Little girls dream of big, black stallions, but it was a big, black mare that stole Mary Alice Malone’s heart when she found her in the Netherlands. And Malone wasn’t the only one impressed with Rabiola–the mare took home the Dressage At Devon Breed Show Grand Championship in Berwyn, Pa., Sept. 26-28.
The 8-year-old, Dutch Warmblood (Metall–Fabiola) mare from Iron Spring Farm in Coatesville, Pa., has an extraordinary presence that makes her stand out in the ring. Robbie de Bruin traveled from the Netherlands to handle her.
“I saw her last week, and we practiced two times,” said de Bruin. “She’s a special mare. She’s very good in the ring. She gives you that extra feeling. She’s more than a stallion.”
Malone said she felt very lucky to have found the mare a year and a half ago. “She’s wonderful and just gets better with age,” said Malone. “I was attracted to her because she’s big, black, good looking and a good mover with a nice temperament.”
Rabiola won all of her breeding classes, including the 4-year-old and older broodmares class (83.75%), the USDF Breeder’s Champion-ships for Mares (84.62%), the KWPN-NA 3-year-old and older class (84.00%) and the mare championship as well as the grand championship.
Her natural uphill conformation and movement made her an obvious choice for breeding dressage horses.
And she’s proved that she passes on those qualities to her foals as her 2006 colt, Beaumont ISF, also won his fair share at Devon. He placed first in the colts of 2006 class (86.20%), was second in the KWPN-NA 2-year-old and younger class (78.10%), third in the USDF Breeders Championship for Colts (77.65%) and placed second overall in the colt and gelding championship.
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Iron Spring Farm is known for having fantastic stallions, but Malone has been adamant about building her mare base with quality horses. “The mare is half the deal. You’ve got to have nice mares,” she said.
A nice mare was also the key to the reserve grand champion, Selten HW (Sandro Hit–High Princess). His owner, Irene Hoeflich-Wiederhold, said she knew that he would be a champion as soon as she was able to purchase the mare, High Princess (Hohenstein–SPS Davina, Donnerhall).
“She’s an overall 9 in the Hanoverian stud book and received a 9 for her gaits in Germany,” said Hoeflich-Wiederhold. “She’s from a very famous dam line. That blood combined with Sandro Hit was guaranteed to get something special.”
Selten was sweet as a foal with lovely movement, so Hoeflich-Wiederhold sent him to Hilltop Farm in Colora, Md., as a yearling to be evaluated as a stallion prospect and to be trained by Scott and Susanne Hassler.
Apparently his evaluation went well, because the Hasslers reported to Hoeflich-Wiederhold, “When that horse moves, he’s so soft you can’t hear him touch the ground.”
Devon was Selten’s first show, but he took to it amazingly well. “He was very well-behaved and sweet,” said Hoeflich-Wiederhold. “He took naps in his stall. But when he needed to show off, he showed at his best.”
Handled by Michael Bragdell, Selten won every class he entered including the USDF Breeders Championship for Colts (85.20%), the 2-year-old colts and geldings class (85.60%), the Hanoverian 2-year-old and older class (79.70%) as well as winning the colt and gelding championship and the overall reserve championship. He was also named best U.S.-bred horse and was the high-point Hanoverian.
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“I told Hilltop to only take him to the show if he’d be in the top group,” said Hoeflich-Wiederhold. “But nobody could predict that he’d win in all of his classes!”
A breeder and importer of warmblood horses in Cape Coral, Fla., Hoeflich-Wiederhold has been so pleased with the breeding cross that High Princess is expecting her fourth foal by Sandro Hit.
She pointed out that while Sandro Hit is an excellent stallion, it takes a matching dam line of the same quality to produce truly top horses.
“This dam produces such a good walk–a clear 9 walk,” said Hoeflich-Wiederhold. She said the mare’s full sister scored a 10 for her gaits and is currently competing in the small tour.
Selten also will have a competition career if all goes according to plan. He’ll go for his stallion licensing next year and then continue his training at Hilltop Farm. “We hope to show him internationally,” said Hoeflich-Wiederhold. “He’s going to make a name for himself.”
Sara Lieser
