In a breeder’s career, the pursuit of genetic improvement is, or should be, a constant. We start from a point and generation after generation, we try to get the optimal product, the one that contains all the characteristics that will make it, in our eyes, the horse par excellence. A difficult goal, indeed very difficult, because despite any good will, economic efforts and those that derive from experience, knowledge and perseverance, genes in nature tend to associate themselves as they want.
Now each breeder aims at his own purpose and looks for different characteristics in his product: the rideability, the correctness of the model, the good looks, the movements, the gentle temperament, the sporting characteristics etc. Therefore, according to the ranking that each breeder gives to these characteristics, different crosses will be sought.
Personally, I tend to privilege the sporting qualities of technique, power, scope, agility, a fighting spirit, accepting on the other hand some less in the temperament or in the rideability. In practice I try to best fix the genes of the sporting characteristics rather than the beautiful model or other.
I recently talked about CANTARA mare line (Cantus x Landego x Mowgli x Majestic xx) - 46.29% of blood.
CANTARA was a big mare, with elastic movements, powerful and with a not particularly sociable temperament and her production was at a great level with 2 sons jumping in 1.60m level and 2 in 1.45m and 1.40m level.
To lighten her, we covered her with CONTENDRO I, a stallion who, while not always putting all the power, carried athletic horses with a beautiful jumping technique. We thus obtained CAMILLA CSG (Contendro I x Cantus x Landego x Mowgli) - 42.38% blood.
CAMILLA CSG, while maintaining the not easy personality of the mother, is an athletic mare, with a more contained model, with elastic and pushing movements, a beautiful jumping technique and a great gallop, wide and strong.
To give her even more power and a positive mindset, we crossed her with KANNAN and we had JAPONICA CSG (Kannan x Contendro I x Cantus x Landego x Mowgli) - 39.06% blood.
JAPONICA CSG is endowed with a perfect jumping technique, a good temperament, an exceptional respect for obstacles and a great fighting spirit in competition. At the beginning she had a somewhat complicated gallop, KANNAN type to be clear, but that was resolved with growth and work.
Having achieved what was a very satisfying result for us, we did not look for a stallion with particular characteristics for her, but simply a top-level performer in order to establish her sporting skills. We then covered her at 3 years old with EMERALD VAN'T RUYTERSHOF.
JAPONICA CSG, at the age of 8, is currently engaged in cat. 1.45m RK and we expect an important evolution.
4th generation of CANTARA line continues with NATA PRIMA CSG (Emerald x Kannan x Contendro I x Cantus x Landego x Mowgli) - 38.87% blood.
NATA PRIMA CSG, currently 4 years old, has maintained all the sporting prerogatives of the line: power, great respect, strong but balanced character, elastic and pushing movements, great gallop and scope.
Since, as we have said, the genes cross independently, the filly has a powerful physique and while maintaining great agility, we decided to lighten her by covering, with the ICSI technique, with CORNET DU LYS, which should lighten her in the model.
Currently in her first work, she will be put into sport as soon as she is ready.
As is evident to all, in the various generational passages, the blood percentages have lowered while remaining within decidedly high ranges if we take into account, for example, that the great FOR PLEASURE, one of the stallions who have marked the history of the modern horse both in sport that in reproduction, has a blood percentage of 32.23%.
However, since I believe that blood is a fundamental element for equestrian sport growth, for endurance, combativeness, energy, etc. for the next generations, stallions will be chosen with a blood supply such as to bring the levels as close as possible to 45%.
