94 SIDELINES JANUARY 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
His Highness’s daughter SPS Helena gave birth
to a colt sired by Totilas. The 2012 colt’s name is
Tobias L (Totilas/SPS Helena/His Highness)
Photo by Kiki Beelitz
Canadian rider Diane Creech
competing Hallmark, a son of
His Highness.
Photo courtesy of Leatherdale Farms
Doug, Louise and Sue Blinks
at the opening party of
Leatherdale Farms West in
Rancho Santa Fe, California.
and was breeding jumpers. “I’m a farm kid from Canada and I
don’t remember a day in my life when I didn’t own a horse,” he
said. “Louise was a city girl who loved animals. She was a quick
learner – how to deliver foals, genetics, Hanoverian bloodlines,
shipping the frozen semen – she’s pretty knowledgeable. We do
it together.”
On one of their frst dates, after dinner, Doug asked Louise if
she minded running back to the farm: he wanted to check on a
mare in foal. “I had never been around horses until we married 25
years ago,” stated Louise. “I had always wanted to be a vet, but
I was never going to get through the organic chemistry. I was in
health management and after we met, I just wanted to deal with
the horses. I love it. I tried riding, but my strength is with the mares
and the foals.”
Shortly after Doug and Louise were hitched, their breeding
aspirations went through some major changes. They began
importing mares fromGermany, because, as a breed, Hanoverians
were proving to be the most versatile and successful sport horses
on the world stage.
“We decided we needed to move on,” explained Louise. “Our
heart was in dressage and every horse can use some dressage
training. We decided to breed quality, but not quantity. The mares
we keep at home produce only three or four foals a year. We
don’t like to breed every mare every year. We like to give them a
chance to recuperate.”
Leatherdale Farms’ Equine Progeny In Europe
“We feel strongly that a horse shouldn’t be an ornament and that
a stallion should show,” said Louise. “Hampton (by His Highness),
First Dance, and Rob Roy are all doing Prix St. Georges. Our
youngsters are doing well. Fairbanks was champion Oldenburg
stallion at his licensing in 2009 and Herzensdieb, which means
heart thief, was the Trakehner licensing champion in 2005. Beltano
(2009) is headed for his 30-day testing in December (Sidelines
went to press before the testing). It’s a big trust element to hand
these horses over for the 30-day test and the 70-day test. We just
go over for the fnal part. Our partner checks on them during the
testing.”
The 30-day test includes free jumping, under saddle and cross-
country. “They must be all-around sport horses,” stated Louise. “If
you’re going to be a breeding stallion in Europe, you have to have
it all. The testing starts with about 5,000 young stallions and gets
them down to about 100 for licensing.”
The Leatherdales have established themselves as reputable
breeders, especially in Europe, but their commitment to excellence
is making their name better known in the United States. In the
course of a year, they expect that their stallions will sire 800-1000
foals around the world. Not all of them will be aimed at international
competition: they may be endowed with great dressage potential,
but quite a few will fulfll their destinies as superb riding horses in
whatever discipline their owners embrace.
For the Leatherdales, however, the focus is on producing
gorgeous foals with great minds, incredible athleticism, rideability
and spectacular gaits. “If you’re going to stand stallions and sell
semen, the horses have to compete and become top performance
horses,” said Doug. “Our next objective is the Pan Ams in three
years, then the Olympics in 2016. We have several horses we’ll
be qualifying, including our top German stallion, Damsey. We
hope that our horses can make another Olympic team.”
Leatherdale horses enjoying life on the farm.
Photo by Susan Sexton