Capitol I is a real rarity in the ranks of Holsteiner stallions
- a showjumping sire, whose name begins with ‘C’
who is not related to Cor de la Bryère! Nor for that
matter, is he related to that other pillar of Holsteiner
breeding, Landgraf.
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Capitol I is the
product of one of those legendary mares on which studs are
built. In 1960, a wayward mare, Rappel was saved from the
knackery by Rheder Thormählen, a breeder from a family
which had lived on the Kollmaran marsh for 500 years, where
they had been involved in the breeding, riding and selling
of horses throughout that time. Rappel who was by Heinzelmann,
had made herself unpopular by jumping out of paddocks, and
was still jumping at the age of 23 when she won an elementary
showjumping class! Herr Thormählen did not know it
at the time but Rappel had an earlier foal, by the influential
Arabian bred, Ramzes, who as Romanus had won the Grand Prix
of Rome with Hans Günter Winkler.
Ten years later, Rappel presented Thormählen with another
Ramzes foal, this time a filly, Vase - who went on to be
champion mare of Holstein. Vase’s full-brother, Roman
topped the German showjumping standings for two years running
with Hans-Gunter Winkler. Vase’s daughter, Folia, by
Maximus (himself an Advanced showjumper), foaled five stallions:
Latus I and II (both by Landgraf), and then Capitol - who
was by Capitano out of Retina (also by Ramzes) who had won
the Hamburg Derby with Fritz Thiedemann in the saddle.
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According to Harm Thormälen, whose family
bred Capitol:
“The Capitol horses have scope – scope and easy
to handle. Amateurs can ride the Capitol horses. Sometimes
they are not ‘blood’ enough, they need blood.
In his last years Capitol was only allowed to breed to mares
with Thoroughbred blood. The mare sire had to be Thoroughbred,
or otherwise Cor de la Bryère – so Capitol
got very good mares. It was top management by the Holsteiner
Verband, with very good results in the sport. The children
of Capitol have won the most money in the sport of any stallion
in the world.”
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Sacramento Song lives on and daily grows more influential in both dressage and jumper breeding. He was a classically bred English Thoroughbred, who stood in Holstein from 1973 until his early death in 1979. Sacramento Song is described in Dr. Dietrich Rossow's Stallion Book of the Holsteiner Warmblood Breed as: "A classically bred, English Thoroughbred, with beautiful, smoothly
harmonious topline. Beautiful head, rather low set on neck, impressive
shoulder with good coupling to the croup. Well muscled, strong legs and
feet, sufficient gaits. Tremendous jumping ability, very tight with
front end and good with knees." Dr Rossow was of the opinion that he bred: ‘Very good temperaments,
keen, energetic dispositions... Top jumper
sire!’ Alas as a private stallion he was only sparingly used by the
Holstein breeders to their later regret. By 1990 with progeny earnings
of DM696,000 he was the 8th most successful post-war Thoroughbred sire
in Germany! Sacramento Song had 31 competitors with placings, 29 of
which were showjumpers. After his death three exceptional sons were
licensed on the grounds of their competition results: Sympatico,
Sacramento Son and Sandro.
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Sacramento Song in Germany
According to that great expert on Holstein
breeding, Jasper Nissen in a fascinating article in Z Magazine (August 2004), “Sacramentro Song’s career
in Holstein seriously suffered from the fact that he was not studbook
owned but privately owned and was active precisely in the period
in which the Thoroughbred had fallen into complete disgrace with
the studbook. In addition, he was stationed in not the best breeding
district. Nevertheless he soon proved himself a top class sire.
He produced a large number of first class showjumping horses, several
event horses, no dressage horses. He often passed on his own type.
He was a purebred bay, often with a dark shade, he produced tall
horses, somewhat light in the bones, with an excellent character
and eager workers with an energetic temperament, often a little
hot. Geldings and stallions lasted longer in the sport than his
daughters, who often needed ‘instructions for handling’.
Many of his daughters however, proved quality broodmares. Unfortunately
his only licensed son, Symphatico (licensed for his results in showjumping)
died after one breeding season. Another son who proved himself in
the sport was Sandro, stationed in Oldenburg.”
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