specialization,” she says. “Now, the eventing ‘family’ has seen a huge increase of interest, and there are many more riders, breeders and horses involved.” With more demanding questions asked of horse and rider,
the type of event horse desired has shifted to favor the type of horses already being bred and trained in Germany, with some tweaks.
Gaining the
Competitive Edge While the horse must be brave and have a good brain to be able to perform well at cross country, the dressage and show jumping phases are becoming areas of focus when looking for a young prospect. As a result, the qualities needed in a prospect are evolving and they lend themselves well to the German breeding models. Dirk pays particular attention when looking for young event horse prospects to develop since much of his business comes from buying and selling. “It has to be a nice blood type,” he explains. “It doesn’t have to move like a dressage horse, but the Irish horses from years past with a flat trot and a flat canter are no longer desirable. Now there is a demand for a nice moving horse with a proper trot and canter underneath — a balanced uphill canter.” Dirk also sees the jumping talent of the event horse
the head and clever and relaxed to do a faultless test.” But as the bar continues to be raised, so does the price
of a competitive horse. Event horses are becoming more expensive, with young prospects costing serious money in Germany, especially when comparing to the other disciplines of show jumping and dressage. Part of the built-
in cost is due to the average age of the blossoming event horse. It is usually five to seven years old, compared to dressage or show jumping prospects that are usually bought at three or four years old. The extra time equates to extra expense and
Ingrid Klimke and Butts Abraxxas at the London Olympics.
training, primarily for the breeders. “Most
breeders don’t have the money to spend every month on training to educate the horse—this is not good for them. If they would go that way, they may earn more but it’s the long approach,” Dirk says.
Breeding Landscape The athletic abilities and physical stamina required in
inching towards the scope and finesse exhibited in the show jumping arena. “Jumping is needed; it’s not quite a show jumper, but it’s getting close. They have to be careful and have scope. Jumping with no back or a little bit straight like in years past—I’m not interested,” he explains. And Ingrid’s ideal
prospect hits the same points. “We need a very good jumper with scope and carefulness who is able to jump clear in a difficult show jumping course after the cross country day,” she says. “And we need a nice dressage horse which is very well trained. I do not think that we need a beautiful mover, but the horses must be good in
32 May/June 2013
an event horse start with a superior breeding program, something Germany has managed well throughout the years. “Good breeding is very important, and I still prefer at minimum half-breeds for the health and long lasting strength,” says Ingrid. (She refers to Warmblood- Thoroughbred crosses as half- breeds.) From a breeder’s
perspective, Julia sees the years of focus on dressage and show jumping bloodlines by German breeders as an advantage. With the technical demands of
RF Amber Eyes and Karen O’Connor at the 2012 Red Hills Event in Florida.
rideability, scope and movement
judged in Germany competitions, this has led to Warmblood breeding being desirable in an event horse. “There’s a
Kim MacMillan/MacMillan Photography
Kim MacMillan/MacMillan Photography
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