Here is Warrior at Windsor, trying to put video on, but laptop is slower than a mare giving birth, literally!! He's just become a dad again, to a coloured filly!
I adore Warrior!!! He is a stallion with incredible presence and ability but also has a stunning temperament. I went up to the stud a few weeks back and took some pics of his first foal and I have to say I was awed and if I could have I would have snuck her into the car with me! This is her:
[ QUOTE ]
Another interesting thought I had was maybe mixing my trak/han mare with an arabian, loving the look of H Tobago - especially as the rather lovely Tamarillo is anglo arab and has a lot of TB in his, as my mare also does....
toooo many stallions to choose from! [/quote
You're right - there are SO many good stallions - I'm loving everything on your short-list: Don Aqui looks utterly fabulous, so does Adonnis and look at the jump on that Warrior!!
Of course I rather like your long-shot idea of Tobago as well, but the fabby sport-horse stallions already mentioned on here are very hard acts to follow!
It takes a courageous and far-sighted breeder to do the 'F1 cross' to a pure-bred Arab, but I suppose Tobago has proved that such courage can be rewarded, as his 2008 daughter Ayemkay Emae (out of a TB x ID mare) won Sport Horse and Hunter foal titles at county level...and his first foal out of a WB mare (a 2009 colt) has already been snapped up by an eager buyer at only a few days old. Here is his first Arab/WB baby:
This colt was bred by Rollestone - and the highly successful Volatis Stud have recently booked one of their very best Trakehner mares, Holme Park Venezia, to Tobago for this season, so maybe the F1 cross is not quite such a long-shot after all....
But then there's still the powerful Don Aqui, the rising star Adonnis, the springy Warrior.......how on earth do you choose between all these excellent stallions?
[ QUOTE ]
Oh! - I have seen pictures of H Tobago - he is GORGEOUS - and that's coming from someone who doesn't really like arabs! I think it was one of his foals that was national champion arab foal last year, so not only is he fantastic, but he's obviously producing the goods too!
[/ QUOTE ]
Thanks GAN! I really love your boy too - and he seems to have an especially gentle, trainable temperament.
Yes, Tobago's firstborn foal (a pure-bred colt) was crowned British National Champion Foal at the national Arab show last year - here he is for those who missed the little feature on him in Horse & Hound:
You know we really do have some lovely stallions available to breeders if we just look, and to suit all disciplines as well. I think its great that Volatis is using Tobago on her Trakehner mare, with the resulting foal being registered through the Trakehners. Bet it will be a stunner!
Love the power that Warrior produces over a jump and Adonnis is a real eyecatcher, as is Legrande who I am sure with the riders he has will do very well for himself, and thanks for all the comments on Don Aqui, he certainly seems to be popular among mare owners and we very much look forward to his first crop of foals in the UK in 2010...
[ QUOTE ]
I just heard that Volatis has booked her gorgeous warmblood mare to him! now that will be a baby worth waiting for.
[/ QUOTE ]
You heard right! Volatis Stud's Holme Park Venezia (Holme Grove Solomon x Holme Park Vabanque) (http://www.volatis.co.uk/venezia.html) is booked to Tobago for this season. I'm VERY excited and so grateful to Sacha (volatis) for giving him this amazing opportunity!
[ QUOTE ]
You know we really do have some lovely stallions available to breeders if we just look, and to suit all disciplines as well. I think its great that Volatis is using Tobago on her Trakehner mare, with the resulting foal being registered through the Trakehners. Bet it will be a stunner!
Love the power that Warrior produces over a jump and Adonnis is a real eyecatcher, as is Legrande who I am sure with the riders he has will do very well for himself, and thanks for all the comments on Don Aqui, he certainly seems to be popular among mare owners and we very much look forward to his first crop of foals in the UK in 2010...
[/ QUOTE ]
Don Aquis and Adonnis both seem to have that special combination of great athletic power and exceptional gentleness. LeGrande is absolutely gorgeous and looks very talented - does he have a nice temperament as well? - and of course with the added bonus of that glorious colour!
I just watched the video of Warrior at Windsor - agree about the powerful jump, and he's so careful too!
[ QUOTE ]
Hasnt Htobago thrown a fantastic foal when crossed with a highland, I am sure that I saw a post about it earlier in the year.
[/ QUOTE ]
Sorry - only just seen this question! Yes, he did have a v nice colt from a fabulous Highland Pony mare - bred by mother-hen on here, so it's an HHO baby:
Here is one of my favourite baby-pics of the colt, Onyx: