A
dam line with uncontested influence on Swedish sport horse breeding:
Many of the
most influential horses in Swedish equestrian sport and sport horse breeding originate
out of the so called ”Spinda mare line” (F2). Without Spinda being imported to
Flyinge close to 100 years ago, we would not have the international top
competition horses Cazino, Kurage, Evertino, Garibaldi, So What, Feliciano,
Duenna, Briar and Mistral Höjri among many others. Feliciano and Briar are also
two of the most influential breeding stallions in Swedish sport horse breeding
today and the mare line is currently ranked among the top three in the world.
By
Peter Ljungcrantz
Reprinted from Show Jumping Scandinavian
Jumper Club Magazine, No 3 09
Translated by Hillevi Brasch
Spinda 1866 is an excellent example of how importing one individual
brood mare can have such incredible influence in the generations to come. She
was born 1918 in Hannover and was imported to Sweden by Flyinge, the National
Stud in 1924. Brood mares producing offspring with excellent traits typically have
excellent pedigrees, and Spinda was no exception.
The sire, Schwabenstreich, who belonged to the most influential sire
line in Hannover, the so called Schlucker line, sired many successful brood
mares and breeding stallions. Spinda came out of the Hanoverian line 1290, a producer
of many successful stallions and mares.
Her full brother, Schwabenkönig was a coveted breeding stallion at the
Celle Stud. The dam line was line bred on the Hanoverian stallion King (by Kingdomxx)
which in spite of her sire being of a bulkier type, resulted in Spinda being ”a
highly elegant mare with unusually good movement, correct in legs and
extremities, possessing great ambition and spirit”
A mare line with great ambition and spirit
Anyone that has been in contact with horses from the Spinda mare line
(F2) knows that the ambition and spirit is a trademark for all individuals
stemming from the F2 mare line. Spinda was way ahead of her time due to the
fact that the only negative comment found in the descriptions about her is that
she was considered lacking the “depth” that was desirable in brood mares at the
time. Flyinge hoped to get many successful stallions out of Spinda, however she
only produced Taktik (by Onkel) who died at only 5 years of age. Instead she
produced six fillies out of which three vouched for the Spinda family today
being one of the mare lines with the most number of horses in Scandinavia.
Successful daughters
The daughter Fanny (by Tribun) was the foundation mare of the branched Spinda
(F2) line that six generations later resulted in the filly Felicia (by
Utrillo). She was shown in S class jumping under rider Ted Nätterqvist and
after retiring from her show career produced Chess (by Cortez), Marcos Lilla
Liza and Feliciano (both by Irco Marco),
horses that all three have placings in S class jumping. Feliciano has many
international top placings and is today ranked as the most influential breeding
stallion in Sweden with successful offspring like Isaac, Aprils Fortune, Hip
Hop and Carman Ghia to name a few.
Spinda’s granddaughter Diana (by Largo) is one of the mare line’s most
successful brood mares. She produced the breeding stallion Herrscher (by
Heristal) that was sold to Landgestüt Traventhal in Holstein. Herrscher sired
the breeding stallion Amor, an influential stallion in Dutch warmblood
breeding. Diana’s daughter Drusilla (by Anno) was the foundation mare for the branched
line that six generations later generated one of the top dressage horses in the
world; Briar (by Magini), born at Dalhem Farms (Hans-Yngve Göransson) in
Trelleborg and shown under rider Jan
Brink.
Cazino; one of the most successful horses
Another daughter of Diana was Denise (by Varolio) that produced the
breeding stallion Brisad (by Drabant) and Stella (by Biarritz). Stella was sold
by Flyinge to Örsholms Stuteri in Moheda where she bore the stallion Jasper (by
Cosmosxx). The combination with Cosmosxx also resulted in
several nice brood mares out of which Sandra proved that performance genes don’t
have to exclude good conformation; she won the National championship for 3-year
old mares.
Sandra’s full sister Spinda is the maternal granddam’s dam of Cazino (by
Cardento) that today is competing at the very top international level with
several victories and placings under rider Rodrigo Pessoa. Cazino was born in 2000 at Sandris Häst in Vårgårda. Royne Zetterman then
bought him in
partnership with Jos Lansink who in turn sold him to Rodrigo Pessoa. Cazino is today
one of the most successful Swedish born horses in the international show
jumping circuit.
The amazing mare Duenna
Dorothea (by Heristal) was another one of Diana’s daughters and also a
full sister to Herrscher. Her daughter Dongola (by Tokajer) is the dam’s dam of
Drava (by Anart). Drava produced the approved stallion So What (by Irco Mena) who
was ridden by Helena Lundbäck. The duo was also a 2000 Olympic Games Swedish
Equestrian Team member, however So What was unfortunately exported shortly
before the Games.
Chicago Z (by Carthago) is another approved stallion out of Drava, he is
now shown internationally by Erika Lickhammar. Dongola also had a daughter
named Donetta (by Biarritz) that produced three approved stallions: Emir (by
Gaspari) and Figaro who both succeeded as international dressage horses and Imperator, an Olympic contender under rider
Peter Eriksson. The full sister of these stallions; Dagny, was the granddam’s
dam of the amazing mare Duenna.
Noble
Flyinge lines
One
of the most influential mares in Swedish jumping horse breeding is Duenna. She is by Robin
Z out of Danza by Koncerz xx out of Damast by Hartung. Truly noble Flyinge lines. Apart from most
mares being successful in the sport, she also managed a career in breeding
before her show career and still achieved international success in the show
jumping arena.
Out of the three offspring she produced, two have victories in S class
FEI jumping. Kurage (by Rivage du Poncel) who under rider Jens Fredricson won
Scandinavien Open as a 6-year old and a few years later placed 2nd
in the Falsterbo Derby and represented Sweden internationally. Duenna’s second
daughter, Desdemona (by Quidam de Revel) was sold to England and is now ridden
by William Whitaker. She placed in the European Championships for Young Riders.
Duenna’s granddaughter Undicci (by
Camiell Flamingo Z) was one of the most expensive horses at the Swedish Select
Horse Sale’s auction in 2007 and was purchased by Malin Baryard.
Fabulous
breeding value
After Duenna sold as an 8-year old to England, she was paired up with
Siw Waldeland (Berentsen).The duo had a great show career with several placings
in international 1, 60 m jumping and competing for Norway on an international
level. After retiring Duenna it proved impossible to get her pregnant again. However,
Lisen Bratt Fredricson realized the exceptional breeding value Duenna possessed and had a
prominent veterinarian examine her. The results proved that the quality of her
uterus had declined so much that it proved impossible to carry a foal to term.
Embryotransfer was then recommended and performed, a technique that yielded a
foal this year by Careful. Next year a foal by Cardento is expected. This is a
perfect example of how important it is to develop the use of the embryo
transfer technique.
More competition horses in the mare line
There are of course many more successful competition horses present in
the mare line that are well worth mentioning. A few of these are the full
sisters Waterloo and Czardas (by Ciceron), ridden by Ragnar Bengtsson and Czarda’s
son Brigadör (by Le Mistral) that was ridden by Olof Smith and Linnéa Eriksson.
Evertino (by Everest) was ridden by Lina Sjögren and had many international
placings. The duo also competed for team Sweden. The dam of Evertino, Utina (by
Utrillo) also placed in several S class shows under rider Maj-Christine Ehnberg .
Mistral
Höjris, the bronze medalist
The dam of Utina; Fokkea (by
Fokker) also produced the mare Vanja (by Vagabond) that was sold to Tage Pries
in Denmark as a three year old. Three generations later Mistral Höjris (by
Michelino – Ibsen – Elizar) was born. He is today one of the top dressage horses
in the world. Under rider Laura Bechtolsheimer he won the team silver medal and
the individual bronze medal at the 2009 European Championships in Windsor. Vanja
was then bought back to Sweden and is now the dam of the double Breeders Trophy
winner Virtuos (by Amiral) and the dam’s dam of Vampyr (by Corrado WL) that has
placings in S class dressage.
More
of Spinda at Flyinge
This amazing success story began here at Flyinge. Today Flyinge has a
6-year old mare, Diana (by Quite Easy) that competed in Scandinavian Open under
rider Peter Eriksson and a few younger sisters of hers by Etrusco and Al
Cantino. Hopefully, among these young mares there will be one that will carry
the almost century old tradition here at Flyinge into the next generation. To
all of you that have nice performance mares out of the Spinda mare line; it is
a well known fact among many of the more experienced breeders that the key to
success in breeding is a strong, potent mare line. This is especially true when
the mare and the stallion both are out of the same line. If the type and traits
seem to match; why not breed your good jumping mares with Feliciano?
Good luck in your breeding endeavour!
Quote 1
"Anyone that has been in contact with a horse from the Spinda mare line
(F2) knows that the ambition and spirit is a trademark of all the individuals
from this mare line."
Quote
2
"Hopefully, among these young mares there will be one that will carry
the almost century old tradition here at Flyinge into the next generation."