By Susanne Strübel / Zangersheide
Photography: FEI/Hippo Foto – Sharon Vandeput
Training young stallions, introducing them to the sport, and ensuring step-by step-that there is always a sufficient number of horses available for international sport is what the world-class showjumper Christian Ahlmann really enjoys.
His partner Judy Ann Melchior, owner of the Belgian stud farm Zangersheide, appeared during their online stallion show March 25.26, presenting their sires to breeders and friends of ‘Z’ horses. “The concept for this year is to get to know the stallions better and to go into even more technical detail about their qualities and characteristics. We also provide further information on which mares are best suited to the stallions presented.
“Breeders line up every year to have their mares covered by top horses such as Dominator Z or Solid Gold Z – both stallions intended for international competitions this season. The forward-thinking breeders are also interested in the offspring of the stallions and the Zangersheide team’s assessment of the prospects for the future of the new generation.”
Dourkhan Hero Z
What Christian Ahlmann said two years ago about the now seven-year-old Dourkhan Hero Z (Don't Touch Tiji Hero - Zinka de Kalvarie Z x Zandor Z) made the horse world sit up and take notice: “He has everything a top horse needs. It’s a dream to ride him.” At the stallion licensing in 2018, after just one glance at the stallion, Ahlmann already knew: “If we buy one, then that’s the one.” Even then he was a real eye-catcher, a horse that attracted attention. This assessment has come true. According to Judy Ann Melchior: “He has so much ability, fantastic technique. He seems to have unlimited possibilities.” The dark-bay stallion was able to gain competition experience this past December and January, but now he’s scheduled for breeding and will return to sport in one year’s time. Christian Ahlmann is delighted: “Really he jumps abnormally well. Our hopes have been confirmed.”
A look at the pedigree of Dourkhan Hero Z underpins the appearance of this extraordinary horse. His father Don't Touch Tiji Hero competed internationally in the Longines Global Champions Tour under the saddle of Belgium’s Gudrun Patteet. The maternal branch of Dourkhan Hero Z’s pedigree is also extremely interesting for breeders: He comes from the family of Usha van’t Roosakker, so is therefore familially close to top horses such as Electra van’t Roosakker, Gatoucha van’t Roosakker, Tinkoucha Hero Z, Cella, and George Z... To read the complete article you need to be a subscriber
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