Don Bosco

[DownYonder]

Has anyone on this forum bred to the Donnerhall son Don Bosco? What did you think about the foal? And how was the semen?

[Sunnydays]

I have not bred to Don Bosco, so can't help there, but do have a Don Bosco mare of whom I'm very fond.
For what it's worth, I've heard from German breeders that he seems to work best with a mare who has TB or other such refinement in her pedigree.
For Example, licensing champion Don Crusador was from a Lauries Crusador xx dam.

[alexandra]

Kareen has used him and values him a lot. You may see some offsping on her homepage www.germanhorseconnection.com under sold or even still sale and mare band.
He is/was not used too much due to the fact that he was first privately owned.

[Kareen]

That's right. We have had 6 Don Bosco's altogether. He did great things to my mareband's topline and I can say altogether they have turned out all very nice.
This one is 12 this season and took the last year off but is reported to be back in training he won a BC qualifier in Legelshurst as a 6yo (they didn't send him though as they mainly bought him for their junior daughter) and went on winning up to Inter II in dressage. The kid and he placed themselves 4 years in a row in the Baden-Württemberg championships as well as the Preis-der-Besten in Warendorf and love each other dearly (she is now a Young Rider). This boy sticks at 1.78 m (dam being 1,70) and was a very early starter (won at L-level as a 4yo already, survived an elite auction, had his 1st S-level placing as a 7yo, never until last year took time off from work so overall a very good citizen)...

http://www.germanhorseconnection.com/main.php/en/details/00896

This one here (the second 1998 model) was approved at Verden and finished 7th at the BC in eventing as a 5yo. Also did Young horse classes in dressage and jumping despite his hitting a bit of a management disaster which ultimately led to him suffering a few fractured bones and nearly dying from an abscessed tooth. Luckily he returned to full soundness and is today on lease in Scotland. First Scottish foals to be expected in the spring. His oldest progeny are jumping around here in Germany (he had only a few mares mostly owned by his previous owner) at 4'3'' by now one of his daughters won Rhineland's lose jumping championship over a few approved stallions.

http://www.germanhorseconnection.com/main.php/en/details/00048

The filly from that year I retained for our mareband. She went SPS, was invited to the Bruxelles European Mareshow and has thus far produced 5 foals, her oldest daughter being SPA and retained now after coming back to us.

http://www.germanhorseconnection.com/main.php/en/details/00030

From the others one sold within Germany and is today in a non-showing home, two are in the US as hunters one is in Spain as a dressage horse and show jumper. Let me know if you have any specific questions I can certainly say I've seen and sat on many other Don Boscos beside our own.

[DownYonder]

Thanks, all for the info.

Kareen - I assume you used fresh semen for your breedings. Do you know of anyone that has used his frozen with success? I understand that it was quite unreliable a few years ago, but I heard somewhere that they were changing the processing/packaging (maybe more straws per dose - ?). I would love to know if there have been successes with the frozen since then.

[Peg]

I would love to know that, too. I have had him on my wishlist for years. Anyone? Peg

[Kareen]

Back when ours were 'made' he was standing at stud locally live cover but he has been switched to fresh chilled and frozen ever since he was at Celle and fertility with fresh chilled is known to be very good with him. Can not say anything about the frozen but if Celle keeps him in the frozen programme it must be working fine.
The one with the fer5tility problems in the beginning was Don Crusador. Problem was resolved though he (DC) seems to be one of the stallions who have maintained a solid demand going by the number of foals we see here.

[Oakstable]

Live cover? Are stallions available LC other than if that's the only way the mare will get in foal? I'm asking about stallions in general.

TIA

[Kareen]

Totally depends on the stallion. DB was privately owned at that point (still is if I am not mistaken, I'm unaware Celle ver purchased him). There are quite a lot of private small scale ownerships who will chose livecover. Most stallions in use by AI never get the number of mares that would exceed their live cover capacities so their owners don't bother. Souvenir was live cover when I used him too and switched to AI after. I seem to specialize in hitting stallions before an upswing in their careers. Lucky me.
Our Hohensteins (born in 96 and 97) cost us 600 resp. 800 DM each studfee and today the old man is 1350.- Euro *eek*
I remember Donnerhall was the most expensive stallion I ever convinced my father to use and was 1.700 DM when we had our first foal by him *sigh*. Gone are the days...