1991 – 2020 166 cm Black
Breeder: Allmer Koop
Escudo I has died in his paddock at the age of 29.
Despite the fact that he bred one genuine jumping super-star in Embassy II, who is credited with winnings of €1,128,147, and one moderate star, Enorm, who took home €346,208, most of his progeny were honest toilers, with a nice jumping style, pleasant movement and good confirmation. Still he produced 24 horses that won over €15,000 in competition.
Perhaps had he been promoted as a sire of eventers, he might have been more successful, certainly his son, Embassy I is the sire of a genuine eventing superstar in the form of Ingrid Klimke’s mare, Escada FRH.
Ingrid and Escada – superstar
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Escudo carries the name of an antique Spanish gold coin and follows in the footsteps of his father Espri and his grandfather Eiger I. Celle state stud stallion Escudo I was crowned Hanoverian Stallion of the Year 2009.
The handsome black stallion was born on Allmer Knoop’s farm on May 23, 1991. Heinz Katt from Bremervoerde raised Escudo I and presented him at the Stallion Licensing in Verden in 1993 where he already displayed his talent. He shone over the jumps and was one of the Lot I-stallions that moved to the Celle State Stud. One year later, he was the champion at the stallion performance test in Adelheidsdorf with a jumping score of 144.9 points and was honoured with the Freiherr von Stenglin-Prize as best stallion of his age-group. Since that time, he has been registered with the Hanoverian Jumper Breeding Program.
Farmer Allmer Knoop purchased Escudo’s dam, state premium mare Athene by Arkansas/Woermann, at the age of two. She derives from the dam line of Notrada that originated in 1899 on the farm of the Battelmann family in Nesse. The bay mare was very successful at shows, including the prestigious Louis Wiegels-Show.
Escudo’s one-year younger full brother Escudo II was the winner at the Stallion Licensing in 1994 while the one year older Erik won advanced level jumper classes with Florian Meyer zu Hartum. Escudo II has not been as successful as his older brother as a sire.
Apart from his breeding career, Escudo I was also a successful competition horse. He won the Hanoverian Show Jumping Championships at Dobrock under Joachim Winter in 1996, and he became Vice Bundeschampion in Warendorf, followed by various successes up to advanced level. Winter fondly remembers, “He is my friend and I am very grateful to him. When it mattered he became better and better and eventually won the silver medal.” Escudo can boast 65 wins up to S-level showjumping and lifetime earnings of €14,187.
Escudo I passes on his show jumping scope and brilliant type to his offspring. “His progeny are easy to recognize”, says Joachim Winter, “They are all fighters with expressive heads, careful over the jumps.”
As of the 2021 Hanoverian Stallion book, he has produced 766 competitors with winnings of €3,445,289. 181 of them were dressage horses, with five going to S level. There have been 698 jumpers with 130 S level, and 38 eventers.
The winner of over a million – Embassy II
Escudo I has been one of the best German stallions on the breed value rankings for years.
On the 2021 FN values he scores 131 for young jumpers and 125 on the new highest level achieved rankings. 87 for young dressage horses, and 69 for highest level achieved. His 2021 Hanoverian value for dressage is 60, but 136 for jumping, and 127 for type.
450 Escudo I-daughters are registered with the Hanoverian Society, 104 of them were awarded state premium mare status.
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He has 26 licensed sons. The Celle state stud stallions Earl and El Bundy won their stallion performance tests, just like their sire, and Embassy I is one of the most popular Hanoverian show jumping stallions.
Escudo I continues the old Hanoverian E-bloodline with his prepotency, and he was of tremendous importance for the modern jumper horse breed. “He sires excellently fighting progeny with lots of show jumping scope,” the manager of the Celle National State Stud, Dr. Axel Brockmann, says.
