Unfortunately, in absentia, the triple world champion for young dressage horses, Sezuan was proclaimed Danish Warmblood Stallion of the Year 2020
The 11-year old stallion Sezuan is a black pearl in Danish breeding, and he has stamped his territory far beyond the Danish borders as the sire of numerous licenseds stallions and young sport horses that are successful in national as well as international championships throughout Europe.
Sezuan is out of Bøgegården’s very strong and proven dam line with the elite mare Lajka in fourth generation. This dam line has produced several licensed stallions and highly decorated mares as well as many elite mares. Sezuan’s enormous impact in breeding does not come out of nowhere. His dame, the gold medal mare Bøgegårdens Don Romina by Blue Hors Don Schufro was crowned as Mare of the Year 2006 as the best of all 3-year old performance tested mares in Danish Warmblood. Sezuan is a product of what is often referred to in Danish breeding as the “golden cross” – Blue Hors Zack combined with Donnerhall blood.
Andreas Helgstrand owned Bøgegårdens Don Romina and bred her to Blue Hors Romanov and Blue Hors Zack before he sold the pregnant mare to Linette Jæger who then registered the foal to be sired by Romanov, but DNA later on proved the black colt to be by Zack. As a 3-year-old Sezuan was presented for licensing by Helgstrand Dressage, and later that year at the stallion performance test he broke all former records by achieving ten times the score of 10, and the following year he was the undisputed star and champion stallion of the licensing in Herning in 2013. In February 2014, the German dressage stable and stallion station Peterhof, owned by Arlette Jasper-Kohl and prof. Edwin Kohl, purchased the Danish bred stallion.
In the hands of the German top rider Dorothee Schneider, Sezuan has been undefeated in the FEI/WBFSH World Young Hors Championships and was the first in history to win gold in all three age groups. Dorothee Schneider has said repeatedly: “I have never ridden a horse of the quality of Sezuan”.
Today, the stallion is trained under the saddle of Swedish top rider Patrik Kittel. Neither Sezuan nor his owners were able to be present in Herning to be honoured, but they produced a video that was shown on the big screen enabling the audience in Herning to get a glimps of Sezuan’s current training level with Kittel.
As a 4-year-old Sezuan was honoured with Aage Ravns challenge cup as the best performance tested DWB dressage stallion and in 2017 he was awarded HRH Princess Benedikte’s challenge cup for his unique and outstanding performances, and now he has achieved the ultimate honour in Dansk Varmblod as Stallion of the Year.
European sire
– Sezuan stamps his offspring worldwide with a remarkable label of quality. In Danish Warmblood alone he has sired three 338 foals, but he has influenced dressage horse breeding far beyond the Danish borders, said spokesman of the breeding committee, Claus Hansen in his honouring speach.
Sezuan has a fantastic mind and superior basic gaits which are traits that he passes on to his progeny. A clear and visible evidence is the fact that he tops the Danish Warmblood breeding value ranking for dressage stallions with a very superior indeks of 155.
73 of his daughters are graded in Danish Warmblood and nothin less than 82% are grading in the main studbook. 19 of these mares, in other words 26% his graded daughters, have been award a breeder medal. 10 bronze, six silver and three of the absolute highest carat, the gold medal and highest distinction which has been granted Queenparks Wendy, Gozzip and Schwarze Schwalbe Macohl.
Sezuan has also produced many licensed stallions and among his approved son are four fully licensed in Danish Warmblood, Janeiro Platinum, So Unique, Suarez and Tørveslettens Sylvester.
His offspring have dominated the Danish young horse championships in recent years, and on an international level his success as a sire is equally strong as two 5-year-olds claimed medals at the world championships in Ermelo last year where the licensed stallion Secret won silver and the Danish gold medal mare Queenparks Wendy took bronze.
– He is still on top of the breeding game and we hope that he will be available for many years ahead, Claus Hansen stressed.
DWB Stallion of the Year 1998-2020
1998 Lucky Light DVE 366
1999 Midt-West Ibi-Light DVE 360
2000 Schwadroneur DVE 343
2001 Lando DH 430
2002 Come Back II DVE 560
2003 Blue Hors Don Schufro DVE 690
2004 Carano DVE 521
2005 Solos Landtinus DVE 674
2006 Michellino DVE 542
2007 Blue Hors Hertug DVE 700
2008 Casir Ask DVE 497
2009 Cajus DVE 634
2010 Blue Hors Don Romantic DVE 801
2011 Blue Hors Romanov DVE 818
2012 Crelido DVE 752
2013 Heartbeat DVH 871
2014 Blue Hors Zack DVE 943
2015 Bøgegårdens Apollo DVE 767
2016 Blue Hors Hotline DVE 916
2017 Favorit Ask DVE 1035
2018 Fürstenball DVE 1021
2019 Skovens Rafael DVE 930
2020 Sezuan DVE 1110