Asher

An Example of Successful Inbreeding
to an Elite Mare

I believe in, and practice the breeding principles you find on this website. And it was in my personal search to enrich the Abdullah line in one of my mares that I became aware of the genetic excellence to be found in Asher. Asher is a Trakehner stallion with an extraordinary pedigree and a progeny record to match.

Inbreeding can be a risky practice, but when it is done right you get a genetic masterpiece. See Noteworthy for an example of a successful inbreeding to a top sire.

I was searching for an Abiza daughter line for my mare, this would be a sister to Abdullah, and in Asher I found that daughter line, and much more.


Asher 7 generation pedigree

In Asher, the elite Trakehner mare Abiza *E* is 2x4, with sex balanced inbreeding. Abiza *E* is just the right type of individual to target for successful inbreeding. If you want to attempt breeding this close you must be very careful that the target you choose does not have recessive faults. Inbreeding will bring those recessive genes to the fore, and you will have a hard time eradicating them from your herd. If you pick an individual who has excellent sport characteristics, and no known weakness, you will be on the right track. Let's take a look at Abiza *E* and see why she is such a super mare.

Abiza*E* is rightfully identified as an elite mare, bred in Germany and imported to Canada by Gerhard Schickedanz, she has a breeding record that is hard to top. She produced 13 foals from 4 different stallions and many of them champions, including the Silver Medal winner Abdullah- who is still considered the best North American Trakehner ever. Abiza*E* also produced the filly Adora- a successful Grand Prix jumper and a good broodmare, plus Amiego- an event champion and good sire, and Alouette*E*- top broodmare, plus Anton, Astor and Adrian- three more stallion sons. You need no other ruler to measure Abiza*E* than a produce record like hers. Physically she was rated average-good, good temperament, sturdy, easy keeper but rather coarse and plain. Yet this average mare has become a pillar of Trakehner excellence. This is a lesson for us to not let the plainess of a horse blind us to its true potential. Good mares make good stallions, and Abiza*E*'s record is proof of this.


Follow this Link to read an article about Abiza*E* by Robert Baird

Asher's breeder, Gerhard Schickedanz (who imported Abiza*E*), has given us an enduring gift, by concentrating the fabulous Abiza*E* genes and passing them down to us. Asher's dam Alouette*E*, through her sire, Tannenberg has brought us Absinth and Abendstern, full brothers to Absalon, Abiza*E*'s dam sire. There is a total then of 4 lines of full brothers: 5x5x6x7, a Poseidon/Abfahrt combination and this is the background reinforcement of the Abiza*E* double, which only makes the genetic impact all the stronger. These full brothers: Abendstern, Absalon and Absinth all proved to be genetic transmitters of performance, especially jump and soundness. This is incredible genetic potence. Full siblings bring more genetic power to a lineage than anything else -Sibling Power.

Breeders should take note that the Abfahrt/Poseidon mating also produced a full sister to these brothers: Abendluft. Abendluft is not in this pedigree, but she is found in other sport horse lines. Abglanz is one carrier of Abendluft, he is a sire who revolutionized the Hanoverian type into an elegant form. Can you imagine what will happen when descendants of Asher meet Abglanz in a mate?

Abfahrt/Poseidon were obviously incredibly potent together, this is because when they were joined it produced sex balanced inbreeding to Fischerknabe 3x4. Fischerknabe was a son of the foundation stallion Obelisk, a Trakehner with 68% Thoroughbred blood. Obelisk had several stallion sons, his most famous being Charm who also formed a line in Trakehner. The Obelisk line is known for producing horses very low in build, with expressive type and form, full of impulsion and correctness in movement with a tendency to be coarse and heavy. This is the physical type of Abiza*E*.

Abiza*E* also shows several lines of Perfectionist, a Thoroughbred foundation sire of the Trakehner breed, and quess who Perfectionist is linebred to? That's right, Pocahontas. This gene pool gets even better; the experts recommend buildng in lines of a tap root mare in the far reaches of the pedigree. Abiza*E* carries many lines of Pocahontas, but they were through sons only in her Perfectionist and Obelisk lines. However, Absalon and his full siblings carry the much needed daughter line of Pocahontas. This undoubtedly contributes to Abiza*E*'s power as a broodmare. Asher goes a step better, by adding the Thoroughbred mare Ballyvergin Lady to the mix. This mare carries four sex balanced lines of Ajax- who in turn carries 3 different daughter lines of Pocahontas. Ashers daughters should be phenomenal broodmares with this solid background strength.

Asher brings in more genetic gifts with his sire line in additional complexity with a sex balanced double 5x5 of the potent performance line of Carajan. And his top line contains a sex balanced double 5x6 of the great Hansakapitan. All top sport transmitters, and beautifully delivered in this powerful gene package. Asher is a well bred and extremely potent stallion.

As you might expect, Asher is a multiple champion. Every year from 1999 when he was a colt, right to now, he has been rated a champion every year, both as a sport horse and as a stallion. At his stallion approval he received a 9/10 for jump ability. In 2007 he was awarded Grand Champion Stallion at the Royal Winter Fair.

Asher stands with his owner, Nancy Fagan-Bressi, on her farm in Canada.

You may learn more about Asher and his wonderful career on this link.

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