Mare – Chestnut – F 2007 – KWPN-NA

Carpe is the second daughter of our fantastic Thoroughbred mare, LaLiscia (red more about her at Eliscia SSF). She is a keur eligible mare, and was Reserve Champion of North America as a four year old. Carpe sustained a neck injury and couldn’t stay in training, so Sue Wildman offered to send her back to us for breeding. She is a big, solid mare with impeccable conformation and powerful movement. Her first foal for us, Luna Diem SSF, is by the top stallion Connaisseur. Dressage rider Ashley Shaw pre-ordered this filly. Carpe then had a foal by Gaudi, Oliscia SSF and is now in our friend Kate Bruning’s breeding program.

Mare – Chestnut – F 1994 – 1.66 m – KWPN 528003199403588 – ster

​During our DBNA days, Tricia Smith contacted us and asked us if we’d lease her older Thoroughbred mare, LaLiscia. Much of breeding horses is fate and luck. This was one of our lucky days. LaLiscia has a royal Thoroughbred pedigree. She is inbred to the same horses that produced Furioso XX, and she has Hyperion XX in the third generation on the bottom and the seventh generation on top. There is no better Thoroughbred pedigree for producing sport horses than this. And, produce she did for us.

Her first filly, Aerosmith SSF, by Iroko, went on to become keur-eligible and the top jumper mare in North America in her year. Her second filly, Carpe Diem SSF, by Farrington, was high point mare of her keuring, keur-eligible, and Reserve Champion of North America. Eliscia SSF, “Lily”, is LaLiscia’s third and final filly, and I think her best. As a three-year-old, her brain wasn’t quite ready for the stress of the keuring and keuring prep, but as a four-year-old, she became keur-eligible, high score adult horse of the New England keuring, and one of the highest scoring mares in North America that year. I think this mare is one of the keys to the future of our breeding program. She has an athleticism and type that are exactly what the KWPN population wants from top Thoroughbred sport horses.

Her first foal for us, Jelisco SSF (aka Beebs), by Florianus, went on to be first premium and second highest scoring foal in New England. Beebs has begun his dressage career with Jenn Raffi. Her second foal, LeLiscia SSF, by Governor, went on to become the Champion foal of North America in 2016. Unfortunately, we lost this incredible filly in a freak accident when she was a yearling. Lilly’s third foal is a gorgeous, typey filly by Netto. Mona Liscia SSF is now part of our friend Kate Bruning’s breeding program. In 2020, Lily had a handsome Gaudi SSF colt with her new owner, Tricia Smith. We miss Lily every day, but know that she is loved and couldn’t imagine her with anyone other than Trish. 

Mare – Chestnut – 2012 – ster

Sadly, Nora suffered a fatal injury and is no longer with us.

Mare – Chestnut

LaLiscia is on loan to SSF from former DBNA member, Trish Smith. I have always believed that, in the Dutch population, there are certain desirable traits found only in the Thoroughbred. We started our program with a lovely, old Thoroughbred mare in the late 1980’s. At the time, I didn’t know how to use this gene pool effectively. A decade and a half later, I had begun looking for the right Thoroughbred genetics to bring back into our program. Viola! Along comes LaLiscia. Now, I don’t pretend to be a Thoroughbred pedigree expert, but I do know what I want from the gene pool: length of skeletal structure, phenomenal shoulder and saddle position, great canter, legginess, and heart. Well, LaLiscia has all this. Plus, she competed successfully as a jumper, and then went on to a career at lower level dressage. She has produced four super foals. And, according to my favorite Thoroughbred pedigree devotee, Mrs. Susan Duncan, “This mare is a once in a lifetime opportunity. She has a better pedigree for producing sport horses than any Thorougbred stallion standing anywhere. You’ll never find another one like her.” Well, if I needed any more convincing than that, LaLiscia has produced one of the very best foals we’ve ever bred, an incredible Iroko filly, Aerosmith SSF. Last year, “Stevie” went on to not only achieve her ster and keur eligible statuses, she became the Champion KWPN-NA Jumper Mare of North America!  Liscia produced two super mares for us: Carpe Diem SSF by Farrington and Eliscia SSF by UB-40. Her granddaughter LeLiscia SSF by Governor out of Eliscia SSF won top dressage foal in North America in 2016. Liscia enjoyed her retirement days at SSF and has since passed away peacefully.

Mare – Brown – 1996 – 1.61m – ster

Although LaVita may be my love, Oladaula is my favorite mare. She sends chills up and down my spine whenever I see her move. Jan Downs-Barrett was at our farm buying her new broodmare. I went into the mare pasture with the lunge whip to move the mares around a bit so Jan could see her mare move. She turned to me and said, “Scot, if you want anyone to look at any one else in the pasture, you should probably put Oladaula in the barn before you start.” We bought this mare at the Borculo foal auction when she was four months old. I didn’t even see her; I saw her pedigree and that was enough for me. She and her two full sisters (who are still in Holland) are the only three line bred “Daulas” of which I know. Oladaula is out of my very favorite mare line, and I am convinced that this mare will produce top notch sport horses with a consistent type and consistent athletic ability. Oladaula received her ster rating and high point adult horse at the New England keuring in 2000. Her Zeoliet filly, Tiadaula SSF, was one of three first premium foals at the same keuring. Oladaula’s second foal, also a filly by Zeoliet, died when she was two days old. Our third Zeoliet x Oladaula cross, Veo SSF (or Freddy), was our first foal of his year to be sold (thanks Mike and Heather!); Freddy is just now starting his under saddle career, and loving it! Oladaula presented us with a top-notch, sport prospect in 2003 from one of my favorite stallions, Rodioso. Willioso SSF. Willy is one of the funniest and most talented foals we’ve bred. In hopes of producing a filly with double Doruto, we crossed Oladaula with Farrington in 2003. Well, we got that for which we hoped! Zola Daula SSF! She is affectionately known as “Pumpkin”, due to her unusual dun coloring. Although injured as a foal, she has that special “Daula” quality, and we’re sure she will go on to be a top producer, as the foundation mare in KC Dunn’s breeding program. Oladaula presented us with a super fancy Sir Sinclair colt this year, Americus SSF. He is the most modern in type of any foal she’s produced—really elegant and long-legged. For 2006, Oladaula is already in foal to Donatelli. SOLD

Mare – Bay – 1996 – ster

Many thanks to Carlene Blunt and Gary Lane for making the purchase of Oleander B possible. The additon of Oleander brings our breeding program to a wholeness that is difficult to describe. Weigelia, Oleander’s granddam, was our first superstar mare. Weigelia was bred by Eugenie van Dam. She became the UTV champion mare in 1984. After producing two foals in Holland, a Volkmar and a Ramiro daughter, Weigelia was purchased as part of Argus’s foundation broodmare band and exported to California. Through no fault of her own, things eventually fell apart for Weigelia, and she was deemed unbreedable and broken down with two serious suspensory injuries. Well, I fell in love with her. She was the most majestic and kind horse I had ever seen. Carol and I made a huge leap of faith and bought her. Weigelia made the trip from California to New Hampshire. At first, we couldn’t get her pregnant either. Again, fate intervened, and our first stallion prospect, Ichnaz, jumped out of his paddock, jumped into hers, and bred her. She took. Nautilus SSF was born and is now the beloved riding gelding of Grand Prix rider, Melinda Johnson. Miraculously enough, Weigelia then took on the first try with frozen semen to the not-yet-Olympic Ferro. She gave us a filly, Oegelia SSF. Two days later, Weigelia became cast in her stall. In her struggle to get up to take care of her filly, she prolapsed her uterus and burst the major artery. I can’t tell you how long and how deeply I grieved over her death. Long enough that I sold Oegelia, the Ferro filly, to my friend, Karen Grande–the filly just couldn’t replace the mare for me. Fortunately, along came LaVita, and, as you all know, few horses could be as perfect as she…but, I have always wanted this mare line back in my life. The summer that Weigelia died, Oleander was the UTV champion filly and was selected for the Borculo foal auction–we intended to buy her. Little did Carol and I know that I had picked out the same two fillies as Gert van der Veen–he ended up with Oleander B for Debbie Springborn and we ended up with Oladaula. There are forces at work in our lives over which we have no control, however. Eight and a half years later, Oleander B finally joined the SSF mareband. As you can imagine, the mare has our hearts completely.  She is a lovely, gracious mare, and she fills a mareline void left by her grandmother. Oleander brings the blood of Havidoff and Ramiro to our program, and she comes with her own successful history of not only having been a UTV champion and selected as a Borculo foal, but also having made the list of the top ten mares in North America when she received her ster status. In 2006, her first breeding year with us, Oleander produced an exceptional Diamond Hit filly, Buttercup SSF. Her second foal for us, DaVinci SSF, by UB-40, made the the KWPN-NA’s top five dressage foals of 2008. SOLD

Mare – Chestnut – F 1994 – 1.66 m – KWPN 528003199403588 – ster

Mistral received her ster status in Holland in 1998, placing first in her class and was invited to the National Mare Show in Ermelo, where she was named Reserve Champion. At the 2000 Keuring in Houston, Texas, she received her provisional keur designation and was named best mature mare. The jury praised her for being a strong, modern mare with an outstanding, powerful hind leg. One of the big reasons I coveted this mare is because of her pedigree. Mistral’s sire was the stallion, Olympic Vincent. He ranked in the top of the dressage index for years. He also had an impressive dressage career in Holland, most notably being named Dutch Champion at the 1989 Grand Prix, at Haaksbergen. Modern breeders may recognize his son, Cabochon, more than they do Vincent himself. However, Vincent continues to show up in the dam lines of top young horses, especially crossed with Jazz blood. On her dam’s side, Mistral carries the blood of the very valuable, El Corona, who died young, but was a prime example of the early KWPN dressage-breeding niche, Amor x Doruto. To top this off, Mistral has Doruto again in her bottom line, Vincent x El Corona x Lector x Doruto. For anyone who has studied Dutch pedigrees as much as I have, this is a dream pedigree for a foundation mare.

Mistral‘s first foal, a colt by Welt Hit II, advanced to the Second Ring in the KWPN Stallion Selection in 2002. He was a semi-finalist in the PAVO Cup in August, 2003. For Zondervan Farm, Mistral produced the licensed stallion,Thatcher, also sired by Welt Hit II, and the top ten ster mare, V Eight, by 00 Seven. Between the “V” year and the “H” year, Mistral produced no foals. We have been fortunate enough to get two foals from this great old mare so far, Ignazio SSF, by Don Tango B, and Jubilation SSF, by UB-40, both of whom were the high scoring foals in New England at their respective keurings. She produced a second UB-40 colt for us in 2015, Kublai Khan SSF. Kublai is an absolutely outrageous mover, so we had retained him as a stallion prospect. Unfortunately for us, he just didn’t get tall enough. Our bad luck turned into good luck for Kublai and Corinne Foxley, however. Kublai has a really exciting dressage career ahead of him. Sadly, we lost Mistral in the late winter of that year.

Ignazio SSF and Mistral

Mare – Bay Skew or Piebald – F 1995 – 1.63 m – KWPN 528003199506050 ster

It would be hard to find a more proven mareline than this preferent-and-prestatie-laden bottom line in any KWPN horse, let alone a “platenbont”. Nemels herself will eventually be preferent and prestatie–she has a dozen offspring competing in dressage, jumpers, and eventing. As I mentioned, as a foal, Nemels was selected for the Elite Borculo Auction. Only the top foals out of the best marelines are selected for this auction. She went on to earn her ster predicate in the USA, making the top ten of her year, and successfully performed her IBOP to become a keur mare. Having gone through the same radiographs as an approved KWPN stallion, she is also elite.

This mare’s pedigree, too, is a Dutch pedigree devotee’s dream. (Are you noticing a theme here?) Her sire, Samber, is the most famous progenitor of Pinto sport horses in the world. Nemels is one of his very best daughters. On the bottom side, her dam’s sire, Lector (also seen in Mistral’s pedigree), was a top producer of dressage horses in Holland. Behind him, there’s none other than the Stallion of the Century, Nimmerdor, who is known worldwide for producing top sport horses and being one of the most valuable names you can find in a KWPN pedigree. I am delighted that this mare made it to New Hampshire to end her breeding career.

In 2015, she produced a gorgeous pinto colt by Governor, Katmandu SSF. Kat was purchased as a stallion prospect and future upper level partner by Kristina Cirelli. We tried multiple times to get Nemels to carry another foal, but to no avail. Kristina has leased her to make her own attempts.

Mare – Grey – 1997 – 1.62 m – KWPN – ster

Pioendaula is our third mare from Eugenie van Dam’s breeding program. This mare is a half sister to Oladaula, and very similar in conformation. She is, perhaps, a more powerful mover and a little leggier in type, but, most importantly, possesses all of the balance and natural “sit” that I love about these Daula mares. Pioendaula is also a half sister to one of my favorite dressage horses in the world, Aktion; she is the same grey color–let’s hope she can perform and produce that same piaffe and passage. Pioendaula was awarded her ster predicate at the Iron Spring Farm keuring in 2002. She missed the high score for movement by one point! To date, she has produced a super Cabochon gelding, Udaulo SSF (Now beginning his new show career in Florida with a win at his first breed show… Congratulations, Sara and “Daulie”!), and a very well balanced, first premium, Jazz filly, Vioendaula SSF, who was purchased by Deb Paxhia in Vashon, Wa. Pioendaula’s 2003 foal is a lovely, GRAY filly, Wendy Daula SSF (recently purchased by our very good friend, Jenn Tousignant), by Rafurstinels, the sire of the two time world champion Rubels. Wendy is an incredibly leggy filly with that unbeatable R line temperament. Pioen produced a super Freestyle colt in 2004. “Booger” who just moved to his new home with our former office manager, Julia Slocum. Pioen’s 2005 colt, Aztec SSF, by Contango, is a definite standout—fancy, fancy boy. Pioen is already bred back to the Olympic Ferro grandson, Special D. SOLD

Mare – Chestnut – F 1994 – 1.66 m – KWPN 528003199403588 – ster

This picture doesn’t do justice to this lovely mare. We bought Kirona from our friends at DG Bar Ranch, in Hanford, California. Her dam, Wirona, was imported as Betty DeGroot’s personal riding mare. Wirona, crossed with Volkmar, went on to establish one of the most consistent producing group of daughters in the country. The Junior STV mare, Petra DG, who was grand champion of Devon a few years ago, is out of one of these daughters. Kirona herself has produced two top ten offspring by Ferro. Kirona is a little heavier in type than our other mares, but she is super athletic and sweet, sweet, sweet. She has produced a super Metall filly for us (now owned by Helena Kopczynski), a really athletic and sweet Zeoliet filly, Virona SSF (sold in 2004; congratulations, Jordan!), and a HUGE, impressive Freestyle filly in 2004. This filly, Zirona SSF, has been sold to Elizabeth Hamshaw as her future sport mare and foundation broodmare–she couldn’t find a better choice! Kirona’s 2005 Donatelli colt, Adonis SSF, has already found his biggest fan in his new owner, Kathy Palumbo. We sadly never got a filly to keep for our breeding program, but Kirona lived out her days happily at SSF.

Mare – Brown – 2000 – 1.60 m – KWPN – ster

Thea Vita SSF is the result of many years’ waiting. We first started using Olympic Vincent frozen semen in the early 1990’s. To date, there have only been two pregnancies in the USA with this frozen semen, and, since Vincent died a few years ago, there won’t be any more. It took us over five years and more vet bills than I will allow myself to calculate to produce this filly. Fortunately, the KWPN jury liked her too, and awarded her one of the very few first premium ribbons of the 2000 keuring tour. Thea is a lovely, supple mare with a super temperament. She began her under saddle training with Nancy Stone as three year old. Nancy reported that she has never worked with such a willing and sweet mare. Thea produced the first foal of the 2004 season for us, a really cool Iroko colt, Ziroko SSF, who is already wowing the Pedone family in Pennsylvainia. After weaning, Thea began conditioning and training with Zaz Putnam for studbook and ster presentation, and went on to not only become a ster mare, but also rank among the top five ster mares in North America for movement. In 2005, Thea presented us with a full sister to Ziroko, Ave Vita SSF. Ave, with her classic “Vita” personality, has quickly become a farm favorite. I had every intention of breeding Ms. Thea to Roemer this year, but my darling wife pulled rank and made her first breeding decision (I think her philosophy is, “If you can’t beat him, join him…” Though I’m sure there are times Carol would just as soon simply beat me.)–Carol loves our Contango babies out of the Vita line, so Thea is already in foal to Contango for 2006. SOLD

Mare – Brown – F 2012 – KWPN 528003201200970 prok

We owe a huge thank you to Bart Henstra and his family for allowing us to lease Anerina. This mareline has produced countless top sport horses. Again, the Dutch pedigree enthusiast in me nearly salivates at the combination of Lyjanero on Indoctro on Purioso on Nimmerdor on Marco Polo. The few times that I have actually seen this filly in the flesh, I’ve been super pleased by her balance and her movement. She’s bred to be a jumper, but, as a younger horse, she had a lot of movement.

We went on to sell this mare. Her new owners fulfilled the requirements for her Register A status, and Hanerina became a ster mare.

Mare – Chestnut

Now, we don’t actually own this mare, but I have made arrangements to buy her 2005 foal. Our good friend, Alicia Winter, of Winter Warmbloods in Kent, Ct., imported this mare on a buying trip with me four years ago. T.Lente has gone on to be a top ten ster mare, top ten keur mare, and an exceptional beauty. In my ever elusive search of adding Cabochon blood to our program, I couldn’t help myself. So, filly or colt, this Freestyle x Cabochon will be one of the most anticipated SSF 2005 arrival. I’d also like to say that I’m really proud of Alicia. She has presented only four horses at NA/WPN keurings, but two of them have gone top ten. Excellent work!

Mare – Dark Brown – 2005 – 1.65 m – KWPN – elite prok

Do you believe in fate? I’m beginning to! Since I have had the mixed blessing of dealing with colon cancer over the past year and had to stop teaching for much of the late winter and early spring, I did what any reasonable, always-striving-to-learn-more breeder would do: Went on an extended horse vacation. I almost always go to the KWPN Stallion Show, so when Judy Yancey invited me to continue on from there for eight days in Germany, what could I say? Yes!! Well, on this trip, I fell in love with a jumper stallion. All good sense and every other form of rational thinking told me, “Forget him. You don’t breed jumpers. Jumpers foals don’t sell in the USA. You’ve even stopped looking at jumpers and jumper pedigrees since the KWPN breeding directions split. Don’t be stupid.” My course of action? When I came back to Holland, I went to Bart Henstra and said, “I need to lease a jumper mare.” Bart and I originally agreed on an Indoctro x Burggraaf mare Stal Henstra had for sale. Well, she sold that week. I’m not sure whether Bart took pity on me because he realized how delusional I was/am, or what, but he offered me another mare to replace her: Anerina. If you follow jumper breeding at all, you’ll recognize that this is a top jumper mareline and the foundation of the Stal Henstra jumper breeding progam. And, to make things even sweeter, Ms. Anerina conceived on the first try. So, here we go! We got a lovely Lyjanero x Indoctro x Purioso filly in late February of 2012, Hanerina SSF.

Mare – Bay – 1997 – KWPN – keur

So, the forces of the universe continue to toy with me. When I returned from Holland and Germany, happy enough that I had leased us a top jumper mare to match with Lyjanero, I sent inquiry to Germany to see if Lyjanero had been frozen for export. My thought was that he has the pedigree and the type to cross really well on dressage mares, so if he were available, I’d seriously consider it. Well, we heard back about pricing, but the conversation stopped there, and I went on to buy frozen semen from some young dressage stallions for girls this year. Within a week or so of my committing to my frozen purchases, Judy Yancey calls me and says she had just received the inventory of the shipment sitting in customs, and four doses of Lyjanero had been sent for me…Yes, I did what any reasonable breeder would do: put out the call through my journal that I needed to lease a jumper mare, pronto! Well, my friend, Katie Kuhn, heard about it and came to my rescue. Hence, we have agreed to lease one of my favorite mares in North America, Pamina VDL. I was at the DG Bar keuring when she did her IBOP—she’s phenomenal. Katie Kuhn has one of the best eyes for breeding stock of any breeder in North America. This mare comes from one of VDL’s best-producing marelines. If you go to Paardenfokken.nl, you’ll see literally dozens of approved stallions and top sport horses from this line. Katie has agreed to a two-year lease on Pamina, and I’m desperately hoping for a filly or two from this cross.

Mare – Chestnut – 1996 – KWPN

Carol and I are delighted to announce the addition of the mare, Ombria, to the Shooting Star Farm mareband. The “Bria” line is responsible for such horses as Olympic Barbria, the KWPN approved stallion, 00 Seven, a huge number of UTV mares and successful dressage horses, the high-scoring adult horse for movement during the 2005 keuring tour, Titus DG, and Valeska DG, the number one NA/WPN foal in 2002. Ombria is a product of Debbie Springborn’s breeding program. Her granddam, Colimbria, is one of three full “Bria” sisters out of the Doruto x Amor niche which is so celebrated in Dutch dressage breeding. Thanks to Carlene Blunt and Gary Lane for the opportunity to lease a member of such an illustrious mare family. Ombria is to be bred to Sandreo. Henk Nijhof, Sr. says, “If you imagine the perfect horse, you look at Sandreo and you see him.” I’m excited to have the Sandro Hit and Flemmingh pedigrees crossed on the Bria line. This should be an exciting foal. SOLD

Mare – Dark Brown – 1996 – KWPN – ster

Oisther brings to the SSF program a mare line from the family van Helvoirt. The van Helvoirt family has bred a number of top mares and approved stallions, including one of my favorite stalllions, Olympic Jazz. The van Helvoirts also have more mares in the top 250 dressage mares than any other breeder and have produced some of the top-selling foals in the Dutch foal auctions. In addition, Loucky Hagen’s newly approved Contango son is out of a mare bred by the van Helvoirts. Oisther’s sister, the elite mare Sisther de Jeu, by Gribaldi, was the champion of the keur mares at the National Mare Keuring. She also finished very strongly in the PAVO Cup. The van Helvoirts are also the only Dutch breeders to breed both a five year old and a six year old qualifier for the young horse championships in Verden. To say that we are thrilled to add this double Amor mare to our line-up is an understatement! Once again, thanks to Gary Lane and Carlene Blunt for making this possible. Speaking of Verden, Oisther has just been confirmed in foal to the highest scoring American horse ever to compete in the young horse championships, Hilltop Farm’s Royal Prince. SOLD

Mare – Brown

Facet comes to us after retiring from a successful career as a sport mare. She competed at PSG and I1, with scores that put her in first place against top competition. Normally, we would not add a mare to our program with an “onbekend” (this means “unknown” in Dutch) in the pedigree, but a mare who has competed successfully at FEI level dressage, certainly deserves a shot as a producer of more sport horses. “Bea”, as she is known to those who love her, is a strong personality with a never quit attitude. She is a big-bodied mare with lots of substance and strength. Our good friend Kathy Thompson has already spoken for Bea’s super Donatelli filly, Anpetu Win SSF. Bea has already been bred back to Donatelli for, hopefully, a duplicate of this year’s fancy girl. SOLD

Mare

For years, we “serious” breeders eschewed the use of the TB in the North American mare base and strove to eliminate these mares from our programs. Well, there are certain pedigrees that I want back. This mare may be smaller than I would like, but she is wrought with boldness and athleticism. She is elegant and really well put together. My kids and I have pooled our resources to add this really pretty lady to our mareband. She comes to us in foal to the KWPN stallion, Fairplay. SOLD