Press Releases
THE STORY OF WENZEL–R
June 4, 2011PEDIGREE, PERFORMANCE AND CAREFULLY NUTURED POTENTIAL COMBINED
By Celia Clarke
In theory, the talent of any successful sports horse – and especially of any dressage stallion – must be down to having the right genes in the first place. ‘Breed the best to the best to get the best’ is the universally observed maxim, but of course it is all much more complex than that, and bringing that talent to its natural fruition owes a considerable amount to luck as well. Even the most knowledgeable breeder, producing the best bred horse in the world cannot make him into a top class stallion without the right judges to identify his qualities from the outset and the right owner to come along and invest time and money in the training and competition career that he needs to develop those qualities to the ultimate degree. Such a happy combination of nature and nurture is the source of success in Sue Cullen’s British-bred SAWHA-graded KWPN stallion Wenzel R (by Roman Nature out of Rilinaire by Don Primaire), who is now attracting such attention with his pleasing new young rider Catherine Berning.
Wenzel-R, as a growing number of people now know, was bred at The River Stud in Cornwall, England, which is a small – but extremely successful – mare only establishment owned by the well-know British breeder and regular visitor to South Africa, Sheri Tozer-Robb. This gave him a great start in life, as not only did Sheri’s outstanding knowledge of performance bloodlines and breeding indices play the key role in his genetic makeup, but the core of the stud’s ethos is that the mares and young stock are allowed to live as natural life as possible with no less than eight hours a day turn out as Sheri firmly believes that exercise is essential to strengthen young horses limbs and develop their tendons and muscles in the correct manner. Foals are also integrated with older horses from an early age to learn the necessary social skills from the older horses as well as receiving the very best in feed, foot care and veterinary attention. As the stud is small they therefore have the attention they deserve, making sure that new experiences such as foal shows and the BEF Futurity evaluations are fun. The results are happy healthy horses and this degree of individual care and attention also means, of course, that there was never any threat of yarded, European-style factory sports horse production with its inherent risk of possible OCD and or temperament problems for the potential star that was Wenzel-R.
However, as a devoted follower of the bloodlines and performance testing side of the Dutch-based KWPN (currently the top-producing studbook for dressage horses in the world) Sheri does base her breeding decisions on the best of European methods and both Wenzel-R and Sue’s new River Stud bred Stallion Ciroc-R (by Anky Van Grunsven’s Gribaldi son out of a Pion mare, who was top warmblood in the in-hand section of the General Breeds at HOTYS this year), are products of this knowledge. Typical of River Stud’s breeding decisions, Wenzel R’s sire Roman Nature (by Rohdiamant) was German Federal Champion 1998 and then Reserve World Young Dressage Horse in 2000, Ten years later, he is still sound and combining a notable stud career with competing successfully at the highest level, regularly showing the qualities of rideability, suppleness and light build together with an incredible ability to collect that led one of this riders Marlies Van Baalen to describe him as’ the perfect horse’.
Through Roman Nature Wenzel-R also carries the bloodlines of the famous international Grand Prix stallion Rohdiamant (by the legendary Rubenstein) who was repeatedly champion at various levels in Germany throughout his career. His record at stud was equally impressive with many top priced progeny to his name, such Raminak, a Reserve Federal champion of Germany who sold for 300,000DM and Royal Olymp who sold for 520,000, DM. To date his offspring include not only numerous very successful competition horses but also 35 state premium mares and 16 approved stallions, which puts him at the forefront in breeding values for dressage horses worldwide.
As befits the product of a mare only stud, Wenzel-R’s dam, Rilinaire also has a pedigree that speaks for itself. Her sire Don Primaire entered the dressage index in 2002 in lead position, won his Stallion section and then competed in the small tour (i.e. Intermediare I and II) before retiring completely to stud due to high demand from mare owners. Her grand sire Donnerhall is probably the most successful dressage stallion in the world of all time, managing to combine demanding stud duties with an exemplary competition career . In 1994 he was team world champion and individual bronze medal winner, in 1997 he was a team gold medalist and won individual bronze medal at the European Dressage Championships and in 1998 he was once more included in German gold medal winning team , attaining a fourth place in the individual results. Rilinaire herself competed successfully in dressage as a young horse before retiring to stud and based on her bloodlines Rilinaire has a dressage index of 125 and her mare line ranks 3rd in the KWPN for breeding, As a result of the success of her offspring Czarina (by His Highness) and Don Johnson (by Johnson) she also holds 2nd position with the BEF Futurity 2010 as a top dressage broodmare and a phenomenal 6th place over all years as a BEF dressage broodmare.
With this superb background Wenzel-R was always going to be a winner and even as a foal he was Champion at the UK KWPN foal inspections in 2003 (where he scored an almost unique 88 for conformation and 75 for movement) and was made Champion British Dressage Foal at the Brightwells championship later in the year. In fact, it was at this event where fate stepped in. At his KWPN foal inspection, Wenzel-R had been offered the unique honour of a place at the KWPN foal show and auction in The Netherlands but Sheri decided that this was too long a journey for such a young animal and took him to the Brightwell’s event instead. Here that he was spotted by a friend of Sue’s who knew she was looking for a colt of top class potential to compliment her original UK purchase Vainqueur (by Pro-Set), who was still awaiting import into South Africa. Thankfully Sue trusted in the advice she had been given and purchased him unseen, over the telephone there and then.
A few months later saw him safely settled in South Africa – after as Sheri describes it, being like an equine pin cushion form all the vaccinations he had to endure before, during and after quarantine – and after a quiet relaxed couple of years he launched on the competition scene at HOTYS where he won the General Breeds Youngstock championship at the age of 3 years old in 2006. He was then quietly backed and competed for a couple of years, becoming KWZ Champion in 2008 and a Graded SAWHA Premium stallion in 2009, before going to Germany and The Netherlands for a period of training — under the supervision of Anky Van Grunsven and Dolf Keller — and competition experience, during which time he competed and won at M (Medium) level in open classes in the most demanding dressage environment in the world.
Returning to South Africa last autumn he now stands alongside Sue’s other River Stud bred stallion Ciroc-R at Sue’s Berkeley Stud in Saddlebrook. He has already formed a very promising partnership with top young rider Catherine Berning and great things are expected of them, especially as Catherine is now able to travel to Europe for training at regular intervals. Already having won at M level and Advanced at The Easter Show — their first show together and his first competition back in South Africa – Wenzel-R and Catherine are certainly a partnership to watch out for over the next few years, and are surely bound for top success at Grand Prix level if all the careful planning works out,
And finally, for the future … Riliniare has just been inseminated with the semen of super horse Totilas, so perhaps yet another a outstanding River Stud bred potential dressage star will be winging its way to South Africa in a couple of years. A Totilas offspring competing In South Africa, now that would be something to look forward to.
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Zubin R and Wenzel R
December 17, 2009
Published in British Breeder Winter 2009
Sheri Tozer-Robb of The River Stud tells us that she is now the breeder of two graded stallions based in mainland Europe, which is believed to be a unique achievement for any UK breeder, especially a small 3-broodmare strong private unit based in Cornwall.
Wenzel R (bred by the River Stud in 2003 by Roman Nature out of Riliniare by Don Primaire) is owned by South African dressage enthusiast Sue Cullen and is graded with the South African Warm blood Association where he has been competing up to Medium level. However his regular rider Dominique Tardin has now relocated to France in order to build on the natural talent that has made her top young dressage rider of South Africa at the age of 18. She has therefore brought Sue’s stallion up to the Northern Hemisphere with her and with a number of training sessions planned with Morten Thompsen in Denmark over the next few months – and plans to compete Wenzel in the UK once his registration process is completed – Sheri is looking forward to seeing him regularly again without having to undertake a 12-hour flight to do so!
Zubin R (bred by the River Stud in 2004) by Lupicor out of Fabionne by Pion) is, like Samaii, a Futurity graduate, having been awarded the first-ever 10 for loose jumping at his evaluation at The Grange in 2007. Having then been a little frustrated by some of the breeding politics, Matt Zacchia – Zubin R’s enthusiastic owner – decided to take him to Germany to let him prove himself in what is probably the toughest young showjumping series in the world. He has done remarkably well there (almost always winning and never placed lower than 3rd) and is now being described as ‘the new Lupicor’ following his sire’s sad early demise. His results also mean that had he been bred in Germany he would certainly have qualified for the Bundeschampionat – and would probably have done very well as some top names were often placed below him – and in October he was also approved by the AES as a Licenced stallion following a special trip by them to see him in Germany. It is likely that he will return to the UK in the spring as a place in a top rider’s yard is well on the way to being secured for him, so the 6 year old classes should be of special interest to Futurity followers in 2010.
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November 17, 2009
Published in British Breeder Winter 2009
It Is not just the ‘big breeders’ that achieve success at the Futurity and it is matter of pride to the series that so many of the smaller studs -a nd even some single-mare owners – take the opportunity of having their youngsters assessed by this unique system. In fact for many of them it is often their only outing of the year in the show ring and they often comment how very helpful the feedback they receive from the evaluators is to them. The feedback is two-way as well so here are some contributions by other possibly slightly less well-known. participants as proof (to those who have yet to decide to take part) of just how user-friendly these events are.
Brenhines-R
Rommani Jori writes:
Brenhines-R is a 3-year-old filly by Devil’s Jump out of a mare called Mia River Dance. She was bred at the River Stud in Cornwall by Sheri Tozer-Robb. Sheri also bred the 2007 overall Futurity champion Zubin-R (see page 19 of this issue) who has recently gone on to grade with the AES studbook.
I bought Violet (as we know her) as a 2year-old and this is the first time I have produced a young horse by myself (with help of course!). I would class the Elite score and top eventing mark that I achieved at The Grange as the biggest success I have ever had in my equestrian career. What I have achieved may serve as an example as what can be achieved if you have with a well-bred horse even if you have limited experience and/or funds, She is a credit to her breeder.
Posted in Press Releases | Comments OffExcerpt taken from full article.
October 17, 2009
Published in Western Morning News October 2009
Finishing second to the Spotlight presenter in the Open Novice was Stacey Escrig and her grey Cleveland Bay, Saint Juliots Destiny, who won the Elementary Restricted the day before.
“I still can’t believe it,” said a thrilled Stacey whose aim since she took up the discipline after a bad showjumping accident is to score 70 per cent.
“Dee entered the arena and just got straight on with the job so I knew we were
in with a chance and then I forgot the reinback! I thought ‘oh no, I’ve blown it’, but we still got 68.38 despite this, so I’m chuffed to bits and to qualify for the finals next April is the icing on the cake.”
Stacey, who runs a hairdressing salon in Plympton, Plymouth, and has training with Ali Mills, said: “It’s taken me a year and thousands of pounds to learn to sit straight but it’s nice that it’s all paying off now! – after my accident I decided to give dressage a go and I’m completely hooked.”
Talking on 13-year-old Dee, who she bought two years the day, competing at the same competition and venue she said “After a couple of lessons I fell in love with her. We missed a year due to injury so I’ve not done a lot of her – this is only her fourth show but we seemed to have clicked – it was mind-blowing to win on a Cleveland Bay, which is a rare breed, up against all those fancy Warmbloods.
“The Cleveland Bay Society texted me today to keep me posted with her success which I intend to do – she’s amazing and my aim is to ride in top hat and tails.”
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January 17, 2009
The day he was born I knew he was something special,” recalls Cornish breeder Sheri Tozer-Robb who was on stand-by at Stansted airport at the weekend to greet her home-bred Wenzel-R as he arrived back from South Africa bound for Europe, with training in mind for the 2012 Olympics with rider Dominique Tardin.
“He looks amazing and is an absolute angel,” said a delighted Sheri, who made the trip from Callington, Cornwall, to meet the six-year-old stallion off the plane as arranged with his owner Sue Cullen.
“He was born and bred in Cornwall and virtually won everything as a foal before he was sold to South Africa,” said Sheri of the striking dark bay who is out of her Dutch mare Riliniare-R who is by the German bred Don Primaire whose father is the famous stallion Donnerhall. Wenzel’s sire is the competition stallion Roman Nature by the Oldenburg stallion Rohdiamant.
Wenzel first hit the headlines when he stood champion KWPN foal with a top score of 88 for conformation and 77 for movement going on to capture the Supreme Championship at the British Dressage Young Horse of the Future finals. “This was a phenomenal score,” recalls Sheri, who has been specialising in Dutch Warmbloods for 17 years with the focus on breeding superior-quality young stock with world-class competition bloodlines. Wenzel was then entered for the Brightwells Performance Sales where he was bought by an agent acting for Sue Cullen.
“Sue has always stuck to her word that she will aim him for the top and has now moved him lock, stock and barrel to be with top young rider Dominique in France and to train with Morten Thomsen – national trainer for the US Equestrian Federation,” said Sheri, who was invited to the South African Horse of the Year Show in 2006 and watched Wenzel stand reserve champion. In 2008 he also clinched Champion Ridden Horse and Supreme Champion of the Royal Show, Peter Maritizburg (South Africa); Champion and Supreme Champion of Durban Show; won his first affiliated novice dressage with a score of 76 percent and stood champion KZN dressage horse. This year he was graded premium stallion on a score of 82.1 percent.
“As Dominique’s main ride, he will be aiming for all the top competitions with 2012 in mind, which is very exciting,” added Sheri, “and he’ll be coming over to the UK to compete. “It really is a big achievement – he has been at the top from the start of his career in dressage with consistent wins and I’m looking forward to seeing him progress further.”
Sheri, who has always bred stock from her River Stud for “rideability, even temperament, good looks and good movement”, added: “It’s still my dream to breed a stallion for the Dutch KWPN – they have asked to see him and it still could happen.
“If not I have others waiting in the wings,” she smiled.
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