Rhythm & Blues
by Olympic Ferro out of Harmony (Argus/Saluut)
16.2 hh Black Stallion, Foaled in 1998

Approved:
     
NA/WPN (Dutch Mares only) 

Rhythm & Blues Photo Gallery

HIGHLIGHTS

Rhythm & Blues is a gorgeous TRUE BLACK stallion of Dutch breeding.  A relatively young stallion, he is already quite accomplished in both Dressage and Jumping.  Following his stallion testing he began a career as a Three-Day Event horse.  Shortly after his purchase by Heritage Manor in May 2005 R&B began competing as a Jumper, and cross training in Dressage.  Now R&B is exclusively training in dressage.

A talented and skillful Jumper while exhibiting three good gaits and a light front/powerful hind for Dressage, he excels in both disciplines, just as his sire Ferro and dam sire Argus.  With a lovely head, lovely sloping & free shoulder and his sire’s powerful hind/compact frame, R&B is a powerhouse (Ferro is known for passing on his ability to "sit" on his powerful hindquarters and have a powerful engine, R&B certainly demonstrates this).  R&B shows a natural ability for lateral work as well.

PROFILE

R&B was conceived via embryo transfer and was born on Easter Sunday in 1998.  In 1999, he was ranked #1 yearling in the US.  As a 3 year old, he was taken to Holland for his keuring/stallion inspection.  R&B was granted Star status by the Dutch at his keuring, and went to Team Nijhof’s for further development before his stallion testing.   In 2002 R&B completed his stallion performance testing in Prussendorf, Germany with excellent scores.   He received 9.0s in “character”, “ability to work”, and “cross country jumping” and an 8.33 in “free jumping”.   He became the first US stallion to be approved during European stallion testing.   R&B is one of very few approved sons of the great sire Ferro standing in the United States.  R&B’s dam, Harmony is the ONLY American bred/born Dutch mare in the USA to have received her Elite, Preferent, and Prestatie status. 

In 2006 R&B was inspected for RPSI stallion approvals.  At his inspection he received an impressive 9.0 for his canter.  

Much like his sire, R&B matured into Dressage after a successful competition career as a Jumper.  In 2007 R&B’s primary training focus switched from Jumpers to Dressage.  At the end of the 2007 breed season R&B began training with dressage rider Jasmine Létourneau of Quebec, Canada.   Jasmine and R&B premiered in the summer of 2008 at Prix St-Georges.   Jasmine and R&B have further strengthened their upper level work and are eager to show consistently well at PSG in 2009.     

Online Video Footage (YouTube.com)  R&B with Jasmine Letourneau 2009

LINEAGE

Olympic Ferro, the Dutch sensation at Aachen, competed at the 2000 Olympics and assisted his team in achieving a team silver medal, with an individual score of 74.92%. As a three-year-old in 1990 he was champion of his performance test at Ermelo, where he achieved the outstanding results of 6.5--walk, 8.5--trot and 8.5--canter. The charming, talented black stallion achieved the title of "Keur" in 2000. He can be relied upon to produce beautiful, typey, talented offspring of the highest quality. Fantastic toplines and an elegant look characterize his get. In addition to their dressage excellence, Olympic Ferro's offspring also make good jumpers. It is not widely known, but Ferro started out and successfully shown as a Jumper before embarking on his Dressage career.  Olympic Ferro is #1 on the BN World Stallion Rankings for dressage and is the top stallion and pride of the Netherlands, affectionately known as the "Black Pearl."  In 2002 Olympic Ferro once again had the highest scores on the Dutch Olympic team.  He has produced numerous approved sons; R&B being his first approved US born approved son. http://www.malouin.net/ferro1.htm

Ferro (KWPN)	Ulft (KWPN)	Le Mexico (KWPN)	Mexico (SF)
			Peche Melba (SF)
		Pia (KWPN)	Pericles (xx)
			Elni
	Brenda (KWPN)	Fax 1 (Holst)	Fanatiker (Holst)
			Margot (Holst)
		Upianne (KWPN)	Prefekt (Hann)
			Piana (KWPN)
Harmony (KWPN)	Argus (KWPN)	Pion (KWPN)	Abgar (xx)
			Irma la Douce (KWPN)
		Rozetta (KWPN)	Jasper (KWPN)
			Laurine (KWPN)
	Zinia (KWPN)	Saluut (Holst)	Ronald (Holst)
			Elma (Holst)
		Inia (KWPN)	Amor (Ausl)
			Winia (KWPN)

Ulft, is a son of the great Le Mexico, who is listed 10th on the jumping index with 142 points. Ulft was a Dutch Warmblood 'keur' sire. The predicate 'keur' means that Ulft has produced offspring off the best quality. His offspring excel in both showjumping and dressage.  Many horses by Ulft have won international shows.  Ulft himself ranked in the top of the performance test for stallions; he was the first stallion ever to receive a 9 in dressage! Besides being a dressage talent, he was a great showjumper too. Ulft has produced 6 approved stallions of whom Ferro is the most notable. Ulft's offspring is recognized for their impressing gaits, especially the trot is said to be much improved with Ulft- influence.  Ulft produces horses winning all over the world, international winners in both dressage and showjumping. Le Mexico carries Furioso xx blood, which brings value to any pedigree.

Farn (by Fax I) was a Groninger stallion, imported at 3 years old from Holstein by the NWP (now KWPN). He is father of the Gelderlander keur-stallion Garant. In the first ten years after the KWPN was founded (and closing Sgldt and NWP studbooks) Farn only produced only one son was approved (Nimmerdor, Sire of the Century), thus Farn was sold for very, very little money. Once it became evident that the children of Farn were extremely good showjumpers, many sons were approved again.  Farn is listed sixth on the jumping index with 146 points.

Argus is the only horse in the world that was simultaneously successful in both Grand Prix jumping and FEI Dressage. Argus, 1.70m, dark bay, was born in 1982. Argus' sire is Pion by the famous thoroughbred Abgar, who sired many famous jumping horses. Argus performed very well at his KWPN performance test and claimed the 3rd place out of 24.  As a KWPN approved stallion, Argus was exported to the USA immediately after his performance test, where he stayed until the end of his sport career in 1993.  At 1989 American Keurings Argus produced 4 out of Top Ten foals in North America including 1st and 3rd. Among lots of other improvements Argus, having 62.5% Gelderlander blood in his veins, passes on his wonderful character to his offspring. In 1988, Argus sired more 'Premium 1' foals than any other breeding stallion in the US. In two breeding seasons, Argus has sired more premium 1 foals than all other stallions during their entire breeding careers in the United States. In 1989, four out of the ten highest placed foals at the selection were sired by Argus. Argus has a jumping index of 129 and a dressage index of 131. At Argus' offspring evaluation in Holland, he received a first premium for offspring that had "Excellent and consistent in type, legs, body and movement." 

For more information, visit http://www.malouin.net/argus.htm

Saluut is by the Holsteiner Ronald. Ronald produced 8 international jumping horses and has also produced the approved Holsteiner stallion Rantare. Rantare sired the Grand Prix jumper ATLAS. Ronald's sire Ramiro Z has sired 47 international jumpers, the most famous of which was the mare Ratina Z! Ramiro Z is also the leading producer of jumping horses in the last ten years. He is also known as a leading producer of quality mares including Zinia, keur pref (dam of Harmony).  Zinia produced Dinia who produced I-premium second ring stallion imported to the USA and licensed by the NA/WPN.

OFFSPRING

R&B foals are very correct, with lovely heads, a short well muscled back and powerful hind end.  Harmonious and solid in build, yet refined foals of beauty.  Just like their sire they show great aptitude for both Dressage and Jumping.  R&B passes onto his offspring athleticism and brilliant movement in all three gaits as well as his free back and amazing agility.  R&B foals have great presence and poise and are intelligent and affectionate.  They are willing horses with loads of personality.  R&B is showing he is a true son of the great Ferro, reliability passing on Ferro's wonderful attributes to the next generation.  Offspring inherit R&B’s amazing gaits, especially his (often praised) canter.  Year after year Ferro blood appears prevalently among the top upper level dressage horses in both North America and Europe.  

Multiple GOV Premium foals.  Excellent stallion for hind end improvement, better coupling/saddle position & refinement of heavier types.  Ideal choice for breeders looking for athleticism and versatility.