Dutch Grand Prix rider Patrick van der Meer has received the ride on the 8-year old black Oldenburg stallion Jack Sparrow (by Johnson x Wolkentanz II x Don Primero). The stallion was once hailed as a potential successor to Totilas for Edward Gal.
Dutch Carolyn de Roo-Kooiman and her husband Ron aquired Jack Sparrow in September 2011 for Edward Gal to ride. A major media campaign was started to promote the horse as a breeding stallion in The Netherlands and Germany, even though the horse never completed the licensing process.
Jack Sparrow was originally licensed at the 2010 South German Under Saddle Licensing but this approval was withdrawn in 2011 as he did not complete the mandatory 30-day performance test. The Oldenburg Society licensed him in 2012 on the basis of his performances in the KWPN Stallion Competition and under the condition that he would do the Stallion Performance Test either in The Netherlands or Germany, but this never happened.
Breeders paid a whopping stud fee of 2000 euro to use Jack Sparrow, but when their foals got born they could not get full studbook papers. De Roo made a kind gesture and offered to buy any Jack Sparrow foal for a generous amount of 7,000 euro per foal to recompensate breeders.
After Gal's assistant trainer Marieke van der Putten showed the horse once in Germany at the 2012 Bundeschampionate qualifier in Hagen, Jack Sparrow disappeared from the scene entirely due to a hoof injury. He spent some time at the owner's place to recover and then went back in training with Gal later on. The stallion was never competed in that period though.
De Roo has now announced that Jack Sparrow has moved in training with Patrick van der Meer, who also rides the KWPN licensed stallion Chagall (by Jazz x De Niro) for this owner. The Oldenburg stallion will need to achieve 3 placings at S-level to achieve licensed status in Germany.
Photo © Astrid Appels - LL-Foto
Related Links
2013 Born Jack Sparrow Foals to Be without Breeding Papers?
Jack Sparrow Not Participating in 2012 Schlieckau Winter 30-Day Performance Test
Jack Sparrow Not to Particpate in 2012 KWPN Stallion Performance Test
Jack Sparrow, New Ride for Edward Gal