If you go straight back along Nyquist’s sire line you will eventually find Caro.

Caro was standing at Spendthrift Farm in 1982. Walter Christensen, coach of the Swedish Olympic dressage team, used to teach NEDA clinics in Harvard, MA, and he’d always wanted to visit Lexington. KY.

So we took Walter there, and we looked at many stallions at a number of farms, and Walter was only mildly impressed. Then, they brought out Caro.

Walter was transfixed. He walked around Caro, looked at him from all angles and said, “Now! Now I can understand how this country produced Keen.”

(pedigreequery.com)

(pedigreequery.com)

 

Caro. Photo by Susan Nunes.

Caro. Photo by Susan Nunes.

 

A couple of years later, George Morris took three USET horses to show jump in Europe. Two, Tashiling and Ping Pong, were by Caro.

So when I had a chance to buy Loyal Pal (by Caro) to stand at Tamarack, I jumped at the opportunity.

Loyal Pal raced 124 times. He won 22, was 2nd in 26, and 3rd in 23, so “in the money” 71 times.

Loyal Pal (right). ©Tamarack Hill Farm

Loyal Pal (right). ©Tamarack Hill Farm

 

Loyal Pal, by Caro. ©Tamarack Hill Farm

Loyal Pal, by Caro. ©Tamarack Hill Farm

 

Class tells, generation after generation. Whether in racing, dressage, or jumping. Thoroughbred racehorse stallions that made lots of starts, stayed sound, and won at the allowance and stakes level are better bets to sire eventing athletes than race horses which were bad at their job. It’s just common sense. Study pedigree instead of making breeding and buying decisions based upon emotion, color, pretty face, all that peripheral nonsense.