How to choose your sport stallion?

The breeding season is fast approaching and foal projects are bubbling over in breeders' heads! Then it's off to the drawing board for hours of stallion selection! Which breeding technique should I choose for my mare(s)? Should I try to compensate for my mare's faults or, on the contrary, reinforce her qualities? What qualities should I look for in a dressage or show jumping stallion? Three major players in the market have come together at this FoalR masterclass to share their expertise and answer your questions: France Étalons, La Collection, and the Selle Français studbook.

CHAPTERS:

Question #1: Should the reproductive technique (frozen, fresh semen, etc.) be taken into account in your choice?

Question #2: What are your main recommendations for choosing a stallion (to produce a good foal) for show jumping/dressage?

Question #3: Do we know which qualities/faults are/are not passed on?

Question #4: Should we start with the mare's qualities and reinforce them? Or, on the contrary, build on her faults and "compensate" for them?

Question #5: I'm looking to produce a foal with a good mental attitude. How do I go about it? Can this be passed on?

Question #6: What is a stump and can you give us a concrete example? 

Question #7: What is inbreeding and how can I make sure I get it right?

Question #8: What is young genetics? Should it be used?

Question #9: Does colour matter?

SPEAKERS:

Maxime DENIS - France Étalons

Maxime DENIS, representing France Etalons, one of the major players in stallion calibration for the show jumping market. Their international reach enables them to offer a selection of high-performance stallions from the world's best genetics, as well as some of the youngsters who will be tomorrow's stars. They support their breeders directly in their selection, backed by their network of partner centers where many of their stallions are placed for fresh breeding.

Renaud RAHARD - La Collection, étalons de sport

Renaud Rahard, manager of "La Collection", a dressage stallion catalog and distributor of Helgstrand and Massa stallions.

Elisa PAUTEX - project manager at Selle Français Stud-book

After a Vocational Baccalaureate in horse-breeding business management and a BTS in agriculture, she enrolled at the Dijon School of Agronomy. Today, she is a project manager at the Selle Français Stud-Book. She is in charge of stallion approval files and participates in the Research & Development section set up by the Stud-Book.

The masterclass was presented in French.