Spring 2004

Articles for this Issue

From Germany - Breeding Statistics Compared to US - 2003
From the USA - Mare Pregnancy Analysis & 5 Year Foal Data
From Vista Ridge Farm - Wonderful Hanoverian Foals - 2004

News from Vista Ridge Farm

After spending several nights over the past two months mare watching, we have had time in the wee hours of the morning to make changes to our web site and to improve the format and find data for the Newsletter. We hope that you enjoy the changes.

EM-SPA ALUETTE - Filly by Wolkentanz I on March 23

'WHITNEY' has the movement one hopes for when one breeds to Wolkentanz I, who is one of the top five Hanoverian stallions in the world. This uphill chestnut filly has an inquisitive and brave personality.

Aluette's first foal of 2000, PACIFIC PATINA was recently High Scoring Hanoverian and Reserve Champion at a 2004 USDF Sport Horse Show in Arizona. She had identical wins in the 2002 USDF Breeder's Championships Series Show in CA. We were also pleased to learn that Aluette's half sister High Value by Hohenstein scored an overall 8 at her inspection and 10's for walk and canter at her MPT with a score of 8.06. That makes all three fillies, out of Aluette's dam, States Premium and each with MPT scores of over 8 ... what a wonderful mare line.

SPS WORCESTER - Colt by Sandro Hit on April 22

"SENSATIONAL HIT" is dark bay or brown colt with no markings. A strong and very friendly fellow who loves life.

His sire, the sensational Sandro Hit had quite a year in 2003 at the auctions sales with Poetin selling for 2,500,000 and siring the top priced foals in the Netherlands and in England. In 2002, another foal sold in Germany for 250,000. His dam, SPS Worcester, was a Ratje-Niebuhr National Hanoverian Mare Show class winner and had an 8.33 on her Mare Performance Test with a 9.0 in the dressage scores.

Two-year old and Yearling Available for Sale

ALUETTE's 2002 handsome and laid back colt, WYETH, by Winterprinz has a superb trot and should mature to 17+ hands. Potential stallion prospect. Offered at $15,000.

EM TIRAMISU's yearling filly CAMASS by Contucci. CAMASS is an elegant, uphill filly with wonderful movement and a perfect 'C' star on her head. She was truly 'stamped' by her sire. This foal is for sale for $9,500 firm.

We have been very pleased with the previous two Contucci foals from Tiramisu; we have kept the 1999 foal to replace Jo Ann's riding horse and the 2000 gelding, Clipper, has been trained and is owned by a dressage instructor who is thrilled with his potential. Tiramisu is not in foal for 2004.

*************************************************************************

All these World Class Hanoverians are bred in the USA and may be seen our web site at www.foals.com. We also offer en-utero contracts for future foals by Fabuleux, Londonderry, Sandro Hit and Wolkentanz.

News from Germany

In this piece, we compare the 2003 Hanoverian Breeding Statistics from the German Verband Hannoverscher Warmblutzuchter and the American Hanoverian Society (including Canada).

Breeding Statistic Germany United States/Canada

Breeding Stallions 452 about 112 (includes Canada)

Number of Mares Covered 11,659 1,351 (active mares, unknown if bred)*

Number of Foals Registered 7,743 about 550

Stallions for Licensing Tests select ~100 8 (2 approved)

Licensing Sites 1 2 (3 Licensing Sites in 2004)

Stallions Performance Tested 70 2 (1 Approved - 2002 data)

Number of Perf. Test Locations 11 1 (every other year in Ohio)

Mares Studbook Inspected 2,187 274 (187 Hanoverian Mares)

Mares Performance Tested 1,114 72

Number of MPT Test Locations 37 28 (number of Inspection sites)

* In an AHS survey, 54.9% of samples mares (50.6%) were bred.

One might conclude from these comparisons that it is much more difficult to get a stallion prospect licensed and performance tested in the USA due to the distances and availability of test sites. It has been an observation of representatives of the Verband that the development of approved stallions in the US is probably the area of greatest weakness in the US Hanoverian breeding program.

News from the USA

A recent American Hanoverian Society survey, written up by Anne Schmidt, provided some interesting data on Mare Age Comparisons as it related to pregnancies.

MARE AGE % Pregnancies % Lost Pregnancies AVG. CYCLES

3 N/A 6.7% 1.25

4-6 96.0% 6.4% 1.69

7-12 78.5% 13.3% 1.56

13-18 82.0% 19.2% 1.67

19-23 57.9% 45.4% 2.00

In a recent report to the AHS Board, a five year history (1999-2003) of AHS foals was presented:

Number of Registered Foals - 1999-2003 2483 over last five years

Number Sired by AHS Stallion 2103 (85%)

Number Sired by Stallions in Germany 380 (15%)

Number of 380 by Frozen Semen 306 (12.3%)

Number of 380 imported en-utero 74 (2.7%)

Number of 306 Sired by Hanoverian Stallions 267 (10.7%)

Number of 306 by Verband Non-Hanoverians 39 (1.56%) (23 different sires)

Of the 47 (compared to 28 in 2002) highest scoring mares at the Mare Inspections (7.33 or better) in 2003, 23 were bred in North America.

www.foals.com

.