By Sally Reid
Photography: Photos courtesy NZWA; Vicki Wilson; Paula Riepen
As well as its foal inspections, which will be covered in a later issue, the NZ Warmblood Association’s 2024 tour, with assessor Matthias Werner of Germany, saw a number of new stallions and mares enter the NZWA Studbooks. Here’s a quick rundown of the top scorers and their credentials.
Champion stallion of the tour was Cadillac HL (Captivate VWNZ - Illuminate HL x Ikarus GF). This gorgeous three-year-old buckskin was bred by Paula Riepen of High Line Stud in Hawke’s Bay, and scored 82% (‘excellence’). His sire, Captivate VWNZ (Cachassini II - Showtym Celebration x Prestige VDL) was bred by Vicki Wilson, and won the same title in 2020 with an almost identical ‘excellence’ score (82.85%).
Paula Riepen had the added pleasure of seeing Cadillac’s dam Illuminate HL (Ikarus GF - Coromiela x Corofino II), winning the reserve champion studbook mare title (see below), and another Illuminate son, Quality Gold HL (Quasi Gold DSP), finishing as Reserve Champion Youngstock.
Illuminate HL is jumping in her first competitions this season and showing plenty of promise. Her own dam, Coromiela has excellent jumping blood, not only through her sire, the superb German-bred Holsteiner Corofino II (Corrado I x Fernando I x Lord), but also through her dam Langtry, who is a daughter of the international champion Lansing (Landgraf).
Paula also presented Casino HL (Carpaccio BVD Z - Vision OL x Vivid OL) for licensing and he, too, received a high mark; more about him below. “I’m absolutely thrilled to have put two stallions forward this year,” she says. “It’s definitely a way to ensure you’re breeding quality horses. The international knowledge of Matthias Werner is so very valuable, and the success of the tour is a real credit to Jody [Hartstone] and everyone involved in the investment into breeders in New Zealand.
“My passion is to breed a quality type along with colour and temperament. I believe a lot of people are breeding for bloodlines without looking at the full package. The NZWA tours help guide amateur breeders along the right path – a correct horse with quality in all facets.”
Paula’s first homebred stallion was Solitaire HL (Ikarus GF - Vision OL x Vivid OL) who she took many months to decide to keep entire. “I never saw myself as a stallion owner; I didn’t believe I had it in me. Fast forward six years and I now have four top-quality stallions in Solitaire HL, Casino HL, Cadillac HL, and Quality Gold HL, with so many people to thank for the support along the way. Vicki Wilson has been a major support and influence on my breeding and ridden endeavours, and as her breeding manager I had a lot to do with Captivate VWNZ – Cadillac’s sire – and always loved him. (Note: Quality Gold HL was the tour’s Reserve Champion Register 1&2 Youngstock, and will feature in a later issue of WBN.)
“Cadillac HL – ‘Caddy’ – was a first foal for my lovely mare Illuminate HL, and his accolade is a testament to her quality. She was Reserve Champion Studbook Mare this year, and is also the dam of Quality Gold HL. She’s returned to the competition team this season with exciting successes in jumping, eventing and showing... To read the complete article you need to be a subscriber
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