Lacapo

Born 1980, 16.21/4 hh
Breeder - Harm Thormählen

Lacapo comes from that great powerhouse of Holstein breeding, the farm of the family Thormählen where they have been breeding horses for 440 years. His father, Rheder Thormählen started breeding jumping horses after the Second World War, and Harm took over the yard in 1973. This has been the birthplace of many famous horses such as Capitol and Cera, and Harm Thormählen is regarded as one of the smartest jumping breeders in the world today.
“Two years ago we had a party – it was 440 years that this farm was in the family – always with horses,” Harm told me. “Here they used to work with horses always. They had to work very hard, the ground here is very special. If you try to plough one hour too late, then the ground is hard like cement. The horses had to work very hard.”
“In 1950 came the first tractor, and the mares went to the butcher – they no longer needed horses! But my father, Rheder Thormählen was interested in horses – after the war he was an international showjumper, and he dealt a lot of horses, this was his hobby. I don’t remember it myself, but Alwyn Schockemöhle told me, my father was one of the biggest dealers in Europe. His hobby was to buy international showjumpers, famous mares who were Grand Prix showjumpers, and 40/50 years later, comes the result from those famous mares. Even at that time, those mares were very expensive. We only breed for jumping on this farm.”
Lacapo is by the great Landgraf but out of one of the Thormählen mares – Larsa, who is by Capitano who is out of one of their greatest foundation mares, Retina.
Licensed in Holstein in 1982, Lacapo is warmly praised for his movement in the Stallion Book of the Holsteiner Breed, by Dr Dietrich Rossow: “Medium sized stallion with good expression and beautiful neck carriage. The shoulder could be more sloping. Small dip in the back. Short hip. Adequate bone with faults in the hocks and pasterns behind. Very good mover. Good jumper despite some difficulties with use of the back. Produce: Offspring of medium frame with beautiful faces and lots of appeal. Very good movers.”
The stallion stood at Siethwende in 1983, Sollwittfeld 1984-85 and Marne 1986. He produced three approved daughters but obviously did not set the world on fire… but in The Netherlands he was to found a dressage dynasty through his son, Flemmingh and his grandson, Krack C.