Foundation stallion Blue Hors Don Schufro passed away today, 2 January 2020, at his home Blue Hors stud in Randbol, Denmark.
"It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of the king of our stallion stable, Blue Hors Don Schufro, who passed away today due to old age of nearly 27 years," said Blue Hors breeding director Martin Klavsen.
German Beginnings
Born in 1993, Don Schufro was by Donnerhall out of Fiesta (by Pik Bube I x Unkenruf). He was bred by Martin Meier.
The stallion was named after Donnerhall's owner Otto Schulte-Frolinde ("Schufro"), a close friend of Alwin Schockemöhle.
The liver chestnut was first approved at the 1996 Oldenburg Stallion Licensing in Vechta and did his 100-day performance test in Adelheidsdorf in 1997. He finished second out of 40 participating stallion, scoring the highest mark for dressage (154.93 pts) and 91.80 (24th) for show jumping.
He was first competed in Germany as a 3-year old by Felix Tiemann in 1996. The only year he showed there. He was fifth at the 1996 Bundeschampionate.
Flagship for Blue Hors and Denmark
When Danish Lego billionaire Kell Kirk Kristiansen decided to make his Blue Hors stud in Denmark a leading stallion station, he acquired Don Schufro at Paul Schockemöhle's in Germany in 1997.
In 2002 Don Schufro was operated on for inguinal hernia and had one testicle removed.
Don Schufro disappeared from the show scene for a few years to return under Andreas Helgstrand at Grand Prix level in 2004. The pair steadily competed at Grand Prix shows from 2004 till 2008 but only made it on the Danish team in 2008 for the Olympic Games in Hong Kong. In 2004 Helgstrand opted for the more experienced Cavan for the Olympics in Athens and in 2007 Don Schufro missed out on the Europeans in favour of Helgstrand's second horse, Gredstedgaards Casmir. In 2008 Andreas and Don Schufro won the Danish Grand Prix Championships
Don Schufro's last international competition, the Olympics in Hong Kong, became his swan song and career highlight. The horse won team bronze and placed 10th individually in the Kur to Music Finals.
Although the horse was no longer competed after Hong Kong, his retirement from competition was announced in 2010. The stallion was celebrated in a special ceremony at the Schockemohle stallion show in Vechta in February 2010.
Foundation Stallion
Over the years Don Schufro made his mark as a dressage stallion. Not only did he heavily influence Danish warmblood breeding by being one of the most popular breeding stallions in the country, also across borders the wonderful Donnerhall x Pik Bube cross was proving its worth.
in 2019
"Through more than two decades Blue Hors Don Schufro has been the flagship of Blue Hors. By international professionals he has been described as a living legend in sport and breeding, and he is a true legend that has contributed to the dressage horse breeding far beyond Danish borders. At Blue Hors his bronze statue adorns as an everlasting memory of Don Schufro’s greatness."
He has been ranked number 1 on the German dressage breeding index 10 times. On the WBFSH ranking for dressage sires with offspring in international Grand Prix, he has been in the top 10 for almost as long. In 2019 he ranked 10th.
In 2019 Blue Hors announced that Don Schufro was positive as a carrier of Warmblood Fragile Foal Syndrome (WFFS).
Photos © Ridehesten / Astrid Appels
Related Links
Eurodressage Photo Database: Don Schufro
Blue Hors Don Schufro Positive to WFFS
Don Schufro Retired from Competition
Fourth Danish Title for Andreas Helgstrand at 2008 Danish Championships
Helgstrand to Ride Don Schufro in Turin
Don Schufro Most 'Valuable' Breeding Stallion in 2005
Andreas Helgstrand, Shooting Star from Denmark
Andreas Helgstrand and Per Sandgaard Selected for Danish Olympic Team
Don Schufro Out for the 2002 Breeding Season