Sandro Hit has topped the World Breeding Federation of Sport Horses (WBFSH) dressage sire rankings for the first time – as Chacco-Blue retains his title in the showjumping rankings for a fifth consecutive year.
Oldenburg stallion Sandro Hit, who died in August from an infection aged 28, moved up the from third place in 2020. Former leader Johnson is now 2nd, and Jazz is third. While Sandro Hit has been in the top three since 2016, he has never taken the top spot before.
Bred by Reinhold Harder, Sandro Hit was bought by Paul Schockemöhle at auction in 1993. He went on to have more than 200 licensed sons, including top breeding stallions San Amour, San Remo and Sir Donnerhall I, and also has more than 490 daughters who have been awarded state premium status – including Poetin, the world champion and double Bundeschampion.
“Our celebration of the breeding achievements of the great Sandro Hit is tinged with a little sadness, as he passed away only days after we witnessed outstanding performances by his progeny at this year’s Tokyo Olympics, which saw the entire US dressage team mounted on horses that were either direct descendants, or grandsons. On the gold winning German team, we enjoyed a wonderful performance of Showtime FRH under the saddle of Dorothee Schneider, with Salvino, ridden by Adrienne Lyle, helping to secure silver for the US team,” said a WBFSH spokesman.
“In this year’s rankings we encounter his genetics twice more in the top 10 with his son Sir Donnerhall I in fourth and his grandson Spielberg in eight.”
Chacco-Blue, sire of Tokyo Olympic champion Explosion W, has retained his top spot in the showjumping sire rankings for the fifth consecutive year. Diamant De Semilly takes second place, and Casall is third. Bred by Karl-Heinz Köpp, the Mecklenburger stallion Chacco-Blue by Chambertin out of a Contender mare was the most represented stallion at the Tokyo Olympics with five offspring.
Selle Francais stallion Jaguar Mail climbed to the top of the eventing sire rankings from third. Diarado remains in second and last year’s leader Grafenstolz is now third. By Hand in Glove XX out of a Ladanum X mare, Jaguar Mail’s offspring include Andrew Hoy’s Olympic team silver and individual bronze medal-winning ride Vassily de Lassos and Austin O’Connor’s Olympic ride Colorado Blue.
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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
