Baloubet du Rouet
Born 1989, 173 cm
Breeder - L. Fardin

Approved: Selle Français, Belgian Warmblood, Holstein and Hannover
Like his sire, Galoubet, Baloubet du Rouet was first and foremost a star in the competition ring. Galoubet ridden by Gilles-Bertran de Ballanda, was a member of the mighty French showjumping team for many years – while his son has been the mainstay of the Brazilian team, with Rodrigo Pessoa, in a career that has even out-shone that of his sire!
Baloubet was a finalist in the French Showjumping Championships as a six year old, and at the age of seven became French showjumping champion. At the age of nine, the chestnut stallion teamed up with young Rodrigo, and the pair of them proceeded to win three World Cup Finals in a row, 1998, 1999, 2000, and narrowly missed out of a fourth in 2001!
As a stallion, Baloubet’s influence extends right across Europe. Although he commenced his career in France, he is now very popular in Germany, Belgium and Holland as well, and his sons are represented in numerous breed societies.
Baloubet’s story begins in rural France, at Juilley, between Avanches and Rennes, when Louis Fardin senior, purchased his ‘Grand Rouet’ farm in 1920. Back then his horses were honest toilers in the field not sporthorses. It wasn’t until his son, Louis took over the farm that thoughts turned to performance horse breeding, and in the sixties, he purchased his first sporthorse broodmare, and with his first try, struck gold.
The mare was Perle de Norval, born in 1959, by the Thoroughbred, Rantzau out of Hautesse by Bouton d’Or out of Rigolette, a half Thoroughbred mare by Vingt Mai.
Rigolette produced 13 foals, including Jivaty (born 1953) by Ultimate xx, who was the dam of Quidam V (1960, by Rantzau) who competed in all three disciplines for Italy. Jivaty bred to Ibrahim produced another international competitor, Norvale (1957) and mated with Bel Avenir, produced the Belgian international, Venise de Brion. Jivaty’s son, Arabel (1966, by Bel Avenir) became a state stud stallion.
Another daughter of Rigolette, Fabienne (born in 1949 and by either Hedjaz or Vert Galant) bred to the famed Thoroughbred, Furioso, produced Futuro (1966) who stood at Ludwig Kathmann’s stallion station in Oldenburg. Futuro is best known as the sire of Liz Edgar’s star of the early 80’s – Forever, winner of the Grand Prix and Nations Cup at Aachen, and twice winner of the Hickstead Grand Prix.
Yet another daughter of Rigolette, Hautesse (1951, by Bouton d’Or) had two foals by the Thoroughbred, Rantzau (best known outside of France as the sire of Cor de la Bryère) Quolobet IV who was a serviceable competitor, and M. Fardin’s pearl, Perle de Norval.
When purchased, Perle de Norval was in foal to Rêveur, and produced the filly Aurore du Rouet, and the suffix was used for the first time.
Perle de Norval produced 13 foals, two became State Stallions, Gandin (1972, by Nankin) and Kiva du Rouet (1976, by Et Hop AA), although neither made much of an impact. She produced two competent performers in Hilda (1973, by Nankin) and Lutin (1977, by Quastor) however her two most important foals were Badine (the only one without the suffix) born in 1967 by Bel Avenir, and Milady du Rouet, born in 1978 and by Quastor.
It was Milady’s first foal, Quatoubet, who put ‘Grand Rouet’ on the European breeding map. Ridden by Roger-Yves Bost, Quatoubet was second in the Aachen Grand Prix, before being campaigned by Nelson Pessoa, and ending his career with the young Olivier Guillon. Quatoubet won over a million French francs before retiring to the life of a state stud stallion. Quatoubet with limited opportunities has produced two international performers, Flanagan, with Laurent Goffinet and Ivoire and François Mathy.
Louis Fardin had become a shareholder in the stallion, Galoubet A, and bred to him, Milady produced Caloubet du Rouet (1990) who was an international star with Jean-Marc Nicolas, before enlisting in the service of the state, and retiring to stud.
In all, Milady produced 18 foals before retiring in 2002.
Her full-sister, Bardine, produced 20 foals, eight at the studfarm of Philippe Dugué who purchased her in 1984. She produced some fine broodmares, and worthy competitors in all three disciplines, but her place in history rests with her daughter, Mésange de Rouet, the dam of Baloubet.
Mésange, born in 1978, is by the Rantzau son, Starter, and is therefore linebred to Rantzau. Starter was out of Kaironnaise by Jus de Pomme. He is described by Jean Delannoy, in the Annuaire du Cheval de Sport et d’Elevage 2000 (for information on this invaluable French annual breeding guide, in French and English, contact river@magic.fr ) ‘slightly flat, his and hocks were curbed, but he was very chic, had an excellent pedigree, and possessed magnificent hindquarters with excellent thigh descent. He was not only a very good stallion, but was also a remarkable sire of dams (Ranked 3rd in 1986-87-95, 1st in 1988-89-93 and 4th in 1990-94).’
Mésange was herself a successful competitor in 4 and 5 year old competition. Her first foal, Unadore du Rouet, was by Eric Navet’s Olympic jumper, J’T’Adore. Unadore was a good sport horse with Jean-Marc Nicolas and Olivier Guillon.

Starter

Mésange had a foal every three years. The next one was Baloubet by Starter, followed by his full sister, El Ira du Rouet, Mésange’s only daughter, who became a brood mare.
(for this history of the maternal line of Baloubet, I am indebted to Marc Verrier, whose excellent article, A Miracle of line breeding, appeared in the December 04/January 05 edition of Z magazine. For info - www.zangersheide.com )

Nelson Pessoa and Baloubet in the 6 year old class at Fontainebleau in 1995

Nelson Pessoa carefully brought along Baloubet on the French stallion circuit for Young Horses, winning the 7 year old stallion test at Fontainebleau in 1997 before gently beginning international competition. He decided to give the horse to his son Rodrigo – not that the gift was much appreciated!
According to Rodrigo: “When I saw Baloubet getting out of the lorry I said to myself ‘what on earth is that thing?’ He was gangling and uncoordinated. We made him jump but no more, he was too green. The next day, just to clear our conscience we had another look at him. Well I did, because my father insisted. And I was stunned. All the mistakes he had been making the day before had vanished. He had been thinking things over in the night, and had found the answers. It was unbelievable. A really unusual intelligence which is still working well for me today in competition.”
(quoted in Galoubet A, The Cultural Revolution, by Pascal Renauldon, in Annuaire Monneron 2003 – for information on this French/English annual performance horse review, river@magic.fr or visit www.monneron.com).
Just one year later, Rodrigo and Baloubet won in Göteborg, Paris Bercy, Falsterbo and Donnaueschingen, and a remarkable career was underway. Although the horse may have had his disappointments, notably at the Sydney Games and Jerez WEG, two years later, in 2002, they are still going strong winning in Geneva, Calgary, Aachen, Hardenberg, Paris Bercy and Bordeaux.
Baloubet is already the sire of two stallions bred by Paul Schockemöhle – Balou Grande Z and Balou du Rouet. Balou Grande Z was the winner of the 30-day stallion test at Neustadt/Dosse in 2002.

As usual, there are dissenting voices. The famous Holstein breeder, Harm Thormählen tried Baloubet, and did not like the result: “My results with the French stallions have not been good – only good results with Quidam de Revel. We have better stallions in Holstein than France. Our clients want a modern type and a nice face with a big eye, and that is a problem with the French stallions. We tried with Pessoa’s Baloubet de Rouet, and the eyes for me are not clever enough, they have a stupid face, and I hate that. All my good horses had a big and very sensitive, clear eye. The foals by Baloubet were out of my best mares, but the face was not clever enough!”horses had a big and very sensitive, clear eye. The foals by Baloubet were out of my best mares, but the face was not clever enough!”

There may be argument over Baloubet the sire - but there is no doubting his extraordinary career as a competitor...