Bolero (horse)
Encyclopedia
Bolero was a dressage
horse and an influential sire.
stallion Black Sky, who was imported to Germany in 1972. Black Sky was a grandson of the great stallion Djebel
, who also sired the very influential My Babu
, a stallion seen in many show jumpers
and hunters
pedigrees in the United States. Black Sky stood at the private stud farm of Schmidt-Ankum, and his offspring were general nice dressage horses with good rideability, but with very little jumping talent.
Bolero's dam, Baroness, was registered with the Hanoverian
Verband. She was half-Thoroughbred
through her sire, the large-framed stallion Bleep. Her dam's side includes Hyperion
, who in turn traces to Bay Ronald
. The dam-sire of Baroness was the stallion Athos, who was known as a broodmare sire of dressage horses, and her damline (Athos-Fliegerstern) also produced the stallions Grenadier, Hitchcock, and Winner.
This breeding combination of a Thoroughbred stallion to a mare that was by a Thoroughbred was prohibited by the Hanoverian studbook at the time, due to the belief that the offspring would be unsuccessful.
Pedigree for Bolero
1975 Chestnut colt
horses, although like his father, his offspring are generally poor jumpers. His high degree of Thoroughbred
blood brought an elegance to his progeny, and this trend toward a lighter dressage horse has been on the rise since he stood at stud. He consistently produced offspring with good shoulders and toplines, as well as elastic and rhythmic gaits.
Bolero was the founding sire of a new B-Line in the 1990s, and produced the stallion Brentano II
, who also became a foundation stallion for this line. Bolero was found to be most successful with daughters of Grande and Duellant. Breeders continue to cross the B-Line with the G- and D- lines to produce successful dressage horses, as well as those by Argus.
The stallion sired 47 licensed stallions during his time at stud, the most important being Brentano I and II, Buenos Aires, Bismark, and Beltain. As a well-known sire of sires, Bolero sons have been exported around the world. Bolero has also made a name for himself as a sire of broodmares, producing 317 mares that went on to be registered, 96 of whom earned the status of State Premium. The great success of his mares gave him a dressage ranking of 139 (against a rather poor 57 for jumping).
, Bonaparte, and Beauvalais.
Dressage
Dressage is a competitive equestrian sport, defined by the International Equestrian Federation as "the highest expression of horse training." Competitions are held at all levels from amateur to the World Equestrian Games...
horse and an influential sire.
- Height: 16.1½ hhHand (unit)The hand is a non-SI unit of measurement of length, now used only for the measurement of the height of horses in some English-speaking countries, including Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. With origins in ancient Egypt, it was originally based on the breadth of a human hand...
- Sex: StallionStallion (horse)A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded .Stallions will follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" neck, as well as a somewhat more muscular physique as compared to...
- Color: ChestnutChestnut (coat)Chestnut is a hair coat color of horses consisting of a reddish-to-brown coat with a mane and tail the same or lighter in color than the coat. Genetically and visually, chestnut is characterized by the absolute absence of true black hairs...
- Markings: Star
- Breed: 3/4 ThoroughbredThoroughbredThe Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
, registered HanoverianHanoverian (horse)A Hanoverian is a warmblood horse originating in Germany, which is often seen in the Olympic Games and other competitive English riding styles, and have won gold medals in all three equestrian Olympic competitions. It is one of the oldest, most numerous, and most successful of the warmbloods... - Breeding: by Black Sky xx, out of Baroness by Bleep xx
- Breeder: Heinrich Behmann
Breeding
Bolero was by the English ThoroughbredThoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
stallion Black Sky, who was imported to Germany in 1972. Black Sky was a grandson of the great stallion Djebel
Djebel
Djebel was a French Thoroughbred racehorse, who won 15 of 22 races during 1939-1942 and was later a leading sire.-Breeding:Djebel was sired by Tourbillon, a stallion owned by Marcel Boussac, who had won the French Derby and the Prix Lupin, and went on to become a notable sire. Toubillon's dam-sire...
, who also sired the very influential My Babu
My Babu
My Babu was a French-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who became one of the most influential sires in American breeding of show jumpers, eventers and hunters. His descendants include Bruce Davidson's former eventing mount JJ Babu, Anky van Grunsven's dressage horse Bonfire, and puissance and grand prix...
, a stallion seen in many show jumpers
Show jumping
Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping," "open jumping," or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes commonly are seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics...
and hunters
Show hunter
The show hunter is a type of show horse that is judged on its movement, manners, and way of going, particularly while jumping fences. The horses are shown in hunt seat style tack, and are often of Warmblood or Thoroughbred type, though a hunter-style pony is also seen in youth classes...
pedigrees in the United States. Black Sky stood at the private stud farm of Schmidt-Ankum, and his offspring were general nice dressage horses with good rideability, but with very little jumping talent.
Bolero's dam, Baroness, was registered with the Hanoverian
Hanoverian (horse)
A Hanoverian is a warmblood horse originating in Germany, which is often seen in the Olympic Games and other competitive English riding styles, and have won gold medals in all three equestrian Olympic competitions. It is one of the oldest, most numerous, and most successful of the warmbloods...
Verband. She was half-Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
through her sire, the large-framed stallion Bleep. Her dam's side includes Hyperion
Hyperion (horse)
Hyperion was a British bred Thoroughbred, a dual classic winner and an outstanding sire. Owned by Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby, Hyperion won £29,509 during his career - a considerable sum at the time. His victories included the Epsom Derby and St...
, who in turn traces to Bay Ronald
Bay Ronald
Bay Ronald, Foaled 3 May 1893, at Leybourne Grange Stud in Kent, England) was a thoroughbred racehorse that had a huge impact on the breeding of sport horses, mainly through his son Dark Ronald and grandson Teddy, and also carried on his lines in theThoroughbred racing world, through his son Bayardo...
. The dam-sire of Baroness was the stallion Athos, who was known as a broodmare sire of dressage horses, and her damline (Athos-Fliegerstern) also produced the stallions Grenadier, Hitchcock, and Winner.
This breeding combination of a Thoroughbred stallion to a mare that was by a Thoroughbred was prohibited by the Hanoverian studbook at the time, due to the belief that the offspring would be unsuccessful.
Pedigree for Bolero
1975 Chestnut colt
Breeding career
Bolero did only moderately well at his 100-day stallion test held at Adelheidsdorf, placing 6th out of 30 stallions with a final score of 111. He stood at Landesbrück from 1979 until his death of a heart attack at the age of 12. He only stood for 9 seasons, making his impact on the breeding of Hanoverians even more spectacular.Influence
Despite the relatively short breeding career, Bolero was remarkably influential on the breeding of dressageDressage
Dressage is a competitive equestrian sport, defined by the International Equestrian Federation as "the highest expression of horse training." Competitions are held at all levels from amateur to the World Equestrian Games...
horses, although like his father, his offspring are generally poor jumpers. His high degree of Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
blood brought an elegance to his progeny, and this trend toward a lighter dressage horse has been on the rise since he stood at stud. He consistently produced offspring with good shoulders and toplines, as well as elastic and rhythmic gaits.
Bolero was the founding sire of a new B-Line in the 1990s, and produced the stallion Brentano II
Brentano II
Brentano II is an influential stallion who has sired several dressage horses. His offspring include the Olympic medalist Brentina, and now-deceased Poetin.* Foaled: 1983* Height: 16.1¾ hh* Color: Chestnut...
, who also became a foundation stallion for this line. Bolero was found to be most successful with daughters of Grande and Duellant. Breeders continue to cross the B-Line with the G- and D- lines to produce successful dressage horses, as well as those by Argus.
The stallion sired 47 licensed stallions during his time at stud, the most important being Brentano I and II, Buenos Aires, Bismark, and Beltain. As a well-known sire of sires, Bolero sons have been exported around the world. Bolero has also made a name for himself as a sire of broodmares, producing 317 mares that went on to be registered, 96 of whom earned the status of State Premium. The great success of his mares gave him a dressage ranking of 139 (against a rather poor 57 for jumping).
Sons and Daughters
Bolero began with 5 sons attending the Verden licensing, of which 4 were selected. His offspring, known as the "Bolero Boom," continue to make their mark on the dressage scene. As of 2000, there were 412 Bolero offspring competing, with winnings of DM1,282,504. Three of his descendants medaled at the 2004 Olympics in Athens: BrentinaBrentina
Brentina is an Olympic-level dressage horse ridden by Debbie McDonald.*Foaled: 1991*Color: Chestnut*Markings: Star, sock off fore, half-stocking off hind*Sex: Mare*Breed: Hanoverian...
, Bonaparte, and Beauvalais.
- Buenos Aires: champion of his year
- Brentano IIBrentano IIBrentano II is an influential stallion who has sired several dressage horses. His offspring include the Olympic medalist Brentina, and now-deceased Poetin.* Foaled: 1983* Height: 16.1¾ hh* Color: Chestnut...
: the most successful son of Bolero, competed up to Grand Prix in dressage. Progeny including Olympic medalist BrentinaBrentinaBrentina is an Olympic-level dressage horse ridden by Debbie McDonald.*Foaled: 1991*Color: Chestnut*Markings: Star, sock off fore, half-stocking off hind*Sex: Mare*Breed: Hanoverian...
, PoetinPoetinFor the President of Russia, see Vladimir PutinPoetin was a world-class dressage horse that was the 2003 World Young Dressage Horse Champion in the six-year-old division, and sold for a record amount at the PSI Auction in Germany....
, Olympic contender Barclay II, and Bona Dea II. Last Offspring: Brentano Ultimo Brentano II#Progeny, chestnut colt born in May 2006. Video Clip and photos athttp://www.vonhermsdorf.com/fohlen/brentano_weltmeyer.htm - Beauvalais: under Beatriz Ferrer-Salat, won individual silver and team bronze at the 2002 World Equestrian GamesWorld Equestrian GamesThe FEI World Equestrian Games are the major international championships for equestrianism, and administered by the Fédération Equestre Internationale . The games have been held every four years, halfway between sets of consecutive Summer Olympic Games, since 1990...
, and team silver and individual bronze at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. - Batumi: this mare won the 1986 DLG Championship
- Beltain: sired Bellissimo, the Champion six-year-old at the 2005 Bundeschampionate
- Baccarole: 1989 Champion mare at the Louis-Wiegels Show, 1990 European Champion mare at Brussels
- Baltengracie: 1991 Champion mare of the Louis-Wiegels Show
- Boruschkin: 1984 three-year-old Riding Horse Champion at the Bundeschampionate, advanced level dressage horse. Later sold at the Verden auction for 110,000 DM
- Bini Bo: 1987 three-year-old Riding Horse Champion at the Bundeschampionate, advanced level dressage horse
- Bocaccio: 1988 three-year-old Riding Horse Champion at the Bundeschampionate, advanced level dressage horse
- Borsalino: Grand Prix horse under Heike KemmerHeike KemmerHeike Kemmer is a German equestrian who won a gold medal in Team dressage at the 2008 Summer Olympics.- References :...
- Bossanova: Grand Prix horse under Anna Merveldt-Steffan
- Bon Bonaparte: sire of the Grand Prix horse Bonaparte (ridden by Heike KemmerHeike KemmerHeike Kemmer is a German equestrian who won a gold medal in Team dressage at the 2008 Summer Olympics.- References :...
) - Bismarck: trained to Grand Prix, sire of Breitling W (who had a remarkable number of very good offspring himself), Barnsby W, and Burlington W.