Who knows any Catherston Dazzler & Fleetwater Opposition offspring?

[alliemare]

I am most likely going to breed my lovely event mare to one of these stallions. I am having a hard time finding "personal" accounts of their offspring. More specifically -- their personalities & attitudes and their confo.

Although very, very smart, my mare definetly has a 'sharp' attitude and can be a bit of a 'marish' handful undersaddle. I've heard mixed reviews about both stallion's offspring -- some say they are difficult to handle, some say they are as quiet as can be.

I am also looking to shorten her back just a little bit, so if anyone has pictures of any of their offspring, that would be very helpful!

 

[Thistle]

Oppy babies can be somewhat quirky and opinionated, I have a TB x, she either goes out and wins or is eliminated!

I believe there are only limited supplies of his frozen semen left.

What do you want to foal to do?

Search on here, lots of posts about Opposituion horses.

 

[sare_bear]

I have an Opposition rising 4 yeor old out of trak mare. He was born with a headache but seems to have grown up out of it! (touches wood). He is slightly opinionated but very brave!! Rugged him for the first time 2 days ago as felt sorry for him and he just accepted it with little training. Hope hes that easy to break!

On the confo side mum was a little long in the back and he is the same. Dam had near perfect confo (premium graded), but he has a mild boxy foot that started to show when he was over a year old, despite regular foot trimming. I now hear that this is an opposition trait.

Wish I had known at the time. However wouldn't swap him for the world now, although like with breeding he was not what I would have gone out and bought. Just hope he events.

Have photos but never uploaded anything.

 

[seabiscuit]

I used to ride a Dazzler horse for a short while for work he was a lovely lovely chunky and compact horse, about 16 hands with a good deep girth - could have been a show horse. Very bold and nice to do. went on to event with some pro riders was good at PN but problems happened at N.
Later heard that he'd been retired to the hunting field as he never stopped bucking and just had a lot of issues. I only knew him for a short while and he was a never a problem in that time.

 

[seabiscuit]

Opposition horses seem to swing both ways- they either look extremely correct and compact or they seem to be very odd looking ! I think it must depend on the mare!

 

[Halfstep]

Know two Opposition horses. One is beautiful, has world class movement and is as brave as a lion. However, he is unrideable - literally. Complete and utter nutcase. The other one looks like a Picasso painting, but would jump the moon and is as genuine a horse as I've ever seen.

 

[charlimouse]

Have a look at Opposition Buzz he is by fleetwater opposition. If you search for him on here or google images loads of pics come up.

 

[sare_bear]

Can anyone tell me how to upload photos from photobucket. Can only post a link. Anyhow this is my FO chap.

http://s908.photobucket.com/albums/ac287...pg&newest=1

 

[GlamourDol]

Are you definitly decided on either of those two? What do you want to do, discipline wise?

 

[Vickijay]

My friends mare did 3 cycles with dazzler a few years ago and her mare never took, then took first time with a different stallion. Also I wonder how much frozen semen they have stored since he died? and what the motility is? As some semen doesnt freeze that well.

I would also ask in the breeding section on here as there are lots of breeding and stallion geeks in there!!!!

 

[Phillamena]

I bred a FO filly out of my junior event mare. Beautiful tick, movement tick, talented tick, quirky Gold Star!
Her dam was a tb x overgrown pony, good bone, slightly straight hocks, 15.1. I got a matchstick legged 14.2 again with a straighter hindleg than I would have liked, but still great hock action.
She was a dream to break and handle but at about 4 years started to become nappy, she was turned away and restarted which helped but she has remained quirky. She is exceptionally talented and if her brain stays in gear she should make a lovely FEI pony.
I would say the majority of FO offspring are clever but tricky and you either click with them or you don't. Unfortunately I didn't

luckily she has found someone who does

 

[alliemare]

Hmmmm...interesting. Thank you everyone for the replies!

My mare is a fantastic eventer and I am breeding her to produce my next upper level eventer. But she is a bit quirky as well...hence the reason I am breeding her instead of pursuing more serious upper levels. She is super talented and a beautiful mover/jumper, but when she decides she doesnt want to do something, we dont do it. I've had my fair share of eliminations. I'm from the states and almost everyone over here told me to breed to one of these two stallions if I wanted something that would make it to the upper levels and increase her bravery.

I posted on the breeding board about weston justice and I am still looking at catherston liberator. Does anyone have experience with those two?

 

[seabiscuit]

What about Jumbo? Nearly all the stallions you're thinking of have a great rep for being quirky and producing even quirkier offspring!!
Jumbo is ( apparently) a really lovely person and also produces horses with a fab back end. I think they can be a bit backward and stupid as young horses but always nice and genuine. And obviously he's got loads of advanced offspring.Never seen a jumbo with a bad back end!

 

[jenh166]

I second jumbo babies! Amazing canter!

Sounds mean, but one of the most ugly horses ive ever seen was a dazzler baby, and the mare was attractive - half sister by catherston dance in the dark also v attractive, so something went wrong in the genes there!

I know a young fl opposition stallion who is v talented but v v naughty - thinks its great fun to stand on his back legs in the stable and wave at you...seriously nice horse though!

 

[jenh166]

Also might be worth investigating mill law?

 

[kerilli]

hmmm... i have a homebred Oppy 4 yr old who managed to break me quite dramatically 6 wks ago. so, possibly slightly biased against at the moment...!
mine has a good temperament, huge attitude, very bold, very good conformation, quite chunky and 'butty' (far more than the IDxTB mare, oddly enough), was easy enough to break but has the very odd 'GET OFF moment' which is very, umm, decisive, and the last one was apropos of nothing at all...
she doesn't move that brilliantly, might have a good pop (haven't done enough to tell yet), really really likes rearing (happily goes vertical, and stays there, excellent balance!) and bucking in the field (Oppies are famous for waving at the crowds, apparently) and very occasionally under saddle...
i would NOT put him on a really quirky mare. i did, and i really don't know if this offspring is going to let me get anywhere with her, or not...
also, i found out last season (the hard way) that frozen semen really isn't the best thing to use on an unbred mare, some just won't take to it, apparently.
when i used Fleetwater Oppostion he was still alive, so had chilled semen shipped to Tullis' AI Centre - he was very put out about the poor motility and video'd it in case the mare didn't take. (she did, fortunately). So, with that history with chilled, i personally wouldn't go for frozen unless i already KNEW it was a mare that takes with frozen, esp as stores are very limited, precious, and £££s.
umm, when i was trying to pick stallions for my mare last year i contacted Volatis on here (runs Volatis stud) as I knew she was very hot on stallion lines, especially Trakhener, goes to all the stallion shows, has a lot of experience of what will suit what mare, etc. if i were you i would pm her and ask if she will look at pics of your mare, and advise. Or, post in the breeding forum with pics, and ask for suggestions.
good luck!

 

[LEC]

All the dazzlers I know have had quite a few issues. One down the road from me is only 6 or 7 and has been diagnosed with navicular and though being broken properly and is a homebred by her owner is very quirky. Another in the same area is quirky.
He would not be my choice for a quirky mare.

Mill Law's seem to be doing well. Jumbo's stock seem to really do the job. I really like the look of No Limit who is at Whorridge Stud. Grannex has also got proven stock doing well.

 

[alliemare]

I have been looking at Jumbo, but unfortunatley he is very difficult to get a hold of in the States.

The mare in question has been bred a 3x, 1x with cooled, and 2x with frozen, so Im not too worried about that.

 

[LEC]

another one I love the look of is Condios - has a very good horse here at 2* called Stilo Kontiko.

 

[kerilli]

Condios is cracking but pm me if you want further details about my experience of trying to get my mare in foal to him last year...

 

[charlie55]

I had a mare out of dazzlers offspring, she was very compacted, fantastic mover and jumper, fab little horse, but she had boney changes so went as a brood mare. Ive got a book somewhere of her dad x

 

[millitiger]

tbh, i wouldn't use either of those on a quirky mare...
if you could get Jumbo semen he would be a fab cross.

 

[Tempi]

I used to ride an FO 4yr old. Nice type, very little but well put together. Had lots of quirks though, i found i had to ask him and not tell him to do things!!

 

[teddyt]

Ive known 2 dazzler offspring from different mares, both quirky and inconsistant.

 

[Phillamena]

Seems to be a theme with quirky Opposition horses, mine likes to wave too! If you've already got a quirky mare I'd look elsewhere myself.
Good Luck!

 

[Cash]

A friend has a Fleetwater Opposition rising 4yo- her stable name is Feisty..that should give you a clue as to her temperament

her dam is extremely placid, but she is still loopy. She is very well put together, fantastic paces, really steps out, effortless trot, gorgeous to look at, and 16.2hh atm...really hope she doesn't grow any more, I feel far enough off the ground on her already..!
She also has a recurring lameness problem from when she jumped out of her field last year (over the 4'9 fence..she's got scope

) and got herself wedged in a small tree in the fenceline.
So basically a beautiful maniac

 

[Fathairypony]

I have a 5 Year Old by Fleetwater Opposition, I have owned him since he was a yearling. Beautiful Horse to look at and heaps of ability.
At present he is just a pig, he has always reared and napped. They are generally opinionated, sharp and late to mature. On the plus side mine has heaps of natural ability, the stamina is incredible, awsome jump and he has a wonderful temperament (from the ground). if you are in it for the long term they are great.

Jumbo is a great stallion, or perhaps have a look at Grafenstolz if you are looking to refine you mare