Cor de la Bryère is the stallion that revolutionised
jumping horse breeding. His is the name astute breeders like to see,
especially on the mare line for ‘Cord’ tends to give great form over a
jump.
His sire – the French Thoroughbred, Rantzau, was bred to be a jumper
being a descendent of the enormously influential Bay Ronald. Rantzau
was by Foxlight by Foxhunter by Foxlaw by Son-In-Law by Dark Ronald by
Bay Ronald.
A serious racehorse, Rantzau was third ranked three year old of his
year - in nine races between 2000 and 3000 metres, he won two and was
placed five times. Purchased by the National Stud, he arrived at the
stallion depot of Saint-Lô on January 5th, 1951.
Of Rantzau, the stud inspector noted: ‘good front extension,
remarkably built through the shoulder and fore-arm, long haunches,
this classy stallion of rare nobility, also has low-placed joints and
covers ground'.
Contrary to legend, the breeders in the area were quite enthusiastic
about this well-bred, well-conformed and well-performed newcomer and
between 1951 and 1962, he bred between 40 and 49 mares a year. In
those days French state stud stallions were only allowed to breed 40
mares a year, plus the National Stud director’s cards used by him ‘in
the interest of breeding’. In 1971 he covered his last book of mares,
with five foals the result. In twenty years of breeding he covered 772
mares at an average of 38 mares a year for 179 fillies and 194 colts.
His fertility of 50% was regarded as normal for the time.
By 1964, Rantzau had moved into 3rd place on the ranking of aged sires
of jumping horses, behind Lutteur B and Kenavo D, and the next year he
moved into 2nd place with progeny jumping with success all over
Europe, and held that second place until 1969. In 1970 he moved down
to third place behind Ibrahim and Furioso, but the next year he moved
into first place on the jumping rankings, as well as being in 5th
place on the sire of eventers rankings - he was even ranking in the
20s as a sire of dressage horses.
As late as 1976, when he had been dead for five years, Rantzau was
still 3rd on the jumping sires rankings, by 1980 he had moved into 4th
place. He remained for many years one of the leading sires of
broodmares.
On the bottom side, Cor de la Bryère was royally bred, out of Quenotte
B, by Lurioso a son of the most influential
Precipitation son, Furioso. In French jumping circles, Furioso had
been a sensation, siring the 1964 Olympic gold medallist, Lutteur B
and the world showjumping champion of 1968, Pomone B. Lurioso was
himself a sire of international showjumpers.
Cor de la Bryère almost never made it to the breeding barn. In 1970,
the selection committee of the Haras du Pin visited his owner, Xavier
Ribard and suggested ‘that is not breeding stock, he’s too much of a
sport horse. Better geld him; he’ll make a useful gelding.’
The horse was now on the market – and it just so happened that the
Holstein Association was looking for French blood, having seen the
success of Furioso II and Futuro in Oldenburg. Oldenburg breeder (and
showjumping ace) Alwin Schockemöhle was looking for a stallion star,
and leased the Furioso xx son Urioso – however he was prepared to
sub-lease the stallion to the Holstein Verband. Hence a Holstein
inspection committee travelled to France to evaluate Urioso and in
doing so, discovered Cor de la Bryère. Urioso ended up standing two
forgettable seasons in Holstein while ‘Cord’ left an indelible mark on
the Holstein breed, and jumping the world over.
He was not only a sire himself but a sire of sires. The full brothers,
Caletto I, II and III were stars, as were the brother quartet of
Calypso I to V. In the jumping arena, his handsome grey son, Corrado
has been a star for Franke Sloothaak, while Cordalmé Z with Gilbert
Böckmann has also been successful at international level.
Cor de la Bryere progeny continue to shine - at the
2001 European Showjumping champs, the Cor de la Bryere son, Broere VDL
Corland, led the competition going into the final day. Corland is
pictured here with his rider, Wout-Jan van der Schans
In his first season, Cor de la Bryère covered 70 mares at Siethwende
and four colts from his first crop were licensed.
He was a stallion of great vigour, and as late as 1977 served a full
book of 111 mares.
Although best known as a sire of jumping horses, Cor de la Bryère was
also the sire of Corlandus, a World Cup Dressage Champion in 1989, and
his sons Calypso I and Calypso II have proven a useful sire of
dressage horses. Current German Olympic team member, Chacomo ridden by
Alexandra Simons de Ridder is by Calypso I, as was Alexandra’s other
FEI star, Champus.
Cor de la Bryère's most successful dressage horse
- Corlandus
In the latest WBFSH ratings, Cor de la Bryère is ranked 18th with 28
points earning progeny, but there are a staggering 20 own sons on the
rankings: Calando I, II, IV; Caletto I, II; Calvados I, II; Calypso I,
II, III; Cantares, Carneval, Carte d'Or, Casanova, Cavalier Royale,
Cinzano, Constant, Contact, Corrado I, Cortez 679, Cosinus. There are
also 12 grandsons of Cor de la Bryère in the standings - not to
mention important stallions like Cathago Z and
Burggraaf - who are out of Cor de la Bryère mares.
Here is Romedio Graf von Thun-Hohenstein in his book,
The Holsteiner Horse, commenting on Cor de la Bryère's shape over
a jump:
'When the goal was to join the exciting powerful jumping ability of
the Holsteiner with a sophisticated skill, combined with an ideal
bascule, sooner or later a stallion such as Cor de la Bryère had to be
selected. The arching back, like a taut band of steel combined with
the super elastic end gives limitless, but always expedient, springing
capability to the natural dynamics of each effort. Add to that ease of
riding, marvelous disposition, and a floating, highly balanced canter.
These qualities are absolutely to the benefit of young horses, who
will no longer have to pay with premature breakdowns caused by jumping
and showing solely with a raw, crude jumping talent.'
And perhaps it was a case of a stallion being in the
right place at the right time - French equestrian journalist, Bernard
le Courtois is firmly convinced, that left in France, Cor de la Bryère
would have simply confirmed the original assessment of the French
selection committee:
According to Bernard: “Some stallions cross very well
in a particular situation. For example, Cor de la Bryère. He was
exceptional in the 70s in Holstein because he was a horse that was
very quick with the front legs. He did not have the power on the back
side, but he was a very electric horse, with the blood of the
Thoroughbred, Rantzau, and mixed with the heavy Holsteiner mares, he
was fantastic. But when we tried to breed Cor de la Bryère with the
French mares, we had rabbits. Cor de la Bryère needed a very strong
mare, and we didn’t have this kind of mare in France.”
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