The annual “Canadian Inspection” tour took place in September in six Canadian provinces, supported by the members of the Canadian Hanoverian Society, who look after the breeders locally with two horse breeding associations in Eastern and Western Canada. This year’s trip led from Alberta in the west to Prince Edward Island in eastern Canada.
The West
In the course of studbook inspections and mare shows, a premium award was given in Alberta for the best mare at the inspection in Edmonton, at Spruceview Hanoverians. The four-year-old Dance Forever by Dancier Gold/For Romance (breeder/owner: Kyla McKinney, Edmonton, Alberta) was particularly impressive with her powerful trot with lots of impulsion and a good walk. At the foal show, breeder Kyla McKinney presented further foals of high quality. Two of them were awarded the Gold Medal. These included the champion foal by Damaschino out of Florebelle by Floriscount/Londonderry. The reserve winner, a colt by Feliciano, came directly from the granddam, the Londonderry/Rosentau mare London Reign. You could see the relationship between the two foals, as they were both very good in type, with a lot of impression and uphill movements. The pedigrees at the inspection in Calgary at Tartan Farms had a strong emphasis on jumping. The former Celle state stud stallions Viscount and Light My Fire have been used for breeding in Vancouver for several years, so that Canadian breeders also have access to fresh semen. In addition to some mare registrations, the focus here was on the foals. The winning foal and winner of the coveted Gold Medal of the District Society International was a foal by Viscount out of Elle Contessa by El Bundy/Contendro (breeder/owner: Chris & Tara Lambie, Rockview County, Alberta). Two years ago, Hann.Pr.A. Flirtation by Fabregas/Rotspon (breeder/owner: Helen Page, Headingley, Manitoba) was the champion mare at the show at Von Platen Farms in Camrose, Alberta. This year, the now five-year-old passed her mare performance test. The very noble dark chestnut mare received above-average marks for her rideability and walk and passed the performance test with a very good result. A new breeding community seems to be developing in Kelowna, in the south of British Columbia. A small inspection with studbook entries and foal registrations took place there for the first time. Nicely developed foals by Viscount/Windfall C.B. (Breeder/owner: Kirsten Brolin), Dimaggio Black (Sir Gregory (Breeder/owner: Kim Lawrence) and Spot Cash/Carrera (Breeder/owner: Megan Dalton) have been presented.
From Toronto to Quebec
Most of the breeders are located in Ontario and Quebec. For the first time at the Old Orchard Farm near the university town of Guelph, the largest show of the Canadian Horse Breeders Association for the east of the country took place over two days. Day one was dominated by the mares. Six mares passed their performance test and three of them were awarded the Hanoverian Premium as part of the show and award ceremony. The best mare in the test and champion mare of the show was the five-year-old Dolly Parton by De Niro out of Elli by Ehrentusch/Lauries Crusador xx (breeder: Bernhard von Boehn, Burgdorf, owner: Allie Schmidt, Campbelville, Ontario). Granddam Juli by Julio Mariner xx, bred to Beltano, produced the licensed stallion Balantines Finest (breeder: Hanke Eits, Wurster Nordseeküste), who is successfully shown in dressage tests up to advanced (S) level. The also five-year-old reserve winner Red Label by Rock Springs out of Santa Lucia by San Remo/Weltmeyer (breeder: Kai Ehlers, Freiburg, owner: Ferdinand Haupt, Hagersville, Ontario) is a full sister to the premium stallion Rockson (breeder: Kai Ehlers, Freiburg) and has also passed a very good test with particularly good rideability. As she already had a foal as a four-year-old, she is now a Hanoverian premium mare. On the second day, a foal show with 20 foals took place – a great number and a reward for the Canadian Hanoverian Breeding club to show their foals to the public, considering the great distances breeders have to travel. Two champion foals were particularly highlighted. The filly “So Bella” by So Unique out of Havanah by Harvard/Parabol (breeder/owner: Diane Creech, Caistor Centre, Ontario) won the dressage foal division, while the colt “Urano” won the jumping foal division. Urano is by Uricas v.d. Kattevennen out of Quintessential by Quintender/Federalist. Breeder Kristen Hillier, Grand Valley, Ontario, is herself successful with his dam in jumping competitions up to 145 cm. Granddam Flower Song by Federalist/Evergreen also produced the licensed and performance-tested eight-year-old stallion Copernicus WF by Clinton I, who is also successful in show jumping up to 135 cm with Kristen Hillier.
With a stop for foal registration at the Canadian Mounted Police, two further inspections took place near Ottawa and in Quebec. The four-year-old mare GG Top by Grey Top out of Quintana Z by Quilot/For Feeling (breeder/owner: Thorsten Koeppl, Kingston, Ontario) passed the best mare performance test at the inspection in Brockville at Porcipine Hill south of Ottawa, showing balanced performance in all criteria. In the French-speaking province of Quebec, a foal show was held at Samuel Jeanson’s Grand Coteau Stables, where eight foals were shown. A strong-moving filly by Glamourdale was the champion foal here and was awarded a gold medal (breeder/owner: Les Ecuries Elegance, Laval, Quebec). Dam Hann.Pr.C. Fan Mao de Lys by Franklin/Fürstenball did not carry the foal herself, but granddam Fani de Lys by Fürstenball/Floriscount was present. She took part in the final ring with her foal by Kjento (breeder: Ecurie B&M, St-Sebastien, Quebec).
“The Maritimes”
The tour concluded with the so-called “Maritimes”. There was no inspection here, but the breeders in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island were visited on-site and foals were evaluated. Hanoverian breeder and stallion owner Ruth Hanselpacker has been running a successful breeding station on Prince Edward Island for many years and offers fresh semen by the stallions Dauphin, Rockefeller and Rapture R. The former Celle state stud stallion Dauphin by Donnerhall/Feiner Stern had his last breeding season this year at the age of 25 and is now being retired in good health. There is a separate evaluation for the foals in the Maritimes. Out of over 20 foals, the winner here was the impressive colt Barrington by Belissimo M out of Florencia by Florencio/Weltmeyer bred and owned by Andrew Kielly & Virginia Cooke, Belfast, PEI. Dam Florencia was already placed in advanced level dressage at the age of seven before becoming a broodmare and producing six foals. The direct dam line also produced World Champion Don Martillo and numerous advanced (S) level dressage horses.
By Maren Schlender
