The 16-year old Oldenburg bred licensed stallion Soprano (by Sandro Hit x Contender) has passed last week in the United States. The black stallion was euthanized due to a tragic accident in his paddock.
Soprano is bred by Paul Schockemohle and was born in 1999. He was by Sandro Hit out of Fiore (by Contender x Tin Rocco x Luxus). This dam also produced Kristy Oatley's Australian WEG Team horse Ronan (by Riccione).
Soprano was licensed for Oldenburg breeding in November 2001 and sold to the Danish Blue Hors stud. The typical black Sandro Hit offspring did his 30-day performance test in Schlieckau in 2002 and scored 7.76 points. One year later he did the 100-day testing in Neustadt/Dosse and scored 111.32 points to finish 12th out of 46 participating stallions. He had a dressage score of 109.80 points. In 2004 he was licensed with the Danish warmblood society after scoring 763.3 points in his performance test in Vilhelmsborg in 2002.
In 2006 Blue Hors stud sold the stallion back to Paul Schockemohle, who straight away sold him to Alain Seheut in the U.S.A. Soprano was never a very popular breeding stallion in Europe. He has no licensed offspring and four mares are registered as brood mares in Germany. One of them is a State Premium Mare.
Soprano sired only 6 offspring that are registered with the German equestrian federation as competition horses. He produced approximately 160 offspring in Denmark. His three most famous get are the Danish warmblood Grevens SaVa and the small tour horse Sopran, which recently sold to Swiss Marcela Krinke-Susmelj. These two competed for Denmark at the 2010 World Young Horse Championships. Danish young rider Kristina Rasmussen competes Dupran (by Soprano x Dunhill H) at international YR level.
"There truly are no words to express the pain and deep sorrow we are feeling," said owner Alain Seheut. "It has been such an honor and a privilege to have had this remarkable, most magnificent stallion in our lives. It is so difficult to cope with and accept this loss. He made our lives better, like the good friend that he was. His passing has left a void and emptiness in our hearts and at the farm that can never be filled."
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