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Liz Horn began breeding
competition horses many years ago when she took a small thoroughbred
ex-show hack to an HIS stallion in the early 1960's. Moving to
heavier stallions to get more bone to produce showhunters and
competition horses and after living for a spell in Germany, she bred
the first Trakehner cross in the North of England and was so pleased
she decided to buy pure bred stock direct from Germany and went on
to establish Highwell Stud in the early 1980's when she acquired
German Reserve National Champion and later British Supreme Champion
Elite mare, Premium and State Premium mare ROMA II and then German
Elite Stallion and Grand Prix International Dressage horse VATOUT
with other top class stock to follow. Highwell Stud became one of
the first studs to regularly use AI and was one of the first three
Ministry Approved Semen Collection Centres for Export in the UK. Liz
was one of the first Ministry Approved Equine Inseminators in the UK
and has had a huge experience in this area..
The breeding policy of Highwell Stud has been based on over 35 years
of breeding competition horses and is that you are more likely to
breed top class horses if you use stallions proven in sport and
above all with high class, consolidated pedigrees. This is not new
as it the practice of the racing fraternity who have known this for
a long time but many competition horse breeders rely on the 'fluke'
factor. The nations who do best in international competition do not
rely on chance discovery of talented horses but invest in astute
selection of breeding stock.
Why Trakehners? As an
athletic and beautiful competition horse they can rarely be
excelled. The overtly 'people friendly' character makes for a
trainable horse for the sympathetic rider and they make a rewarding
companion to own. They do not respond to a heavy hand but as they
are usually interested in the work and love to learn new things, a
heavy hand is unnecessary and possibly counter productive.
Trakehners have been used to improve most other German breeds at one
time or another and continue to be used in this respect. They are in
general more responsive and more courageous than other continental
breeds but calmer than most thoroughbreds and so suit the UK rider
very well. As the stallions are rigorously selected at 2y and have
had to do a 100 day performance test, involving dressage, jumping
and cross country at three and a half, before standing at stud,
their desire and ability to work as well as their soundness is
tested.
International showjumpers
like Abdullah, Milton, Vital, Amiego, Hopscotch etc are part or pure
Trakehner. Klaus Erhorn's Please Me and Testarrosa, White Girl etc
have done well in International Eventing. Horses with Trakehner
blood in International Dressage are too numerous to mention. VATOUT
was first placed in Grand Prix in Germany at 7 years of age and
please read his stud page details to know more. His son Vatout II ,
approved stallion with the Anglo-European Stud Book also won to
Intemediare I. Another son Wykfield Grane Viking was qualified and
did well at the World Championships at Verden in 2003. Trakehners
have won at all disciplines but their beautiful movement means they
are often chosen for dressage. Highwell Stud stock has gone to
Canada, Australia, Germany, South Africa where they have won in
competition and have been greatly valued.
Liz and her husband
Chris now spend time in
Europe and can aid people looking for horses in France and Germany
as well as having some of their own youngstock available. Advice on
which stallion would suit your mare is readily given so do get in
contact. Liz continues to prepare expert witness valuations of
Trakehners and dressage horses. |
