Rivendell Champagne
Pedigree Profile of Rivendell Champagne
Champagne is the most striking of this bunch. White socks, a dished face with a big white blaze…an absolutely beautiful feminine filly, who will definitely take her dam’s spot in the stud…a tough act to follow!
Champagne’s sire, our own Rivendell Saruman, has a bloodline that is very modern and suitable for both dressage and jumping. Sandro Song is by the well-known top sire of showjumping stallions and founder of his own successful sire line, Sandro. This stallion, which has over 44 graded sons, is also a source of world-class dressage horses.
Sandro also competed in international showjumping competition with Franke Sloothaak. Sandro Song is out of Antenne II by Gepard, who left a lasting imprint on Paul Schockemöhle’s mare band – Gepard was a son of the great sire of showjumpers, Gotthard. The grand-dam Antenne won numerous Grand Prix with George Ahlmann. Sandro Song is one of the few stallions to have been both Champion Oldenburg Junior Stallion as well as main premium winner.
The two top horses in the 2006 World Equestrian Games, namely Satchmo – Anky van Grunsven in Dressage, and Sandro Boy – Markus Ehning in Show-jumping, have Sandro in their pedigree.
Saruman’s damline has the legendary Pik Bube in its pedigree who was a dressage legend in his time under Herbert Rehbein. They won 11 out of 12 advanced classes in their only competition season in 1980. Pik Bube’s sire, Pik König is considered the most important son of the famous Thoroughbred sire of showjumpers, Pik As xx. Pik König sired 19 Approved sons and 22 State Premium mares. His offspring – such as Pirol 37 – were mainly successful in showjumping. With a dressage index of 126, and a jumping index of 131, Pik König had an overall rating of 129. His sire, Pik As xx stood at the State Stud Celle from 1953-69, where he sired four approved sons. Pik Bube was a genius on the international dressage scene with a series of overwhelming successes. He’s also well known as the sire of many licensed and proven young stallions, and it is through him that the grandiose thoroughbred blood of Pik As XX exerts much of its influence.
Calvyra, Champagne’s dam, is by the stallion Calvaro Z, being by the great sport stallion ‘Caletto I’, who was 10th in the World Cup Final in Berlin 1985 and sired Marcus Ehning’s Costa as well as the super sire ‘Cantus’ (who sired Willi Melliger’s big grey ‘Calvaro’ as well as Lunger Beerbaums ‘Come On’ and the top stallion ‘Calido’). His full brother ‘Caletto II’ was sire to Ludger Beerbaums ‘Classic Touch’, Jan Tops ‘Operette la Silla’ and the top stallion ‘Caretino’. His dam ‘Rita’ was by the Holsteiner superstar stallion ‘Capitol I’ who crossed so well with ‘Cor de la Bryere’ and particularly the two Calettos, producing the stars ‘Cassini’, ‘Cento’ and ‘Indoctro’. .
Calvaro jumped at top international Grand Prix level finishing 8th individually in the European Championships at Mannheim 1997, he won the GP of Hickstead CSIO, the Nations Cup of Aachen and was 5th in the GP of Maastricht all in 2000, he was 2nd in the GP of Valkenswaard and the World Cup GPs of Bologne and sHertogenbosch all in 1998.
His offspring include ‘LB Callas Sitte Z’ (Christina Liebherr) 2nd 5 star GP of San Patrignano, 4th 5 star GP of Monte Carlo, 4th in the Nations Cup of 5 star Falsterbo and 3rd 3 star GP of Mannheim all in 2012 and 3rd in the 5 star Nations Cup of Calgary 2011, ‘Katchina Mail’ (Patrice Delaveau) 11th in the World Cup Final in Geneva 2010, winner of the GP of 5 star Gijon CSIO and 1m55 classes at 5 star Stuttgart and Lyon and 3rd in the World Cup GP of Oslo and Bordeaux in 2009 as well as multiple 3 star GP wins, ‘Night Train’ (Denis Lynch and Darragh Keirns) 1m50 wins at 5 star Lyon and Rio de Janeiro, derby wins at Valkenswaard and La Baule and 1m40 wins at 5 star Zurich and 4 star The Hague all in 2012, 1m45 -1m50 wins at 5 star Mechelen, Paris and Valkenswaard in 2011 and in 2010 won a 3 star GP in Wellington and ‘Ralvesther’ (Brianne Goutal) winner of three 1m40 classes at 3 star Stockholm in 2012 a 1m50 class at 5 star Calgary, 4th in the GP of 5 star Charlotte and 9th in 4 star GP of Wellington in 2010. etc
In a lifespan of thirty years, the “preferent” G Ramiro Z’s performance as a sporthorse and breeding sire earned him the titles ‘Stallion of the Century’ and “King of Sires.” This stallion being the damsire of St Pr St Calvyra Z.
His progeny can be described with one word: sublime. He supplied a large number of stallions approved in the Netherlands and abroad as well as an impressive series of fantastic sport horses many of whom have achieved fame. His daughter, the super-mare Ratina Z, is the dream of the show jumping world, winning double Olympic gold medals (1992 and 1996) at the Barcelona Olympics, and the World Cup of 1993. Ramiro’s progeny distinguish themselves in dressage as well.
Despite his impressive ancestry and sports results, one of G Ramiro Z’s biggest claims to fame are his fertility and sperm quality. They were so high that he was used in the research of artificial insemination and frozen semen to produce the science we know today. This fertility is passed on to his offspring, including ROYAAL Z.
Ramiro still ranks number 16 on the 2003 World Breeding Federation jumping stallion rankings. He is arguably the most influential jumping stallion ever…
Conceived in Holstein, born in Westfalia, licensed at Neumünster, and himself an international performer under Fritz Ligges, this stallion influenced nearly all European Performance Studbooks.
Ramiro was the most popular distributor of the Ramzes blood and the most frequented sire in Germany. He stood at stud in Westfalia, Holstein, Zangersheide and Holland. Numerous sons and daughters conserve and pass on the valuable genes that stand for rideability and jumping talent. Therefore, it is not a surprise to find Ramiro’s children and grandchildren at the top levels of showjumping and dressage.
It is simply impossible to mention all his successful progeny. From his first breeding season, came the super mare, Fatinitza, show jumping from victory to victory under Fritz Ligges and Thomas Frühmann, and later mother of the Zangersheide stallion, Almiro Z.
Ramiro’s second season saw him in Holstein where he produced three stallions: Rinaldo (out of a Trakehner mare), Rio Negro, who became a Grand Prix dressage horse, trained by Willi Schultheis, and Ronald, who was for years the most popular stallion in Holstein, where he sired five licensed sons and more than a hundred top broodmares, many of whom became mothers of sires like Alcatraz, Libero, Lord Incipit, Larno, Le Grand – all exquisite sires and sporthorses. Ronald, like his famous father, went to Holland – where he stood for five years, and sired, among others, the show jumping sire Saluut, the father of the Australian stallion, Salute.
Ramiro’s influence on the Dutch Warmblood breeding was, and still is, of utmost importance. The Dutch bestowed the title ‘Horse of the Year’ on Ramiro in 1992. For Leon Melchior’s performance breeding program at Zangersheide, Ramiro became the strongest and most successful pillar.
Ramiro was one of the first stallions to appear in the sport. During his own sporting career, he had numerous wins at all levels of show jumping – Nations Cups, Puissance (jumping over 2.2 metre!) and in international Grand Prix competition.
When Ramiro was presented for selection, he was described as the ideal type of the modern Holsteiner – strongly imprinted by his dam, tall and elegant, showing the top line of his grandfather, Cottage Son xx, with powerful frame, a glorious face and large, clear eyes. His excellently formed neck, beautifully set, could still be seen, even when he was an old horse, and are stamped on his progeny. Ramiro displayed a very good walk, a normal trot, and a great canter – it was impossible not to be enthusiastic.
Based at the Zangersheide Stud of Leon Melchior, Ramiro was presented with a selection of superbly bred jumping mares. His most famous ‘nick’ was with the foundation mare, Heureka. The oldest daughter of this pairing was RATINA Z who ridden by Piet Raymakers and Ludger Beerbaum, won World Cup Finals, the European Championships, the Grand Prix of Aachen, individual Olympic Silver, double Olympic Team Gold, Team Gold at the WEG, and twice team gold at the European championships. Argentina Z another Heureka daughter (by Almé) produced with Ramiro the stallion sons: Rebel I Z, Rebel II Z, Rebel III Z and Rock Z.