Stallion Rankings in Hanover

At the end of every year all computers are running at full capacity at Verden’s data centre on Lindhooper Street. Performance data from a variety of disciplines are being entered. With this information the program computes the up-to-date breeding values for stallions, which deliver an overview of the hereditary tendencies of individual stallions. Dr. Ludwig Christmann reports about interesting developments for the Hanoverian stallions:
There are two different estimation procedures for stallions used in the Hanoverian breed. On the one hand there is the integral breed value estimation of the German Equestrian Federation, probably the most extensive estimation procedure world-wide. It incorporates information from mare and stallion performance tests, as well as horse show results divided into preparation classes and other competitions.

All information that is accessible nation-wide is included, as well as the results of mare performance tests from other breeds. The Holstein producers Acord a and Acorado are good examples. They produced not only offspring for the Hanoverian breed but also for the Holstein population.
The second procedure is the Hanoverian breed value estimation, which delivers specific information for the areas of type/riding horse attributes, foundation, dressage and jumping. This is based on the evaluations of the daughters at mare inspections and mare performance tests, as well as the evaluation of the horses that are presented for participation at Verden’s auction program. The offspring of an individual sire is compared to the standard of the Hanoverian population alone and not to the German average as it is done in the integral breed value estimation of the German Equestrian Federation.

EXPECTED WITH EXCITEMENT
This year we expect newcomers to feature in the group of dressage producing sires. Established sires still hold the lead, Don Primero, Donnerhall and Weltmeyer. Their breed values are hard to catch up with. Don Primero will return to Lower Saxony this breeding season. He will stand at stud at the Station Schockemöhle. This son of Donnerhall established himself some time ago outside our region. He produced top performers for Hanover, for instance two Young Horse World Champions, Cherie and Dimaggio, as well as this year’s Bundeschampion in the division for five-year old dressage horses, Dynamico.

Wolkentanz II represented by eleven offspring is the newcomer with the highest dressage breeding value, 155. The individual breed values, which can be studied in the Hanoverian Yearbook Stallions, clearly show that this son of Weltmeyer passes on to his offspring outstanding trot mechanics and very good rideability, but also a weakness in the walk. His type as an inheritable trait is valued as exceptional. Only Caprimond surpasses his score of 176 for riding horse points.
The dressage breeding value of the sire Del Piero (Donnerhall/Matcho AA) is only two points less than Wolkentanz. He is stationed at the Breeding Farm Pape. He has successfully proven his dressage qualities by becoming the five-year old Bundeschampion dressage horse in 1998, as well as winning numerous more difficult dressage classes (S-level dressage) himself. The highlights of his inheritable traits are his walk and his high rideability scores, while he appears to pass on to his offspring only average type.

With excitement we expect the breeding values of the stallions Londonderry and Rotspon, which are the same age. Over the past years these stallions have greatly influenced the Hanoverian breed. State stud sire Londonderry leads the way with his first group of offspring that were evaluated. Overall he has high values for passing on all dressage attributes, but especially for producing type (score 160).
In the integral breed value estimation of the German Equestrian Federation he ranked even higher. Together with Del Piero he places behind Don Schufro and Münchhausen with the third best breed value. With a score of 137 in the Hanoverian breed value estimation and a score of 147 from the German Equestrian Federation, Rotspon is also valued far above average. The strength of his descendants is rideability. In addition, many of his daughters showed talent in the free-jumping chute. The other breed values were also far beyond average.
The following young dressage horse producers are published for the first time in the new Hanoverian Yearbook Stallions. They too were valued very highly: Daidalos, the sire of the Bundeschampion Dresemann, was actually only available to a very limited number of mares; Welt Hit II by Weltmeyer; Rohdiamant’s brother Royal Diamond, an exceptional performer himself; and Welser by Wolkenstein II

Stakkato at the top
Once again Stakkato is Germany’s highest valued jumping horse producer. He has the highest breed values in both breed value estimations, the German Equestrian Federation as well as the Hanoverian. The show successes of the offspring still do not have a high impact on the values at all. We only hope that the high expectations in this son of Spartan will come true in the show ring. It is interesting that Stakkato’s dressage breeding value is also classified slightly above average. The breeding values do show that he does not produce the type that we are looking for, and therefore he needs to be bred to elegant mares.

According to the Hanoverian breed value estimation, Graf Top by Graf Grannus, standing at stud at the Federal Breeding Station Süstedt, made the largest leap forward with a score of 171, largely because of his offspring presented for participation at Verden’s auction program. Until now more descendants were presented for auctions than for mare performance tests. In the pedigrees of Stakkato and Graf Top, and the also highly valued sire Laptop, we find the dam Steingilde by Steinpilz, the founder of an incredibly strong performance line. The quality of the inheritable traits of the sire Graf Grannus are clearly visible, which not only placed Graf Top in the top list but also the debutantes Ginsberg and Goodman.
Another newcomer, who unfortunately retired far too early, is Landclassic, the most popular sire at the Station Ehlers during his time as a producer. Furthermore, two Holstein stallions were valued highly, Acorado from the Stable Hell, who also produced type, and Lordanos from the Station Sosath.

GOOD TYPES
The already mentioned producers Wolkentanz II, Londonderry and Welser reached the top group also as producers of type. It is encouraging that more and more jumper producers also attract attention because of their good type. This year Acorado and Landjonker are added to the top list.
It is especially hard for the classic refining breeds, for instance English Thoroughbred, Anglo-Arab or Arab, in the breed value estimation compared to stallions from typical riding horse breeds, which have been selected for centuries now because of their dressage or jumper ability. It is gratifying that nation-wide the highest valued refining stallions for dressage horse breeding are standing or stood at stud in the area of Hanover and are for the most part still available for breeding.

In the integral breed value estimation of the German Equestrian Federation the proven stallion Prince Thatch xx received the highest evaluation with a score of 148. He is stationed at the state owned Breeding Station Süstedt. He is followed by the equally successful sire Lauries Crusador xx with a score of 138. He received his best valuation from competition. The proven sire Matcho AA is valued quite highly too with a score of 137, but he retired from breeding a few years ago. Next to follow is Sunlight xx by Tarim xx. He made quite a statement at the last stallion licensing in Verden. We wish that he was in greater demand at the Breeding Station Jonetat. His integral breed value is 134. All these stallions are also ranked high in the Hanoverian breed value estimation.
In the breeding value for jumpers, Thoroughbred stallions have a very hard time. None of the refining sires reached a score of 130 in the integral breed value estimation. Ussuri, a sire stationed in Mecklenburg, was ranked highest with a score of 123. The French Anglo-Arab Monsieur reached the same score. He is stationed at the State Stud Warendorf. The Thoroughbred stallion Heraldik xx, stationed in Baden-Wuerttemberg and in high demand with Hanoverian jumper horse breeders, received a score of 123 in the Hanoverian breed value estimation. On national level he received a score of 108, which still makes him an interesting refining sire for jumper horse breeding.
In retrospect, Thoroughbred stallions are of great importance in the breeding of modern riding horses. We now must think about how we can do these sires justice in the breed value estimation.

THM Commentary

How can this horse....
Wousselt - born in 1982 by Wenzel out of a mare by Duft II
Has produced 29 dressage competitors (2 to advanced) and 11 jumpers (none advanced) for total progeny earnings of Euro 41,630.

Rate above this horse?
Brentano II – born in 1983, by Bolero out of a mare by Grande. Has produced 314 dressage competitors (16 advanced) and 70 jumpers (2 advanced) for winnings of Euro 296,375
As you can see from the comparison above, there are some strange discrepancies in the ratings where a nothing stallion like Wousselt can rate above a great sire like Brentano II… so I put the question to the author of this analysis, Ludwig Christmann:
How can we take seriously the FN - even the Hanoverian - breeding rankings when unproven sires, e.g. Munchhausen or Drakdream (who or what is Drakdream?) on the FN list, Daidalos or Woodstock on the Hanoverian list are given higher rankings than a stallion like Brentano II who has sired internationally successful Grand Prix performers, whose sire has produced Grand Prix performers, and who is a very successful sire of broodmares? Can we take seriously a system that ranks Wousselt higher than Brentano II?
Again, in the jumping rankings, Stakkato was a very successful horse at the Bundeschampionate, and he has been moderately successful in open jumping competition, but none of his progeny have competed with any great degree of success - surely this is the task of a stallion, to breed performers, not to be a performer himself. How can Stakkato rank above a stallion like For Pleasure who has not only competed at the top, but has already produced Grand Prix performers? It seems crazy that two unproven young stallions - Conterno Grande and Stakkato - should rank above a proven stallion in Carthago Z. Those two may prove to be great stallions in the future, but must do so on the basis of the performance of their foals - not statistical trickery?
Dr Christmann replies:
You raise some very interesting questions.
It is one aim of the breeding evaluation system, to make older, already proven stallions comparable to young stallions. The biggest amount of information for the breeding values come from the young horse classes. The FN system collects all available data from stallion performance tests, mare performance tests, young horse classes in competition and the “real” show classes.
The number of Grand Prix horses, especially in dressage, is very small and their contribution to the breeding values is very little, especially as always some horses are starting under foreign riders (e.g. Brentina in the case of Brentano II) and so only a small number of successes are considered for the breeding values.
It is important that the young horse classes are good enough so they can be an indication for possible future successes in higher classes. To find this out, there were several pieces being written, calculating the genetic correlations between different sources of information. Dr Axel Brockmann from the State Stud in Celle for example did such a work. He found out that the genetic correlation between these sources of information is close enough and that the young horse classes are a good indication for the genetic potential of a horse.
This is information that we get when the first offspring are between four and six of age. We cannot wait until they are starting at Grand Prix level.
The rankings, however, do not make too much sense. The system is not precise enough to say that a stallion with a breeding value of 150 points is really better than a stallion with 145 points. Important for me is that both stallions probably belong to the 5% best of their age group. Then it depends also on the individual mare, which stallion is more suitable in the individual case. To make the data that is available more transparent to breeders, we publish other information in our Stallion Yearbook. We have the chart with the results of progeny in competition, where everybody can see very clearly how many offspring made the step-up to higher classes in show-jumping or in dressage.