The Holsteiner bred Danish warmblood licensed stallion Willemoes passed away at age 18 at his home Hil Cat Farm in Franklinton, Louisiana, USA. Bred in Denmark by Carl-Erik Jensen, Willemoes was born in 1993 and sired by Cantus out of Wincett (by Wahnfried x Compass).
Willemoes was licensed with the Danish warmblood society in 1996 and completed the Stallion Performance Test with a jumping index of 156 points and a dressage index of 111 points.
Willemoes competed at Grand Prix level with Danish show jumping team rider Tina Lund before being imported into the U.S.A. by Oak Hill Ranch in 2006. He was owned by Hilda Lanaux of Hil Cat Farm.
"He was a gentleman and a talented athlete who passed on his best qualities to his offspring. He will be greatly missed," his owners said
on an in memoriam advertisement posted in the Sporthorse Directory
magazine. This has so far been the only public statement on the stallion's passing.
The grey Willemoes was known for his versatility and has produced top show jumping and dressage horses. In the U.S. Willemoes was must appreciated in the hunter world and was mainly used a sire to produce hunter/jumpers.
Willemoes sired the gold medal mare KONG's Whoopsie and the bronze medal mare Kjaersholm's Venessa. Seven offspring have participated in the Danish Young Horse Championships and Wilhelm, Wilson and Cicett have competed at the World Show Jumping Championships for Young Horses in Lanaken. Wilcett (by Willemoes x Cacir ASK) was the 2010 Danish Show Jumping Foal of the Year.
Willemoes is the dam sire of Grand Prix dressage mare Donna Silver (by Don Schufro), owned by Silvia Rizzo and ridden by Hans Peter Minderhoud, and the sire of Lars Petersen's small tour horse Willano.
Photo © Terrie Hatcher / Courtesy Hil Cat Farm
Related Links
Donna Silver, Olympic Hopeful for Hans Peter Minderhoud
Danish Champion Mare Donna Silver Sold to Italy
Lars Petersen and Willano at the 2011 CDI Raleigh