15th ISR/Oldenburg N.A. Evaluation at the Ultimate Piaffe

Michelle Ives-Purdy

On August 29^th, Ekkehard Brysch stood in front of the spectators and breeders at the Lake Oswego, Oregon, evaluation and shook his head, not as a result of disappointment but rather amazement.

Celebrating fifteen years of hosting the inspection, The Ultimate Piaffe and fellow breeders have benefited from the Registry’s education, support and clearly defined breeding goals.  The longer the ISR/Oldenburg N.A.thrives, the more it is appreciated as a true service oriented Registry that provides assistance to breeders in this country so they can produce “home bred” sport horses that rival those bred in Europe.

The proof of the services in the Pacific Northwest is undeniable.  Almost as far back as the history of the ISR/Oldenburg influence in Oregon, this particular site has yielded a surprising and consistent percentage shattering numbers of Premium and Premium Candidate foals.  Brysch and Kuehl alone and together have witnessed this phenomenon several times over and still wonder why.

Why this region?  Why these foals?  Why these breeders?  Aside from the Ultimate Piaffe’s resident Oldenburg stallion, Ideal, the sires of the other Premium and Premium Candidate foals has not necessarily been the same from year to year.  However, a particular theme of using the very best stallions available does seem to be a strategy of the breeders in the area and it would suggest that they have done their homework in selecting the right match for their mares, which may significantly raise the likely hood of having their offspring receive the Premium Foal status.

Never the less, the Lake Oswego, Oregon, site makes for thrilling spectating and Brysch and Kuehl have doled out the Premium Foal plaques.  The 2004 evaluation was no exception.

Just as in the past, one foal after another gathered gasps, whoops and applause as Brysch heartily announced, “guess what…another premium candidate”. Brysch teased with the audience that they shouldn’t be so proud of themselves for seeing the Premium Candidates because it wasn’t a difficult deduction.   .  Out of 22 foals presented on that Sunday, a surprising 19 of them were called back as Premium Candidates, a phenomenal high percentage.

Brysch grouped the 19 into three rings, two filly and one colt.  The top filly in the first group was Sara Asby’s Ideal filly, Imnaha, out of a main mare book Arabian mare and was followed by Ica, also by Ideal out of a Holsteiner mare and then the Werberlin filly, Walkirie out of an Anglo-Arab mare.  All three received Premium status with a final score of 8.0.

The second Premium Ring was the competition for the sites Champion and Reserve Champion filly.  Five fillies in the group walked away with Premium Foal awards.  The smashing bay filly, Idyll Time had traveled 8 hours from Fort Jones, California, for this evaluation and for owner/breeders Patton’s Ranch, it was worth the trip.  The Ideal filly out of a TB mare won the Championship with the final score of 8.6. 

When the Reserve Champion filly, Febe, by Flemmingh was first presented, Brysch told the crowd that he would have liked to have had this filly and dam at one of his Breeding Seminars as an excellent example of the improvement Flemmingh brought to Carrie O’Brien’s TB/Quarter cross mare.  Febe’s final score was 8.4 as was the third place Riverman filly, Rheanna, out of the Ideal mare, Iliza, bred by Karen Cheeke.

The imported Westphalian stallion, Rex Grannus, who stands at Horsemasters Farm in Beavercreek, Oregon, was the sire of the fourth place filly that was also named Reanna, her score was 8.3.  Karen Cheeke’s Ideal filly, Ileana, who is a full sister to Rheana’s dam, scored 8.2 and provided her owner with her second Premium Plaque of the day. 

The final Premium Candidate ring of the day was the Championship colt ring. The fifth placed colt Ilijah by Ideal received a final score of 8.1. The fourth place score went to the Laitin colt, Langhon that also received a final score of 8.1.  

Patton’s Ranch collected two more Premium Plaques for Imar, 8.2 and Intuit, 8.3, two Ideal sons out of two Russian Orlov/Arabian cross mares.

The Reserve Championship with a final score of 8.4, went to Ferdinand by Leoliet bred by Carrie O’Brien who swept the Reserve Championship awards in both the filly and the colt rings.

The final foal presented out of 22 was the remarkable colt, Ali’i Koa who won the Colt Championship with a final score of 8.9.  First time breeders Evelyn and Hal Morley bred their premium Oldenburg mare by Gauguin de Lully (Chagall-Gaspari-Drabant) and out of a Premium mare by Ideal (Inschallah-Zeus-Furioso II) to the Hanoverian stallion Bugatti Hilltop (Bergamon-Rubinstein-Donnerhall).

The Chestnut Oldenburg colt received an 8.8 for his Conformation and Type and two 9.0’s for Movement and Overall Impression.Considering Ali’i Koa’s individual scores and unique and valuable bloodlines, it is not a surprise that Ekkehard Brysch said this colt should be brought along as a stallion prospect.

Ali’i Koa and other top Premium Foals from around the country might just be the hope to help put North American riders on home bred horses in Olympic and other International competitions to come.

Michelle Ives-Purdy