Building a Dream

PART 2

Lara Neill & Callaho Conny Will

BUILDING A DREAM

PREPARING FOR AUCTION

In this second part of our series we hear how the Callaho youngsters grow up in herds, receive extensive handling, begin their training on the ground and finally undergo the backing process. We focus on the ‘Callaho Finishing School’ where these A-Grade students receive their ‘exam preparation’ under the expert tutelage of Ray Korber, Annette Rousseau and her Callaho Riding Team.

THE CALLAHO PROCESS Leading on from our previous article, Graham Winn, who primarily focuses on the backing process, hands over going, young horses to Ray Korber for their next level of training. This stage sees these exceptional sporthorses learn to free jump, gain experience with gymnastics and courses and show just what they can do in front of the camera.

Ray spends plenty of time at the farm with Annette and the Callaho riders to tailor-make each horse’s programme and get them all up to speed on this next step in the training. After each clinic, Ray sits down with them all to discuss how each horse is going and what needs to be done to help that individual horse along in their training. The Callaho riders then work diligently on Ray’s plans in advance of his return for a subsequent clinic.

With the Auction approaching, the Callaho Competition team, consisting of Chatan Hendriks, Lara Neill, Gareth Neill, Carl

Boonzaaier, and Jeanne Korber, are brought to the farm for the ‘Evaluation Week’. Depending on the size of the

Collection, some or all of these Callaho professionals will come through. During this week, these showjumpers put the youngsters through their paces, ride them for the

Auction videos and evaluate each individual in turn.

THE EVALUATION WEEK From day one of life, notes are kept on each horse born at Callaho Warmblood Stud. These notes, which are handed over to the riders at the start of the Evaluation Week, include the different personality traits of each horse, what each rider should be aware of and what needs to be reinforced. While one professional is on the horse, the other riders watch and make notes. The final evaluation is then conducted as a team. Everything about the horse, from birth right through to these ridden sessions is considered as part of this holistic evaluation.

This process has been seen, over the years, to produce consistently accurate ratings of each horse emerging from the ‘Callaho Finishing School.’

Callaho has a strict rating protocol. We always remain conservative and don’t bolster the scoring beyond what we see immediately in front of us, even though for many of the horses we know from their breeding what is still waiting for full expression with time, further strengthening and correct training.” - Chatan Hendriks

EXPLANATION OF THE STAR RATING SYSTEM Please note that the star rating system used to indicate the utility of each horse is a subjective assessment by the training team in conjunction with the highly experienced Ray Korber. The evaluation is based on the temperament, conformation and athletic characteristics displayed by the horse when unrestricted, under saddle and during several free-jumping tests conducted in the course of the training period.

No Star: The horse is not rated for this discipline or has talents which overshadow aptitude here.

One Star: The horse has shown commendable ability and potential for this discipline which could improve substantially with further training and experience.

Two Star: This horse consistently displays first-class aptitude for this discipline with significant potential for the higher levels.

Three Star: Awarded to a horse with exceptional natural talent for this discipline. With appropriate training there is a high probability that this horse will excel at the very highest levels in a matched partnership with a skilled rider.

EXPLANATION OF THE COMPATIBILITY SYMBOLS AND INTERPRETATION OF TERMS Novice: A rider that is still developing their basic skills and lacks experience or needs to build confidence.

Competent: A capable and experienced rider who posses a modicum of ‘feel’ and is adequately familiar with the training of young horses.

Skilled: A sensible rider with considerable aptitude for the correct training of young horses under saddle, substantial experience and explicit natural ‘feel’.

Professional: A highly skilled rider and horseman/ woman with years of experience.

Recommended

Not recommended

Possible with further correct training and or rider expertise THE CALLAHO COMPETITION TEAM We spoke to four of the professional world cup riders involved in the production of these supreme young athletes, to ask what it is that they experience when they meet these youngsters and how they go about evaluating them for the Auction. Just like everything at Callaho, this process is undertaken with the upmost care, consideration and forethought with the goal of finding the best home for each horse, and the best horse for each rider.

The entire team, myself included, are very proud of what we’re producing. I think the work shows in the ring, and as we’ve said before ‘the proof is in the pudding’. The horses are jumping all the way up to the 1.40m/1.50m classes. I have a very good feeling about the future for Callaho Warmblood Stud. - Ray Korber

FIRST IMPRESSIONS Speaking to the team about what they look for in these youngsters, it becomes clear quickly that rideability is the name of the game at Callaho. Chatan states “Once we get to the ridden stage, for me, it’s really important with our modern-day courses to find a horse with extremely good rideability. Rideability is at the end of the day what makes a good horse into a great horse; it offers you the opportunity to train a horse to the best of its ability.”

Of course, a natural talent for their discipline, a good uphill canter, a strong hind leg and, for jumpers in particular, a good shape in the air, are all key elements, but the team are united in their view that without rideability these attributes hold less worth. “For our sport, rideability is very important” reiterates Lara.

This makes the rideability score awarded at the Evaluation Week a particular focus of the team. “We try to be as conservative as possible with regards to riders’ compatibility notes as it is imperative to us that the horses are matched with the correct level rider. Obviously, it is an auction and there is no control over who buys the horses but if we have been clear in the rider criteria and these are adhered to, then the process should create a successful partnership”, said Gareth Neill.

The process at Callaho is an exceptional one. The people involved at Callaho have a special level of dedication to the work they do, and nothing is left to chance. This degree of preparation and the attention to detail applied in the foundation training, means that rideability is actively cultivated in all the youngsters at Callaho from their early days. As Lara summarises, “the horses are well adapted and have been exposed to almost all situations a new owner will encounter with them. This often makes them very brave and confident in their demeanour.” A key element of fostering rideability is developing this confidence in these young horses. The team describe finding many of these Callaho youngsters to have a degree of presence and assuredness about them that far exceeds that of other young horses. Ray sheds some light on one of the reasons these horses are so well-adjusted and balanced: “In all the years I’ve known Ian he has always asked that we go at the horse’s pace. He doesn’t want to push the horses, but to take the time they need. As a result, these horses are all sound horses that are keen to work. The process is easy on them and they enjoy it.”

Gareth Neill & Callaho Tobasco

Annette Rousseau, who is part of the horses’ lives from day one to the day they leave the farm after Auction, said it best her in last interview:

I’m proud of what these youngsters go onto achieve. I believe in the process and see how well it works.

Jeanne Körber & Callaho Talana

Rainer Körber & Callaho’s Lord Luzius

THE CALLAHO PROMISE There is no doubt that one of the greatest elements of the Callaho Auction Process is their honest and open-book approach to providing information on each of the horses on offer. This transparency ensures that everybody can get the horse they want and need, without the risk of hidden surprises. Pedigrees, vet reports, free jumping and ridden videos, and, of course, the critical scoring system, ensure that prospective buyers can leave no stone unturned in their search for their perfect match. The abundance of information available, along with the fact that many of these horses have siblings performing in the sport as added evidence of their ability, is a real asset for anyone looking to buy a young horse.

THIS COLLECTION The team are united in their view that this collection is an impressive one. These youngsters have had the advantage of a further six months of training from the Callaho Team and the benefits really show. Ray, in particular, knows these horses especially well:

This particular collection has a lot of sizey horses in it, and a lot of jumpers. This is a very exciting group! Three horses that really impressed me throughout the training, including the free jumping and ridden work, are Callaho El Greco, Callaho Con Veloce and Callaho Rainer K. El Greco is by Equinox de Chalusse and he’s a big type, scopey horse and he looks like he’s going to jump big jumps one day. Then there’s Con Veloce who is a Con Coriano out of an Anglo-Arab mare. He’s a careful, showjumping type and reminds me very much of Con Coriano himself. As I rode Con Coriano I can tell you this horse jumps in the same way, with the same shape and the same level of care. Then there is a gelding called Rainer K who is by Cartier out of a really good Lissabon x Cassini mare. He’s a beautiful grey gelding, who just jumps for fun and floats over the ground. He’s very much like his father Cartier, who I also ride. There’s a lot of Cartier’s characteristics in him. I’m excited about this gelding as Cartier is really coming into his own at the moment, and his talent is so evident.

Callaho Rainer K

Cartier/Lissabon/Cassini I

Callaho El Greco

Equinox De Chalusse/Casparon/Argentinus

Callaho Con Veloce

Con Coriano/Olala de Buissy/Veloce de Favi

BUILDING THE DREAM When you look at what goes into the production of every single horse on the Callaho Auction, you realise just how lucky we are as South Africans to have breeders and trainers of this calibre on home-soil. From the bloodline research, through to the purchasing of stallions and mares, to the foaling down, to the handling of the youngsters, and the backing, riding and preparation for Auction, every step is covered with exemplary professionalism and dedication. The Callaho Warmblood Stud Team have built a dream they can be very proud of.

Chatan Hendriks & Callaho’s Larsison