Sandro Hit

A STALLION DIVIDING OPINIONS

The late and incredibly famous stallion Sandro Hit has had to contend with his fair share of critics over the years. He was extremely popular in Germany but for years has polarised the breeding community.

And yet, in the year of his death, he seems to finally have silenced his critics: firstly, by being represented in the direct pedigrees of eight of the Tokyo Olympic dressage horses, and secondly, the cherry on the top is him recently being crowned the number one dressage stallion in the WBFSH stallion rankings for 2021.

HISTORY

Paul Schockemöhle purchased Sandro Hit back in 1993, and from then on he stood at his stallion station.

Sandro Hit is by Sandro Song out of Loretta by Ramino (Ramiro). The elite mare, Loretta, produced further licensed stallions with Diamond Hit by Don Schufro and Royal Hit by Royal Dance. Sandro Song himself competed in both dressage and showjumping to intermediate level. Interestingly, Midgard Stud’s Saliner was by Sandro Song.

Sandro Hit initially performed poorly in his performance test. It turns out that even with his versatile breeding, he was a poor jumper. He had absolutely no scope. However, the head of dressage for the PSI Dr Ulf Möller had an idea after seeing him perform, and with Ulf in the saddle, Sandro Hit won the 1999 World Championships for six-year-old dressage horses in Arnheim, the Netherlands, and then again at the Bundeschampion at Warendorf. The rest is history. Sandro Hit became exceedingly popular as a young stallion and didn’t compete further due to breeding demands.

Not surprisingly, Ulf is Sandro Hit's biggest fan. He had this to say to The Horse Magazine “He is really stamping his offspring. He is producing uphill horses, producing pretty horses, even with some ugly mares. He gives his colour, and he gives outstanding rideability, and he gives something that is difficult to say in words, he makes proud horses. This is what is important – but it also gives a responsibility to the rider that he understands this proudness, and doesn’t try and press this proudness out. The rider must allow this pride to come out of the horse – maybe it was a bit the same with him at the stallion test, they pressed him and I let him live.”

BREEDING ACHIEVEMENTS

A beautifully bred Vinducath foal

He has 355 approved sons, and 97 of his offspring have competed at Grand Prix level. One of his most popular breeding sons is Sir Donnerhall I (whose dam sire is the inimitable Donnerhall). Sir Donnerhall I was followed by a repeat breeding, resulting in Sir Donnerhall II. Sir Donnerhall II competed at the Tokyo Olympics under France’s Morgan Barbançon.

One doesn’t have to look much further than the recent Olympics in Tokyo to see the depth of Sandro Hit’s influence. Team USA had a son of Sandro Hit in Adrienne Lyle’s Salvino (Sandro Hit x Donnerhall), a grandson in Sabine Schut-Kery’s Sanceo (San Remo by Sandro Hit x Ramiro’s Son) and a great grandson in Steffen Peters’ Suppenkasper (Spielberg x Krack C)! Team USA went on to ride to Team Silver and Sabine Schut-Kery placed 5th individually with an exquisite test aboard Sanceo. Team Germany’s Dorothee Schneider helped secure team Gold aboard her long-time partner and likely Sandro Hit’s most famous son, Showtime FRH (Sandro Hit x Rotspon).

Morgan Barbancon Mestre riding Sir Donnerhall II (OLD) during the Equita Longines 2018 in Lyon, France

SOUTH AFRICA

In South Africa, Sandro Hit is best represented by his Grand Prix son, the breeding stallion Vinducath but he is also the sire of the international stallion popular for breeding in South Africa, Sandreo. Sandro Hit’s genes are woven into dressage breeding all over the world, and it seems after his death, there will be a renewed interest in what he has to offer.

Vinducath A Sandro Hit son in South Africa