Apex Warmbloods

Jirtuose (aka Tosti) is our 1991, Liver Chestnut, 16hh Imported KWPN mare by May Sherif, out of a KWPN Star mare by Kommandeur (also known as Manchester in the USA).Tosti is a very successful dressage mare who has just retired from the show ring (Nov 2008). She is fantastic mover, with three exceptional gaits and stunning personality. We are very pleased to have Tosti in our breeding program, and would like to thank Donna for allowing us the opportunity to add such a lovely girl to our program. Tosti is royally bred both top and bottom, she has a long line of Star dutch mares in her pedigree, please see below for pedigree and parentage information. We expect top foals from this lovely girl, and she will be bred this spring.

*Top photo: Tosti showing at Amhurst with Allison Martin

Tosti has been booked to Rainbow Equus stallion RUBIGNON. He is competing Grand Prix dressage stallion, who was listed for the Swedish tem two years in a row, and has international Grand Prix wins in his name. Rubignon was recently imported to the USA, and we are thrilled to have the oppotunity to breed Jirtuose to him. Rubignon is a direct son of legendary dressage stallion Rubinstein, out of a Donnerhall/ Pik Solo mare. The combination of Donnerhall/ Pik Bube has produced some stellar dressage mounts over the years, and with the addition of Rubinstein, Rubignon has some of the best dressage bloodlines available today.

This 2010 will be a solid upper level dressage prospect, based on sire and dam performance. We will likely not be selling this foal, unless it is a colt.

Jirtuose is already a proven producer. Her 2006 KWPN filly, Bling,  by For Paragon is an exceptional girl, with movement and ability for the upper level disciplines. She is just rising three this summer, photos taken April 6/09.

Tosti also has an older foal, Topaz who is by Lynx. Topaz is a proven upper level horse, and Tom Dvorak rides her during his visits to Southlands, Vancouver. We are hoping for some photos of Topaz at some point in the future, she is apparently a stunner. She is identical to Tosti, Liver chestnut with two matching hind socks.

Jirtuose (aka Tosti) is by the legendary Danish Warmblood stallion May Sherif. Although deceased now, May Sherif is regarded as the top Danish Warmblood stallion and certainly the most famous. He won his stallion test in 1975 and then went on to compete in the Grand Prix dressage ring himself. He was a good producer during his early years, but it really wasn't until some of his offspring started competing that his value as a sire was fully realized. May Sherif offspring have gone on to win at the Grand Prix level, and his stallion services were in very high demand during the later stages of his life. Several notable offspring competing in the Grand Prix ring are: Andiamo, ridden by Otto Hofer and Matador, ridden by Kyra Kurklund both of whom competed in the 1988 Seoul Olympic games. Additionally, Melville, ridden by Pamela Goodrich of the USA; May Dancer, ridden by Katrina Bertelesen of Denmark; May Invest a German International Show Jumper; Mester Mouse, ridden by Joanna Jackson at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic games. The Blu Hors mare Matinee is also out of a May Sherif bred mare.

The dam's side of Jirtuose's pedigree adds strength through a long line of KWPN mares with the Star predecate, indicating breeding excellence. Jirtuose herself has not been presented to the KWPN for evaluation, but she likely will be presented in the coming year with the hopes of continuing her dam line's Star success. Kommandeur, (Maternal Sire) who was actually called Manchester aside from his Dutch breeding approval was a successful Holsteiner stallion who produced a number of upper level dressage offspring. He was ranked fifth in the world in 1996 as a producer of dressage horses and was 13th in the 1998 ranking of FEI level dressage horses. Kommandeur's TB sire Marlon is a very famous stallion who was imported to Germany, from Ireland, in 1965 and went on to become an influential sire for the Holsteiner breed. He was regarded in 1975 as the top German stallion for event horses, and he sired an incredible 21 approved sons along with 43 states premium mares.

We feel very lucky to have Tosti in our breeding program with such notable talents lining her pedigree both top and bottom. Her foals to date have been exceptional examples of warmblood breeding, and we anticipate great results for her future progeny.