ULFT

Text by Henk Bouwman - Photos Jacob Melissen

It was in January 1981, when the three year old, and until then, un-named bay stallion, Ulft was baptized with the name of the village in the Guelders county.

He was a comparatively small colt, standing just 16 hands, with 8.25 inches of bone, but his movements in hand were superb. He showed an almost perfect driving action of his hindlegs - but his total appearance failed to impress the judges sufficiently for him to be ranked in the top group of colts.

At that time, the newly selected colts were ranked in two groups, depending on their quality. Twelve colts were placed in the first group - all of which have disappeared. The last one was the French bred, Ursus. He died in 1993, but the majority had disappeared after their performance test, or after their first four years at stud. Who remembers the names of Uithof, Tigrato, Unyx, Ubbo, Umberto, Utewaal and Uitblinker, nowadays? Yet they were the 'stars' of that totally forgotten first quality colt group of fifteen years ago!

In the second quality group there were 17 young stallions, listed by the judges, of whom there are only five at stud! The former showjumper, Olympic Treffer (in Italy), Utrecht in Holland but only licensed by the British Studbook, AES, and finally - Ulft, Uniform and Triton in regular service in the KWPN (Dutch Warmblood) Studbook. As Triton had been selected in the 'last chance' show, and therefore not listed in any quality group at all, you may consider the 'keur' stallion Ulft, and his 'preferent' colleague, Uniform, are the last survivors from the year of the letter 'U'.

(The title Keur is awarded to a stallion with excellent performance and breeding results, if his oldest offspring are at least six year olds. The title 'preferent' is awarded to a stallion no sooner than two years after becoming 'keur' if his offspring have excellent performance and breeding results.)

After the performance test, where he finally succeeded in taking fourth place, Ulft started his career. In 1981, when he was bred to only one mare because by the time his performance test was completed, the breeding season was nearly over. In the following years, he served some 1,730 mares, an annual average of 123 matings. Actually his popularity is decreasing as his sons are taking over family duties more and more.

Out of his 1,250 foals, six sons have been licensed: Boston, Conveyer, Dublin, Dukaat, Fair Play and Ferro. Dublin and Ferro are still at stud in Holland and they have both already paid just tribute to their sire's heritage by delivering grandsons into the breeding scene. Izmir and Juventus (by Dublin) and Kennedy (by Ferro) are the coming sires. Ferro (sired in 1987, by Ulft out of a mare by the Holsteiner stallion, Farn out of a grand-dam by the Hanoverian, Prefekt) is one of the most popular stallions in Holland.

The KWPN authorities have always had the greatest confidence in this lineage. Ulft has a high reliability of heritability (91%) in jumping and has dressage ability as well.

No wonder Ulft has succeeded - look at his proven parentage! Out of true Guelderland working stock, mixed with the athletic genes of famous Thoroughbreds like Man'O'War, Bahram, Roi Hérode, and - mark that magic name - Furioso.

In Australia, Ulft's most famous representative was Gullilt, who was trained in Australia to Grand Prix by Matthew Dowsley before being sold to the United Kingdom and who competed for Britain under Carl Hester at the Sydney Olympic Games.