Westfalien breeders, Heinrich and Wilhelm Strunk, produced two of Isabell Werth’s stars, the 2018 WBFSH third ranked Emilio (by Ehrenpreis out of a mare by the Anglo Arab, Cacir) AND the fourth ranked Bella Rose (Belissimo and out of another daughter of Cacir aa). Both these stars descend from the founding mare of the family’s breeding program – Pik Dame – by the great Pilatus (who carries on his dam side the invaluable blood of Duellant) out of an Allerhand mare.
I am informed by the Westfalien Verband’s enormously helpful, Studbook editor, Sarah Schaller, that the official breeder of the two horses is ZG Strunk which consists of Wilhelm Strunk, his wife Heike Strunk and his brother Heinrich Strunk. The brothers have been breeding together for a while and added Heike to the team several years ago. The ZG stands for ‘Zuchtgemeinschaft’, which could be translated as ‘breeding alliance’.
Wilhelm and Heike Strunk
Sarah sent me this examination of the damline of Bella Rose and Emilio which comes from the book, Zucht-schätze – Bedeutende Stutenfamilien in Westfalen by Franz-Josef Neuhaus.
The damline of these two top Westfalien dressage horses originates in the Strunk family’s foundation mare Pik Dame by Pilatus out of Astrid by Allerhand. The Strunk brothers Heinrich and Wilhelm bought this chestnut mare as a three-year-old and she was awarded the State Premium title at the Elite-Show. She stayed with the Strunks for 25 years before she died at age 28 in 1999. Her sire Pilatus is a well-known foundation sire in Westphalia, as he produced not just one but two legendary stallions – Pilot and Polydor.
Pik Dame, the foundation mare
Pik Dame’s first daughter Comtess by Carrera became a highly influential broodmare at the Strunks’ yard in Bochum. Comtess was covered by the renowned Frühlingsball several times. The pairing produced state stud stallions Francisco I and Francisco II. In between a filly foal of that pedigree was bred and later named Franziska. Franziska is the granddam of Bella Rose. She was covered by the Anglo-Arab Cacir and delivered among others, Bella Rose’s dam Cedra II.
Pilot, another product of this line
Pik Dame herself was covered by Frühlingsball and produced an exceptional show jumper from this pairing. The chestnut Feiner Kerl was one of Nick Skelton’s top horses in the 80s. The pair won international Grand prix classes. Feiner Kerl’s full-sister Flair remained in the breeding yard of the Strunk family and became the mother to yet another Cacir AA-filly foal, namely Celina. Celina is the dam of Isabell Werth’s second Westphalian in the top ten of the world: Emilio by Ehrenpreis. As well, Celina produced the licensed brothers Fiderglanz I and II.
Today the Strunks are focussing on dressage breeding only and are operating on a slightly smaller scale than they used to, nevertheless, the qualities of the damline have been established further in the broodmares and the emphasised characteristics like ridability and basic gaits were maintained well. Today the yard keeps thoroughly selected and carefully planned broodmares to maintain this successful damline with the aim of producing further top horses like of Bella Rose and Emilio.
Cacir AA, the Anglo Arab
I was also intrigued about the dam sire for both – Cacir AA, again Sarah was able to fill the gap…
Rohdiamant, another dressage star from the Inschallah line
The Anglo-Arab Cacir originated in France, and was born in 1981. He was moved to the Westfalien/Rhinelandian breeding area, while his older half-brother, the grey Inschallah AA by Israel, was quite influential in Oldenburg breeding, and is well-known for siring Elektia V, mother to Rohdiamant and Royal Diamond.
Inschallah AA
The dam of Cacir and Inschallah, Resena was a daughter of Nithard out of an Infante dam. Cacir was quite popular during his years at the Gevelsberg station from 1989 to 1996, a local branch of the Northrhine-Westfalien state stud right at the Rhinelandian/Westphalian border. At that time, he covered naturally, so the number of mares he covered was limited. Despite several promising offspring he was sold after standing just a few years. During the time he was available in Gevelsberg the Strunk brothers were convinced of the stallion’s quality. Heinrich Strunk remembers the excellent constitution and fine gaits of the stallion, which he passed to his progeny. The Strunk brothers always focused on ridability in their breeding decisions and with Cacir they found a good match for their mares to pursue their breeding goals further. They brought several mares to Gevelsberg and appreciated Cacir standing at stud there.
Isabell and Emilio
Isabell and the lovely Bella Rose