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trainer’s point of view


Trakehners and Totilas Revolutionize Sport Horse Breeding


By David Guy, PhD O


ver the past decade we have witnessed an accelerated refinement of dressage sport horses which outpaced any of the breeding efforts


that have been in place since the mid 20th century. The resulting efforts have culminated in a class of superstar dressage and breeding horses. Most of these horses share one common trait: they are all Trakehner half-bred. The purpose of this commentary is to identify this


elite group of horses and identify the influence of the specific Trakehner bloodlines involved in the breeding of the superstar group. In addition, I propose several observations that are based on the type of gaits exhibited by these superstar horses. I believe that we are in the midst of witnessing a revolution in dressage horses’ performance and breeding. First and foremost, the pool of genes from which these horses are bred have one common progenitor: the Trakehner stallion Kostolany (Enrico Caruso *Pg*E* x Falke x Ibikus). His sons EH Gribaldi and Silvermoon have sired the most attractive dressage horses of the past decade. In Holland, the offspring of E.H. Gribaldi (Kostolany x Ibikus x Flugsand) include: Painted Black (EH Gribaldi x Ferro x Officier), Sisther de Jeu (EH Gribaldi x Amor) and unarguably, the most exciting dressage horse of the last decade the sensational stallion Totilas (EH Gribaldi x Glendale x Akteur). In Denmark, the influence of the Trakehner stallions became apparent with the rise of the superstar dressage mare Blue Hors Matine (Silvermoon x Matador x Saskibard II). While the influence of the Trakehner breed on the European Warmbloods has been in place for many decades, it is worth observing that


76 January/February 2011


Kostolony, grandsire to Totilas and Blue Hors Matine. Photos copyright Beate Langels, Gestüt Hämelschenburg


over the past decade the top dressage horses seem to be mostly crosses with Dutch and Danish mares. It’s interesting to note that the Trakehner seems to cross at best with these relatively young and less tested breeds. Second observation to make is that these dressage superstars share a trot gait that is especially exuberant. It is characterized by special dynamics with a very flashy foreleg activity that seems to mesmerize the crowds. An internet video of Blue Hors Matine, performing the Grand Prix musical freestyle at the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen, has been viewed over ten million times and turned her into an international sensation. (Some argue that non- equestrian public interest in dressage began that year due to her special dynamic gaits.) The sensational Totilas established world records at the three Grand Prix levels becoming the first ever dressage horse to breach the 90-percent score at the Windsor European Championships Grand Prix Freestyle on August 25th in 2009 with a 90.75%. A few months later he broke his own record at the London Olympia CDI-W freestyle on December 15th scoring a 92.3%.


Since such quality of gaits has not been seen prior


to the last decade, the traditional understanding that the location of the motor is in the hind legs has been challenged by this type of modern high performing horse. Hence my third observation is that we are wit- nessing an emerging view that claims the motor to exist in the hind legs and in the forehand. Pushing power is now said to be developed by both ends and therefore


Kostolony ➡ Silvermoon ➡ Kostolony ➡ EH Griba


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