Sombrero, Born in 1999, 16.2hh, Bay ISH Stallion by Julio Mariner xx out of Felaleen KWPN (Le Mexico/Voltaire/Amor).
Competed successfully in Ireland before being sold to Poland.
Sire: Julio Mariner xx, (Blakeney xx - Worden xx - Le Sage xx)
Bred at Fonthill stud in England sold at Tattersalls 1976 Houghton Sale. Trained by Clive Brittain in Newmarket. Won 1978 St Ledger. Retired to stud 1979 at Ashley Heath Stud, Newmarket until 1984. Stood at Cobhall Court Stud 1985 to end 1987. Exported to Holland, 1988 to 1992; in Germany from 1993.
Julio Mariner’s show jumping qualities are confirmed by scores of products performing in international show jumping. Dinky Toy (Michael Whitaker), Harley (Bruce Goodin), Marinero (Gilbert de Rooch), Eurocommerce Lima (Gerco Shroder), Ingmar (Stevie Macken) and Resolute (Molly Ashe) are just a few examples.
Julio Mariner xx was approved in 7 studbooks, including KWPN, Holstein, Hannover and Oldenburg. He was praised by breeders for his eagerness and excellent jumping technique and is one of the best thoroughbred sires in Dutch breeding. Indeed, technique, reflexes and alertness characterise both the jumping manners of Julio Mariner xx and those of his offspring.
DamSire: Le Mexico (Mexico - Brule Tout - Ascot)
Furioso II’s full brother Mexico stayed in France but he shaped the emerging Warmblood breed in The Netherlands through his son, Le Mexico. Mexico served in the French National Stud where he became the sire of showjumpers like Rambouillet (Grand Prix, Vienna), Rush du Camp (Olympic Games, Mexico City) and Jexico du Parc (Olympic Games, Los Angeles). Bred by that connoisseur, the late Alfred Lefèvre of Falaise, Le Mexico became the real successor of his male lineage.
As a resident of Holland, he produced the approved stallions: Silvano, Ulft, Zelhem, Zonneglans,Astronaut and Expert. But it took time for the French import to establish himself. According to Jacob Melissen, the Dutch licensing commission was not overly impressed with Le Mexico’s first crop of two year olds…
“They will become broodmares with substance and strength, deep chests and curved ribs. Probably they will be important in our breeding, in spite of the fact that they are missing the so-called ‘golden touch’.”
By 1986, after his thirteenth season at stud, he was upgraded by the KWPN executive committee as a ‘keurhengst’ in recognition of his contribution to Dutch breeding.
Le Mexico sustained tremendous colic in the early spring of 1987, and died only a few months after his upgrading. In his thirteen years at stud he produced no less than 1134 foals as a result of 1744 matings.
In the 1983 volume of the Dutch Horse Yearbook – the first annual publication of performances of all registered sport horses in the Netherlands – we find a long list of Le Mexico’s youngstock, both in dressage and jumping. While his eldest offspring were only nine years old by then, there were already ten Grade A jumping horses in the yearbook, among them Lucinda (ridden by Linda Southern), Opstalan’s Peckwush (ridden by Bert Romp) and Fliegette of Noordland (ridden by Sylvia van Staalduinen).
In the year of his death, the first edition of the breeding values was printed and Le Mexico ranked with 146 points in the jumping section alongside such famous performance sires as Nimmerdor, Abgar xx, Exkurs xx, Lucky Boy xx, Farn and Notaris. He was a versatile sire too, for in the ranking of dressage sires, he came in 21st place amongst some 200 stallions.
Le Mexico produced not only breeding stock – there are international showjumpers and dressage competitors for example, Alanda (ridden by Peter Kersten), Bollvorm’s Red Boy (Roelof Bril) and Mexican (Tineke Bartels).
2nd DamSire: Voltaire, (Furioso II - Gotthard - More Magic)
Voltaire (originally called "Vertuoso") was by the influential Furioso II, a stallion whose offspring include over 200 state premium mares and at least 70 approved sons, who are stood across the world. Furioso II was full-brother to the French stallion Mexico (sire of Le Mexico, who has produced numerous Grand Prix show jumpers). Furioso II was also the sire of the Olympic gold medal winners Lutteur B and Pomone B.
Voltaire's dam, Gogo Moeve, was also the dam to such horses as Fandango R, PS Falkan and Petite Fleur. She was sired by the great Gotthard, a stallion who has made his mark in the Hanoverian breed. Gotthard is seen in the pedigree of such horses as Goldika, Goya, Queensway, Genius, Grundstein and Grannus. Gogo Moeve's dam-sire was the Thoroughbred stallion More Magic, who also sired the 1980 Moscow Olympics dressage gold medalist, Mon Cherie, ridden by Elisabeth Theurer.
Voltaire had a successful career as a Grand Prix show jumper, competing over 1.50 meter courses as an eight-year-old. He was especially successful in 1988, winning Nations Cup classes at Calgary, Stockholm, Lanaken, Helsinki, Wiesbaden and Wembley. In 1989 he ended his competitive career with a win at the Grand Prix of Berlin and a 2nd place in the Grand Prix of Leeuwarden.
After his competitive career, Voltaire was retired for breeding, standing at Dutch veterinarian Jan Greve's stud De Watermolen. Voltaire was a Keur and Preferent stallion with the KWPN, and was one of the top KWPN jumping sires during his life. Voltaire stood at the stud until his death at the age of 25, when he suffered from a heart attack while covering a mare.
Voltaire is said to cross well with French Thoroughbreds, such as the female offspring of Furioso and those of Furioso's sons Le Mexico and Purioso.
Voltaire produced numerous International-caliber horses during his lifetime. From his first crop, he sired the approved stallion Concorde. Concorde went on to compete internationally in show jumping, including the 1994 Dutch Championships, and is now a well-known breeding stallion who has sired Viktor, ridden by McLain Ward, and Conquest, ridden by Todd Minikus and Beezie Madden.
Voltaire had over 30 approved sons in Europe. He is found in the pedigrees of 28 jumpers of the 2000-2001 World Breeding Federation for Sport Horse standings, was ranked 9th in the Federation's top 50 sires for the years 1991-2000, and finished second in 1999 in the list of show jumpng sires. Additionally, Voltaire had the most offspring at the 1996 Olympic Games that any other stallion.
Voltaire has also been a great sire of show hunters in the United States. He was awarded the title of "Huntersire of the Year" for 2001, 2002, and 2003. In 2003, he not only finished as the USAEq leading hunter sire, with 33 offspring, but also as the USEq leading jumper sire, having 25 offspring who earned a total of $176,189. Notable hunters with include Popeye K, Nobleman, King de Coquerie and Mandkind.
Voltaire's offspring were generally late-maturing, not showing their jumping abilities until the age of five or six after correct riding had helped to develop it. According to Jacques Verkerk of the KWPN: "Voltaire produces roughly two types of horse; rather square exteriors with an articulate top-line or big rectangular horses with a lot of bone."
Generally, the sons and daughters of Voltaire have scope, power, and a tight front end. However, they often have a short back, and may not have perfect technique with their hind end. Although they have a good galloping stride, they may be slow and have a slightly too-straight hind leg. But they are very careful jumpers, generally want to go clean (a very important trait in a show jumper), and are brave.
Voltaire has sired offspring that have gone on to be successful in both the show jumping and dressage arenas. Voltaire sired such horses as Concorde, Royal Kaliber, Response, Finesse, Play it Again, Altaire, Especiale, Kannan, Lemato, Mezcalero (represented Mexico in the 1998 World Equestrian Games, and jumped in many Nations Cup competitions under rider Frederico Fernandez), Farmer (sire of Olympic reserve Lowina), Ecuador (sire of 2004 Dutch Olympic dressage team member Idocus), Lancelot KWPN (ex Nimmerdor, and sire of Pavorotti, Tristan, Parcival, SF Sadin,and many more international horses), and One More Look (high-scoring foal at the NASFA 2002 Foal Evaluations). Other notable offspring include Foltaire (international dressage horse ridden by Guenter Seidel), Helios, Electro, Danta, and Kahlua. Some of Voltaire's successful hunter offspring include: Winston Churchill, Popeye K, Blink, High Cotton, King de Coquerie, and Moriah.
