Royal Kaliber
Encyclopedia
Royal Kaliber was a horse that competed at the Grand Prix level of show jumping
, and was part of the United States Show Jumping Team at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games
.
Royal Kaliber's dam sire was another notable stallion, Voltaire
, whose bloodlines included the globally influential Furioso II
and the great stallion Gotthard. Voltaire competed internationally in show jumping, and sired Concorde and other approved sons.
Pedigree for Royal Kaliber
1992 Dark bay
first began riding the Dutch Warmblood when the horse was 8, after receiving him from Ben Boessen. Boessen made the horse totally ready for the big work. Kappler rode him to several impressive wins, and Royal Kaliber was named 2002-2003 AGA Horse of the Year and 2003 U.S. Equestrian Horse of the Year.
, winners of the team silver medal. However, while jumping in the final round of the individual competition, the horse had an awkward landing from the 15th fence on course, a large oxer. Kappler felt his mount take an odd step and, with only two fences to go, pulled him up and dismounted. A diagnosis by the team veterinarian found that the horse had an acute strain to his superficial digital flexor tendon of his left foreleg http://www.usyd.edu.au/su/rirdc/articles/miscell/athens.htm. This made him the third show jumping horse to be injured, which brought up questions of the suitability of the footing. Royal Kaliber was pulled from competition, but his previous effort had still earned him the individual bronze. It was decided to keep the stallion in Europe until he had completely recovered from his injury, before shipping him home. Following the disqualification of gold medalist, Cian O'Connor of Ireland, for a drug infraction, Kappler and Royal Kaliber were finally awarded the individual silver medal, with Rodrigo Pessoa moving up to the gold-medal position.
, and an ultrasound was performed finding intestinal adhesion. The veterinarians Dr. Jack Snyder and Dr. Barry David (who flew in from the United States) and Dr. Edwin Enzerink deemed that surgery was appropriate, and on 27 September 2004, they performed the procedure at the Veterinair Centrum Someren in Someren, the Netherlands. Finding the intestine adhered to the spleen, they removed parts of both the large and small intestine. Royal Kaliber appeared stable after the surgery, but his health worsened on 6 October. The veterinary team performed another surgery, and found that further adhesions had occurred, which were non-repairable. The decision was then made to euthanize him on 8 October 2004.
, one to a client of Chapot's, and a filly was kept by the owners of Royal Kaliber.
2003
2002
2001
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 was part of the United States Show Jumping Team at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games
Equestrian at the 2004 Summer Olympics
The events of the Equestrian at the 2004 Summer Olympics featured three equestrian disciplines: dressage, eventing and jumping. All three disciplines are further divided into individual and team contests for a total of six events....
.
- Lived: 1992-8 October 2004
- 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: Dark BayBay (color)Bay is a hair coat color of horses, characterized by a reddish brown body color with a black mane, tail, ear edges, and lower legs. Bay is one of the most common coat colors in many horse breeds....
- Markings: Large star, thin stripe, high socks on RF and both hind
- Breed: Dutch WarmbloodDutch WarmbloodA Dutch Warmblood is a warmblood type of horse registered with the Koninklijk Warmbloed Paardenstamboek Nederland A Dutch Warmblood is a warmblood type of horse registered with the Koninklijk Warmbloed Paardenstamboek Nederland A Dutch Warmblood is a warmblood type of horse registered with the...
- Breeding: by Ramiro Z (HolsteinHolstein (horse)The Holsteiner is a breed of horse originating in the Schleswig-Holstein region of northern Germany. It is thought to be the oldest of warmblood breeds, tracing back to the 13th century...
), out of Fiedonja by Voltaire Dutch WarmbloodDutch WarmbloodA Dutch Warmblood is a warmblood type of horse registered with the Koninklijk Warmbloed Paardenstamboek Nederland A Dutch Warmblood is a warmblood type of horse registered with the Koninklijk Warmbloed Paardenstamboek Nederland A Dutch Warmblood is a warmblood type of horse registered with the... - Owners: Chris Kappler & Kamine Family
- Rider: Chris KapplerChris KapplerChris Kappler is an American equestrian who competes in the sport of show jumping, He is an Olympic gold and silver medalist. Kappler was the rider of Royal Kaliber . Kappler is a resident of Pittstown, New Jersey.At the 2004 Olympic Games, Kappler won a silver medal in Individual Jumping...
Breeding
Royal Kaliber had impressive breeding. He was by the "Stallion of the Century", Ramiro Z, a prolific sire of jumping horses. Ramiro has contributed a son to every stud book which has the goal of producing a top jumper, as well as sired many excellent dressage horses. His bloodlines include Ramzes, Cottage Son, and Logenschlieser. Notable offspring: the mare Fatinitza (who was a great jumper and the dam of Almiro Z), and the stallions Rinaldo, Rio Negro and Ronald, and the great mare Ratina Z (olympic medalist and World Cup winner).Royal Kaliber's dam sire was another notable stallion, Voltaire
Voltaire (horse)
Voltaire was an influential sire of show jumpers and dressage horses. Additionally, he competed successfully at the international level in show jumping.*Lived: 1979-August 13, 2004*Height: 16.2 hh*Color: Bay...
, whose bloodlines included the globally influential Furioso II
Furioso II
Furioso II is one of the most influential sires in sport horse history. His offspring have performed well in all disciplines of show jumping, including at the Barcelona and Sydney Olympics.-History:...
and the great stallion Gotthard. Voltaire competed internationally in show jumping, and sired Concorde and other approved sons.
Pedigree for Royal Kaliber
1992 Dark bay
Show jumping Career
American Chris KapplerChris Kappler
Chris Kappler is an American equestrian who competes in the sport of show jumping, He is an Olympic gold and silver medalist. Kappler was the rider of Royal Kaliber . Kappler is a resident of Pittstown, New Jersey.At the 2004 Olympic Games, Kappler won a silver medal in Individual Jumping...
first began riding the Dutch Warmblood when the horse was 8, after receiving him from Ben Boessen. Boessen made the horse totally ready for the big work. Kappler rode him to several impressive wins, and Royal Kaliber was named 2002-2003 AGA Horse of the Year and 2003 U.S. Equestrian Horse of the Year.
2004 Olympic Games
The stallion was a part of the US Show Jumping Team at the 2004 Athens OlympicsEquestrian at the 2004 Summer Olympics
The events of the Equestrian at the 2004 Summer Olympics featured three equestrian disciplines: dressage, eventing and jumping. All three disciplines are further divided into individual and team contests for a total of six events....
, winners of the team silver medal. However, while jumping in the final round of the individual competition, the horse had an awkward landing from the 15th fence on course, a large oxer. Kappler felt his mount take an odd step and, with only two fences to go, pulled him up and dismounted. A diagnosis by the team veterinarian found that the horse had an acute strain to his superficial digital flexor tendon of his left foreleg http://www.usyd.edu.au/su/rirdc/articles/miscell/athens.htm. This made him the third show jumping horse to be injured, which brought up questions of the suitability of the footing. Royal Kaliber was pulled from competition, but his previous effort had still earned him the individual bronze. It was decided to keep the stallion in Europe until he had completely recovered from his injury, before shipping him home. Following the disqualification of gold medalist, Cian O'Connor of Ireland, for a drug infraction, Kappler and Royal Kaliber were finally awarded the individual silver medal, with Rodrigo Pessoa moving up to the gold-medal position.
Resulting colic
Royal Kaliber's leg was said to be healing very well following the Games. However, the horse began experiencing problems with colicHorse colic
Colic in horses is defined as abdominal pain, but it is a clinical sign rather than a diagnosis. The term colic can encompass all forms of gastrointestinal conditions which cause pain as well as other causes of abdominal pain not involving the gastrointestinal tract. The most common forms of colic...
, and an ultrasound was performed finding intestinal adhesion. The veterinarians Dr. Jack Snyder and Dr. Barry David (who flew in from the United States) and Dr. Edwin Enzerink deemed that surgery was appropriate, and on 27 September 2004, they performed the procedure at the Veterinair Centrum Someren in Someren, the Netherlands. Finding the intestine adhered to the spleen, they removed parts of both the large and small intestine. Royal Kaliber appeared stable after the surgery, but his health worsened on 6 October. The veterinary team performed another surgery, and found that further adhesions had occurred, which were non-repairable. The decision was then made to euthanize him on 8 October 2004.
Offspring
By chance, a sample of Royal Kaliber's semen was collected for approval testing. Using the surplus, it was possible to breed a few mares, and the result was four offspring: one was sold to Europe, one given as a gift to trainer Frank ChapotFrank Chapot
Francis Davis "Frank" Chapot is an American equestrian who competed at six Olympic Games from 1956 to 1976, where he won two silver medals in the Team Mixed Jumping....
, one to a client of Chapot's, and a filly was kept by the owners of Royal Kaliber.
Accomplishments
2004- Team gold and individual silver medal at the Athens Olympics
- 2nd $60,000 Idle Dice Classic (Wellington, Florida)
2003
- Team gold and individual silver medal at the Pan American Games2003 Pan American GamesThe 14th Pan American Games were held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, from 1 to 17 August 2003. The successful bid for the games was made in the mid-1990s, when this country had one of the highest growth rates in Latin America....
(Dominican Republic) - 1st Grand Prix at Devon (Devon, PA)
- 1st $200,000 Budweiser American Invitational (Tampa, FL)
- 1st AGA Show Jumping Championships (Wellington, FL)
- Named U.S. Equestrian Horse of the Year and American Grand Prix Association Horse of the Year
2002
- 1st $175,000 Cargill Grand Prix of the United States (San Juan Capistrano, CA)
- 1st $52,100 Bayer/USET Wellington Cup (Wellington, FL)
- 1st $50,000 Bayer/USET Wellington Cup (Wellington, FL)
- 1st $60,000 Budweiser American Gold Cup (Devon, PA)
2001
- 2nd $75,000 Ford Idle Dice Classic
- 2nd $200,000 Budweiser American Invitational
- 2nd $75,000 Kilkenny Internationale Cup (Wellington, FL)