Dutch Horses Good European Sport Horsesand and Breeders

Dutch Horses From farm fields to dressage arenas, the trusty farm horses of Holland eventually helped develop the Dutch Warmblood. As modem-day farms became mechanised and horses were no longer needed to work the land, the innovative Dutch used the two lighter farm horses the Gelderlander and the Groningen to help establish a new Dutch horses breed. Equestrian sports were on the rise and the Dutch Horses chose to keep up with this new way of breeding and developed a sport horse of their own, the Dutch Warmblood. The two horses were perfect choices to use in building a sport horse: the Groningen provided the impressively strong hindquarters needed for jumping and collection, and the Gelderlander contributed a beautiful action highly desired for athletic endeavours. The Dutch Horses managed to breed a very successful horse within a short period of time.

Dutch Horses

Born in 1979, although bred in Hanover, Voltaire stands in the Netherlands (Haaksbergen). The son of Furioso II has Gotthard, one of the greatest jumping horse producers of all time, as his maternal grandfather. Unlike his father (a son of Furioso xx, who also figures in Jalisco B’s pedigree) Voltaire was active in the sport and highly successful. That he has the ability to pass his sporting talent on is witnessed in his offspring. His main propaganda earned through daughter Finesse (out of a mare by Gag xx). Nearly always there or thereabouts in the major Grands Prix, Finesse carried her long time owner Emile Hendrix to team silver and bronze medals at the European Championships in 1997 and 1999. Voltaire’s has a whole bunch of successful descendants including Vink Especiale, Concorde, Altair, Play It Again, El Campeons Quality Time and Kahlua. Voltaire has appeared in the Top Ten Sires Ranking since its inception.

Four positions in the top five at the jumping World Cup Final in Gotenburg were filled by stallions. Three of them are Dutch horses but none of them graded stallions- the winner Tinka’s Boy, Handel II and John E.M. The chestnut stallion Tinka’s Boy is a sport horse type. He appeared in his full finery, with the muscular body of an athlete at peak fitness. His bloodlines are much the same as many other successful KWPN horses as he is descended from a variety of good European sport horses. The Holsteiner Amor, Tinka’s Boy’s grandsire on his sire’s side, was imported to the Netherlands in the 1960s and has made great contributions to the breeding of Dutch horses.

Dutch Hores

On the side of his dam, Esprit, Tinka’s Boy is related to Anglo-Norman Zeus, born in 1972. He was loaned to Holland for a time, where he was known as Nurzeus. Then he was sent back to Oldenburg, where he continued his busy and successful breeding career. Last year, 892 of Zeus’s offspring were entered as competition horses in the German Breed Yearbook. The Dutch Horses 13 year old Zandor Z is the most successful of his offspring currently active on the circuit. Tinka’s Boy’s sire Zuidpool (born 1972),who is based in Holland, does not have such numerous and successful progeny.

Tinka’s Boy was taken to the United Kingdom as a young horse. He belonged to Nick Skelton, was ridden by Alison Bradley. Thanks to a tip-off from Willi Melliger, Tinka’s Boy ended up with his present rider, with whom he has made the big time on the international circuit. Tinka’s Boy won World Silver Medals for Switzerland in the individual and team competitions, followed by the Grand Prix in Monterey, which has one of the biggest purses in the world. Team Silver Medallist at the Sydney Olympics. The victory at the World Cup is the first major individual title which this combination has won.