Last August, horse addicts across America tuned in to the webcast of the World Equestrian Games and were captivated by the floppy ears and dancing feet of a grey mare from Denmark.


Footage of Blue Hors Matinè (pronounced Matinee) and her rider Andreas Helgstrand quickly made its way onto Youtube and became an internet phenomenon. Online may be the only way that Matinè will ever come to Mecca, but her joie de vivre was the inspiration to learn about more the Danish Warmbloods near and far.

Matinè didn’t spring from nowhere just to entrance her fans. She was born at the Blue Hors stud, one of Denmark’s most successful breeding farms with a tradition of training and showing their own stock. When their top rider, Lars Peterson, left for America five years ago, he nominated a very young Andreas Helgstrand to take his place. Helgstrand quickly made a mark with the stallion Blue Hors Caval and other stable stars. But it is his partnership with Matinè and their enthusiastic performances that are creating a new breed of dressage fans and a wave of interest in the Danish Warmblood.

The warmblood arena is crowded, and what exactly sets a Danish Warmblood apart from the others? For starters, they the premium equine production of a nation that owns more horses per capita than any other country in Europe. Not all of them are Matinès – but quite a few are being exported to the United States, and there is now a North American registry for them too.

Their brand, a crown over a wave, is quite new, as the registry started less than 50 years ago, in 1960 It is really a type rather than a breed (the stud book is open to horses from other registries if they meet the demanding inspection standards). The focus is on the sport horse who excels in either dressage or jumping.

Matinè’s pedigree illustrates the mixed origins of the Danish Warmblood – her granddam, Sussie, was of unspecified breeding, probably a Danish Oldenberger in type, even if unregistered. That blank in her pedigree is made up for by her damsire – Matador, who competed with Olympic rider Kyra Kyrklund, and who was a son of May Sherif, a very influential sire in Denmark. Her sire, Silvermoon, is a Trakehner, from whom she inherited her grey coat and probably those floppy ears. Matinè’s dam, Matadie, also produced Ballasyr Royale, who competed successfully at the Olympics and the WEG with the British rider Richard Davison, thus proving that Sussie, whatever her blood, must have had some sterling qualities.


Maybe it is this original foundation of homebred mares that sets the Danish Warmblood on the path to world renown.



Origins

The Danes were never shy about importing horses. In the 16th century, the Royal Stud of Frederiksborg was founded with imported Spanish and Neopolitan horses by King Frederik. Judicious mixing with thoroughbreds and other blooded horses produced a fine horse called the Frederiksborg, which was highly respected and sought after in the eighteenth century as carriage horse, military charger and for haute ecole work. Danish horses were widely exported in the 18th and 19th centuries, including the stallion Pluto who became one of the foundation sires of the Lipizzaner. The Frederiksborg continued to be popular until the middle of the last century when it went into a drastic decline along with the demand for military and carriage horses, and is today something of a rarity in its original form. Much of the remaining bloodstock, together with a large number of Danish Oldenburgs, formed the foundation of the modern Danish sporthorse.

In 1962, the Danish Sport Horse Society and the Danish Light Horse Association were established. They combined in 1978 to form the Danish Warmblood Society (Dansk Varmblod). The goal was to create a distinctive sporthorse type with the strong back and hocks required for high school movements like the piaffe and passage, as well as the height and athleticism necessary to become successful jumpers. Breeds that are frequently found in Danish Warmblood lines include Trakehner, Oldenburg and the English Thoroughbred, along with the Selle Francais and Polish and Northern German horses. They could not simply wish their way way into the studbook, however. There is a rigorous rite of passage for breeding stallions called the "100 day test", and even Danish-born mares are stringently analyzed before they are approved for registry and breeding.

Breed Standards




The desirable qualities are a finely made head, a muscular, well-set neck of good length, and a deep, broad chest. A sloping shoulder that ties in to strong compact back and powerful haunches driven by muscular, clean legs, well-formed hooves and most especially sturdy hocks are required to generate both the upper-level dressage movement and jumping ability. The Danish Warmblood should be easygoing in temperament, but still bold in movement, and exhibit free-flowing gaits with natural elevation. They should be solid in color, most frequently bay, and of good size, with 16.2 hands being average.

Though there are relatively few Danish horses in America compared to other warmbloods, they have long been sought after by international competitors. At the Sydney Olympics, there were Danish Warmbloods on the equestrian teams of nine nations, including Lando, Olympic silver medal winner for show jumping in Sidney, now at stud in Denmark. Other high-profile horses are Maximus JJS, ridden by Catherine Haddad in international Grand Prix and Dankso’s Success, ridden by Lars Petersen, now living in Wellington, FL.

Local Talent



There are also some accomplished Danish Warmbloods much closer at hand. Cindy Tompkins of Stable Ridge Farm was kind enough to share a little bit about the history of her dressage horse Da Capo, now twenty, although you wouldn’t guess it from his appearance.

She acquired him five years ago when she was searching for a schoolmaster type. He was for sale in Canada at Leslie Reid’s barn. She knew little about his history until she started to investigate his blood lines. Lo and behold, her trusty bay had once been a high-level dressage performer priced in the six figures. At fifteen, his grand prix days were behind him and he was within Cindy’s reach. But owning a former dressage star is not without its tribulations. Shortly after she brought him home, he pulled a suspensory ligament and had an extended layoff. More recently he has battled with an absessed tooth. Still, he exemplifies an older type of Danish Warmblood, with massive legs and a powerful stride, yet still capable of delicate and precise movement with lofty action. You might see Cindy and Da Capo at a dressage show this summer.

Another local Danish Warmblood worth mentioning is Valeur, owned by Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center. He will be going to the Paralympics with rider Erin Alberda, but still earns his board at the Center by participating in their program (described in last month's article on volunteer Skyler Leonard).


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If you are dreaming about your own Danish Warmblood or want to window shop, Suzanne Hudson has a few for sale in Washington at http://www.northwestdressage.com/ as well as http://www.diamondlegacybreeding.com where Da Capo's sire stands.

Or go straight to the source:

http://www.bluehors.dk/


If you’d like to learn more about the breed in general:


http://www.warmblood.dk



And for an interview with Andreas Helgstrand:


http://www.eurodressage.com/reports/interview/youngguns/05-12-helgstrand.html


To see Da Capo's home:
http://www.stableridge.net/


last month's article