Farewell III

According to Holly Simensen, Director of the Oldenburg Horse Breeder Society, North American division of the Verband der Zuchter des Oldenburger Pferdes, “Bob really outdid himself this year.”  Describes DeGour, “The award underscores the guidance the German Oldenburg Verband has provided to American breeders over the past decades.”

The colt, named “Don Sargasso” after the only sea on the planet with no land mass boundaries, is by the Top Ranked Dressage Stallion, “Don Schufro” (Donnerhall x Pik Bube), out of “Redhawk’s Serendipity” (Sir Oldenburg x Rubenstein 1), a premium mare in the German Oldenburg Verband’s main mare book.

“This is a real honor!” describes DeGour, a breeder of 14 years.  “We were really excited at the inspection when he not only received Premium status, but was name ‘Stallion Prospect’ and ‘Foal of Distinction.’  To be Vice Champion against all the foals in Germany and the U.S. is amazing!  We couldn’t be more proud of him!”

Characteristically, “Don Sargasso” is the epitome of DeGour’s breeding philosophy of bridging performance with character.  Like so many of Don Schufro’s offspring, DeGour describes him as being very smart, easy to deal with, correct in his conformation and very big in his movement…and importantly, having a strong stallion presence that commands attention.”

Don Sargasso’s sire, “Don Schufro” was the top German Dressage stallion for seven consecutive years and has produced a number of successful offspring competing to the highest levels of the sport.  Among his many approved sons in the European Community are Don Laurie, Diamond Hit, Don Romantic and Don  Caruso.

The dam, “Redhawk’s Serendipity” was purchased by the DeGours as a weanling foal at the Baden-Wurttemburg foal auction in Germany.  She has produced two top quality foals and has been bred back to Don Schufro for the 2010 foaling season.

Co-owner of Red Hawk Ranch Lynn Randle-DeGour describes their breeding formula as being especially focused on top quality mares.  “We knew going into this that the only way to excel was to break away from the old philosophy that led people to buy a mare with the idea that if she wasn’t good enough for competition you could always breed her.  Instead, we spent a lot of time in Germany learning about bloodlines, then buying top fillies representing the bloodlines we wanted.  Every one of our foundation mares would be top competition horses, but their job is to produce the competitors of the future.”  Adds DeGour,  “Quite honestly, only the best representatives of our philosophy of bridging performance with character stay in the breeding program.”

Red Hawk Ranch has actively promoted the development of top quality young horses with annual “Young Horse Development Programs” sponsored by the Oldenburg Verband.  “We feel strongly that the missing link in the U.S.’s ability to have U.S. bred horses in the Olympics is in the early training stages where Germany has experts starting the top equine talents off in their careers,” says Randle-DeGour.

The DeGours plan to send “Don Sargasso” to Germany for Stallion Performance Testing and the start of his competition career.