands in joint partnership between the State Stud Celle and Ingo Pape's well-known private stud. Fusionist, was the top-scoring four-year old in the stallion sport test in Verden. The bay scored 8.88 points in total after receiving 8.2 for walk, 9.5 for trot, 8.7 for canter, and 9.0 for rideability and general impression.
Fusionist is the ultimate Dutch/German fusion. The stallion is by Franklin, by Ampère, who is by the Ferro son, Rousseau out of a Roemer mare. Ampère is out of Larivola by Flemmingh out of an Amor x Farn mare – Holsteiner sires who provided the foundation of Dutch dressage breeding. Franklin is out of Warkle M by Ferro, out of Sparkle M by Flemmingh out of a Pion mare.
Fusionist is out of an exceptional Westfalian mare, Evita, who is by the Ehrentusch son, Ehrentanz I, out of a Florestan mare. I am indebted to my friend and colleague, Thomas Hartwig who informs me that Evita was bred in 2001 by Markus Schulze Finkenbrink. She was placed in some young horse competitions at A and L level. The Schulze Finkenbrink family has bred three generations of this mare line. Edmund Schulze Finkenbrink, the father of Markus, bred Evita’s dam, Farina F (Florestan x Newcastle), and her granddam, Nora (Newcastle x Goldlack).
Evita, the dam of the number one stallion, Fusionist, is also the dam of the stallion, Fascino (by the Rousseau son Harmony's Fiorano, out of a Rotspon mare). In all, 10 registered FN foals.
I asked Ingo, what is it that Fusionist gives his offspring? “Very much strength in the topline, a very solid, strong topline, and very quick light-footed hindlegs. Altogether a very correct and compact exterior.”
Do you know the mare Evita that he is out of?
“Yes, he is the third offspring I have from this mare. Before Fusionist, I had two Fioramo (Rousseau x Rotspon) sons, one was an approved stallion and the other was not approved.”
Things have changed in Hanover. When I first visited, Dr Bade didn’t want to take Donnerhall blood because he was from Oldenburg and a private stallion. Now four of the five most popular stallions are fusion horses and three of them are a partnership between Celle and a private stallion owner... To read the complete article you need to be a subscriber
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