Diarado, best Eventing stallion in the world according to the WBFSH 2022 ranking!

After our focus on the WBFSH rankings of the best sires in 2022 in dressage (visible by clicking here) and in show jumping (by clicking here), a small overview of the 10 best Eventing stallions in the world.

The Holstein stallion Diarado dominates the ranking. He is followed by the Trakehner Birkhof's Grafenstolz and Obos Quality 004 takes 3rd place.

1. DIARADO

For the first time in 2022, the stallion Diarado took pole position in the ranking of the best sires in eventing. He is also 11th in the same ranking in showjumping. He is a son of the famous Diamant de Semilly with a dam by Corrado and is 18 years old in 2023. He has been a huge success in breeding due to the sporting quality but also for the model of his offspring, which makes them very commercial. Diarado's track record is sparse, as he focused on his breeding career from 2014. Prior to that, he won (hands down) his Holstein studbook approval and finished 3rd in the German Championship at 5 years old.

Among his offspring are numerous showjumping performers. In showjumping, we think of Dacapo (ridden by the English Laura Collett), Ducati d'Arville (associated with the Belgian Lara de Liedekerke Meier), Diachello (ridden by Jesse Campbell), ... His son Joker d'Euskadi excelled in his stallion qualifier at 2 years old, won the title of French vice-champion for 3-year-old stallions, and then was the Top Price of the 2022 Christmas Elite Fences auction.

2. BIRKHOF'S GRAFENSTOLZ

The stallion Birkhof's Grafenstolz has gained one place in the ranking in 2022 compared to the previous year, as he was in third place in 2021. Born in 1998, this son of Polarion out of a dam by Camelot occupied the pole position in the ranking in 2020. Under the saddle of German champion Michael Jung, Grafenstolz has a great sporting record: winner of the Bundeschampionat and the World Championships for 6-year-olds at the Lion d'Angers, he has won the CIC 2* at Compiègne (twice), Strzegrom and Varsseveld, and was placed 3rd in the CIC 3* at Marbach.

The black stallion's production speaks for itself: many of his offspring have progressed to 3* level in Eventing. At the Burghley Young Horse Event 2016, there were 8 sons of Grafenstolz among the 80 finalists. In France, Nicolas Touzaint's crack horse Absolut Gold*HDC, who won the bronze medal for France at the 2022 Olympic Games in Tokyo, is a case in point.

3. OBOS QUALITY 004

3rd best sire in Eventing, the stallion Obos Quality 004 is also present in the Top 100 of the WBFSH ranking in show jumping as he is ranked 71st! This son of Quick Star x Domino has performed at the highest level in showjumping under Denis Coakley and Dermott Lennon. The bay stallion has produced top performers in both disciplines.

His best known showjumping offspring include the mares Castlefield Eclipse (Paul Estermann) and Lisona (Jessica Sprinsgteen), but also Mark Q, Gowran Park, Badgerhill Quality and KBS Major Player, all of whom have performed on international tracks.

In Eventing, Ballingowan Pizzaz, ODT Maisie Grey, OBOS Apollo, OBOS Reilly, Laukaun Quality, MHS Cooley Quality, Ballybawn Fernhill, Sportsfield Quality. OBOS Columbus which is ridden by Mark Todd, MGH Grafton Street, Pippa Funnell's Burghley star, and Piggy French's Brookfield Quality, to name but a few.

4. JAGUAR MAIL

The Selle Français stallion Jaguar Mail, labelled Elite in Eventing, was born in 1997 and is a son of Hand in Glove and Elvira Mail (Laudanum). He has performed at the highest level in showjumping: at 6 years old, he was the best Selle Français stallion in the Final of the World Championship for Young Horses in Lanaken (2003), he was also a finalist at the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008, French Young Riders Champion in 2010, winner of the Sire of The World in 2007, and of course, he has been placed on several occasions in CSI5*!

However, almost a third of his production is rated in Eventing (including 9% rated 140 and over). Takinou d'Hulm, ridden by Michael Jung, was double European champion at Blair Castle in 2015, Vassily de Lassos was French champion in the 6-year-olds, 6th in the World Championships for 6-year-olds and 4th in the World 7 year old age group with Thomas Carlile, and then had a great career at the highest level under Andrew Hoy. The list is long: Tenareze (double World Champion at 6 and 7 with Thomas Carlile), Risotto Mail (French Champion at 7), Cadet de Béliard (French Reserve Champion at 5 and 6, then successful in 4*), and many others have had great international sporting success.

5. CONTENDRO

The stallion Contendro is a perfect definition of performance combined with versatility. His offspring are present (and performing!) in all three Olympic disciplines: he has been number 1 in the world in Eventing 5 times, 7 times among the top 25 sires in showjumping, and he even has a place in the Top 100 in dressage! And for good reason: in addition to his jumping quality, he passes on his chic, his model and his locomotion to his foals. Contendro entered the Haras en France in 2004 and has not had a sporting career. He is a son of the head of the breed Contender and out of a dam by Reichsgraf. His production is immense, with over 350 winners in CSI. In Eventing, one thinks of Fischerchipmunk FRH, Michael Jung's crack (best performer in the world in 2022, team gold medallist, winner of the CCI5*-L in Lexington), FRH Corrida (European team champion in 2019 and silver medallist in 2021), C'est La Vie 135 (winner of the CCI4*-L in Tryon in 2021), ...

6. YARLANDS SUMMER SONG

The stallion Yarlands Summer Song, who died in 2019 at the beautiful age of 33, made his mark on French equestrian sport in his generation. This small stallion, 1m62 tall, by Fleetwater Opposition and a dam by Welton Gameful was born in Great Britain and was bought by the French rider Marie-Christine Duroy de Laurière when he was only 2 years old. His record of achievements speaks for himself: he won the team silver medal at the World Championships in La Haye in 1994 and at the World Equestrian Games in Rome in 1996, he was French champion in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1998 (!), finished on the 3rd step of the podium at the European Championships in Burghley in 1997, ... His successes are numerous, and so are his foals! He joined the Haras en France in 1997 following an injury which ended his sporting career. He has produced cracks that have performed at 4* level: Lesbos, Kampanule de la Baie, Lousong de Sof, Minx du Mane Roz, Métisse de Lalou, Miss Summer, ...

7. NOUMA D'AUZAY

The stallion Nouma d'Auzay, who is ranked 7th, is a son of Carthago out of a dam by Quidam de Revel. Born in 2001, he is labelled Elite in Eventing despite a full career in showjumping. The bay stallion had great success in France under the saddle of Hervé Godignon (finalist at 4 and 5 years old, he made his CSI debut at 7 years old) before being entrusted to Franke Sloothaak with whom he became the 8th best 8 year old horse of his generation (and best Selle Français!) He was placed in CSI 5* and on the Global Champions Tour under the saddles of Julien Épaillard and Jan-Pierre Fromberger respectively. He is the sire of Pratoni del Vivaro's 2022 World Champion Banzai du Loir, born in France and sold in England, who competes in CCI 4 and 5* with the young British rider Yasmin Ingham. Nouma d'Auzay's production does not stop there: he is the sire of numerous foals performing up to 1m50 in show jumping (Bijane du Loir, Vallauris, Albion, ...) and in 4 and 5* Eventing (Tzinga d'Auzay, Voila d'Auzay, César de Commarin, ...).

8. CAMIRO DE HAAR Z

The stallion Camiro de Haar Z is an SHB (Sports Horse Breeding) stallion, by Chellano Z and Ramiro Z. He has spent his career under British and Irish saddles and has been very successful in breeding across the Channel. He was successively ridden at a high level by Richard Howley and Paul O'shea, and was successful in CSI 3* and 6-bar classes. Despite his small production (in terms of quantity), Camiro de Haar Z is the sire of several crack horses, the most famous of which is Vanir Kamira, who performed well under the saddle of Piggy French and won the CCI 5* at Burghley in 2022 (and 4th in the CCI 5* at Badminton the same year!). We can also mention Creevagh Cooley (Andrew Hoy) and Creevagh Silver de Haar (Fiona Kashel), performing in CSI 4 and 5*.

9. KANNAN

Kannan*GFE is a KWPN stallion, son of Voltaire and Nimmerdor. Under his rider Michel Hécart, Kannan has had a great sporting career with, among other things, victories in Nations Cups and Grand Prix, but it is as a sire that he has had the greatest success. In 2014, he was ranked 1st in the WBFSH show jumping ranking and remained 2nd for 3 years. No less than 600 of his offspring have competed internationally in show jumping: Mom's Toupie de la Roque, Quabri de l'Isle, Molly Malone V, Vintadge de la Roque, Broadway de Mormoulin, ... In 2022, he went from 28th to 9th place in the Eventing ranking. In this discipline, he produced Carouzo Bois Marotin, placed in CCI5* and CCIO4*, but also Cooley Snapchat, placed in CCI3*, Trésor de la Loge, winner of the CCI3* in Sopot, ... Kannan, who disappeared in 2020, is considered as a leader of the KWPN studbook.

10. VDL ARKANSAS

The KWPN stallion VDL Arkansas is a son of Acobat II out of a dam by Silvano. He was very successful in sport in his younger years (multiple champion at 4 and 5 years old in Ireland in particular), spent a few years in the Netherlands (during which he evolved to 1m40 level) before returning to Ireland to breed. Among his offspring, there are 23 who have competed in CSI and CCI 2* and above, including Off The Record (7th at the World Championships in Pratoni in 2022) and SRS Kan Do (6th at the CCI 5* in Luhmühlen in 2022), both of whom performed well in CCI 5*.