Throwback to 2019 – An incredible year for the SBS North-American section

International 13/01/2020
DIABOLO D'ESQUELMES (Chin Chin/Carthago - breeder: D. Maillart at B-7520 Ramegnies-Chin) Archive picture (c) Erin Gilmore
DIABOLO D'ESQUELMES (Chin Chin/Carthago - breeder: D. Maillart at B-7520 Ramegnies-Chin) Archive picture (c) Erin Gilmore

2020 has just begun and so it is time to look back for a while at the highlights that made the past year a remarkable year for the North-American section of the studbook, not only in terms of results but also regarding the imports and breeding.

The craze for SBS horses is growing a little more each year and it is with pleasure and a certain pride that we note that more and more breeders are ready to participate in each of our inspections. This year’s inspection tour, which took place last September, was once again a great success: 5 sites to visit in 7 days and no less than 50 horses inspected. What will be remembered from this intense tour is above all the quality of the products presented by the many passionate breeders. Indeed, no less than 8 stallions have been approved for breeding by the SBS during this tour, including 4 registered at birth in our studbook. There was also a great interest among the foals, since there were more than thirty of them participating in this event, which consisted mainly of a first experience of conformation and gait competitions.

The outlook for breeding is just as bright, since here too, no fewer than fifty foals born in 2019 were registered with the SBS. Some of our SBS breeders on the other side of the Atlantic are already devoted representatives such as Mrs Belcher's breeding farm, Cypress Head Sport Horses, with its ten "N" foals registered this year, including four out of its newly approved SBS stallion K-LANZONNI CH (Landkonig x Regazzoni). As for our stalwart SBS stallion DIABOLO D’ESQUELMES (Chin Chin x Carthago), he has - as every year without exception since 2014 - been quite solicited in 2019. Mrs Harrington of Avenir Farm, another key figure of the SBS-NA, can boast of the high quality of her SBS-approved stallion UP TO DATE MILTOO (Darco x Grandeur), sire of about ten 2019 products. This talented stallion, himself son of an exceptional sire, has accumulated Grand Prix victories, notably in Lanaken (BEL) where he finished 1st in the 7-year-old Belgian Championships, and was also awarded the title of Horse of the Year in 2004 in Mechelen (BEL) before winning the Sires of the World in 2005. What a good start in life for these future champions!

In terms of results, there is no need to recall the performances of those we no longer have to present such as the mythical couple HH AZUR’S GARDEN HORSES (Thunder van de Zuuthoeve/Sir Lui - breeder: Nathalie Beaufort at B-8600 Pervijze) and McLain Ward, or VENUE D’FEES DES HAZALLES (President/Alcatraz - breeder: D. Lamette at B-6940 Barvaux-sur Ourthe) and Eve jobs, CALYPSO VAN DE ZUUTHOEVE (Tangelo vd Zuuthoeve/Thunder vd Zuuthoeve - breeder: R. Vets at B-2500 Lier), EXOTIK SITTE (Ogano Sitte/Clinton - breeder: D. Boudrenghien at B-7904 Pipaix) and many others. Some more recent imports may also have many surprises in store for this coming year, such as the talented CHEINDIRA (Chagall vd Burggrave/Darco - breeder: J. Saerens at B-9280 Lebbeke), previously ridden by Lorenzo De Luca (ITA), or the young FATHALYS DU FRECH-TRY (Mozart des Hayettes/Ogano Sitte - breeder: D. Thirion at B-5501 Awagne).

The year wrapped up on a high note for the SBS, which foreshadows very good things for 2020!

Stay tuned... (ML)