Coriano Top-Ranked Sire in Sleswig-Holstein

According to a new study, CORIANO (Corrado I x Lord), the sire of Morningside Stud's jumping sensation CONDIO (Coriano x Landgraf I), is the #1-ranked sire in the German state of Sleswig-Holstein.

This result is based on an analysis by the state's agriculture department of thousands of offspring sired by 95 stallions servicing mares in Sleswig-Holstein (source: www.lk-sh.de).

Coriano and the dressage stallion Carpaccio (Caretino x Lantaan) both received overall breeding value (bv) scores of 145, placing them at the pinnacle and above well-known but older sires such as Acord II (bv 125), Caretino (bv 130), Contender (bv 137), and Quidam de Revel (bv 111). A breeding value score of 145, for example, means that the stallion's breeding value is 45% above the value of the average sire in the analysis.

The study analyzed data from three sources: foal inspections, mare tests, and breeding mare evaluations. Data from over 22,000 inspections, tests, and evaluations were used in the analysis.

Coriano's 471 foals received very good scores for the two characteristics analyzed: 121 for type/conformation and 117 for movement. Coriano received a breeding value score of 120 for his foals with an accuracy of 99.3%.

The mare inspections resulted in high scores for the 82 Coriano mares. The mares received scores of 128 for type, 113 for topline, 163 for forehand, 184 for backend, 134 for correctness of movement, and 121 for action and impulsion. Coriano received a breeding value score of 135 for his mares with an accuracy of 95.7%.

The breeding mares evaluation produced extraordinary results for Coriano. Breeding mares sired by Coriano received scores of 151 for the walk, 122 for trot, 132 for canter, 153 for rideability, and 161 for freejumping. Coriano received the top breeding value score of 154 for his breeding mares with an accuracy of 92.7%.

For breeders of showjumpers, the key is to combine excellent jumping technique with rideability. Only Cassini I's breeding mares received a higher freejumping score than Coriano's (166 versus 161), but the rideability of Cassini's mares is much lower (135 versus 153 for Coriano's mares). Coriano's breeding mares received the highest rideability score, 153, in the study. (Breeding mares by the great, recently-deceased dressage legend Donnerhall received a slightly higher rideability score of 156 but the accuracy was only 65.7%, so the results cannot be trusted. And Donnerhall's mares received a freejumping score of only 61 versus 161 for Coriano's breeding mares.) These results, which show that Coriano produces jumpers that are very easy to ride, make Coriano the top-ranked sire of breeding mares in the German state of Sleswig-Holstein.

Breeders also need to pay close attention to conformation. Mares sired by Coriano received the highest scores for both front-end (163) and back-end (184) conformation.

Tom Reed, the owner of Morningside Stud, tells us "this is further evidence of the superior genes embodied in Condios. Last year, Coriano was ranked by the German Federation as Germany's 6th best showjumping sire. This new analysis of sires servicing mares in the Holstein region confirms Coriano's value. To be ranked as the #1 sire is an amazing achievement. And based on these results, breeders who use Condios should be delighted if they produce a filly. They are tapping into the genes of what could turn out to be Germany's best producer of dams."

"We have been telling breeders for over two years that Condios has within him incredible showjumping genes that should be paired with excellent Irish genes to produce the showjumpers of the future: the Irish Warmblood. These results show that also within Condios are genes that produce easy-to-ride horses, an important characteristic for both amateur and professional riders."

Morningside Stud's sire Condios (born 1995) is a Holsteiner approved in Ireland, Germany, Denmark, and the UK. Condios was Reserve Champion of his German performance test, placing first in dressage and third in jumping. He has won (inter)national classes in Germany, Holland, Denmark, Belgium, and Ireland. Condios is also the only Irish-owned stallion ever to have reached the Final, and to jump clear in the Final, of the German Showjumping Championship.

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