By Chris Gould / CWHBA
Photography: FEI/Massimo Argenziano
‘Old world bloodlines, new world vitality’ has been a CWHBA catchphrase that has never seemed more true than when applied to Sigma Warmbloods of Vilna, Alberta. We spoke to owner Markus Wuethrich from Switzerland about his very Canadian breeding operation.
Markus Wuethrich immigrated to Canada from Switzerland in 1992, coming from a family of Warmblood breeders. “My parents started breeding horses in Switzerland when I was 12 years old”, he explained. Initially he was ‘farm boss’ at the Cariboo Cattle Company at Williams Lake BC., managed by his brother and father. At the same time they imported some of their Warmblood broodmares .
In 1996 they moved with 20 some Warmbloods to Vilna – northeast of Edmonton – and started Sigma Warmbloods. It was a family operation all the way. Using their experience and contacts in Europe to access good stallions, Sigma Warmbloods was one of the first multi-stallion breeding operations in Canada.
Over the past 30 years they have stood 11 stallions, seven of which were imported stallions (Goya de Lully CH, Gervantus II OLD, Apanarde CH, Coka CH, Royal Blend [Hann], Rocky my Soul [Westf], and Confidento [Hann]. (CH signifying Swiss Warmblood.) They also stood another four stallions: Garfield W CH, Wodan [KWPN], Oberon and Kingston (the latter two being Canadian Warmblood). To date Sigma has registered 281 Canadian Warmblood horses, a significant contribution to the depth and diversity of the Warmblood population in Canada.
When asked about some of his successful products, Markus raised an important issue. “The biggest problem in Canada for breeders is that it is hard to find your horses’ competition results once the horses are sold.” Some that came quickly to mind: “We have Goya de Lully offspring like Godolphin W, out of a Thoroughbred mare, competing at Prix St. George; or Galavant W, out of Malinda W, at GP level in the USA with his owner Camilla Fritze. We also have Graphiti W/aka Patronuss (Garfield W), out of the imported Swiss Warmblood mare Glory W, that complevel with his owner Michele Hinrichs...
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