The 13-year old elite Danish warmblood licensed stallion Sezuan has been gelded.
The rumours of Sezuan's castration were floating round on social media for quite some while, but emails sent to the owner or Peterhof press officer with questions about the horse's status remained unanswered. The German breeding magazine Zuchterforum now went public with the information.
Gelded for Owner to Ride
"Secretly and hush hush, Gestut Peterhof's 2009 born Danish stand-out stallion Sezuan has been gelded," Zuchterforum wrote. The magazine continued, "He was victorious up to Intermédiaire I and trained up to Grand Prix, although the switch to Patrik Kittel's training seemed to have not done him any good. The owner, Arlette Jasper-Kohl, then wanted to ride him herself. His masculinity probably got in the way."
Triple World Champion
Sezuan is by Blue Hors Zack out of Bøgegårdens Don Romina (by Blue Hors Don Schufro) and bred by Linette Jaeger.
Owned by Andreas Helgstrand he was licensed with the Danish warmblood society as a 3-year old and won the 35-day stallion performance test. As a 4-year old DWB proclaimed him licensing champion.
Under Andreas Sezuan won the Danish Young Horse Championships for 4-year olds after which he sold to German Arlette Jasper-Kohl. The stallion moved in training with Dorothee Schneider and became the triple Young Horse World Champion.
Schneider decided to end her collaboration with Jasper-Kohl and Sezuan disappeared from the show scene, his last start being the CDI Darmstadt in September 2017 under Dorothee. The horse made one public appearance under Patrik Kittel in a show at the 2018 Danish warmblood licensing in Herning.
Danish Elite Sire
In 2018 Sezuan only briefly stood at stud and as of 2019 no fresh semen was available.
The Danish warmblood society proclaimed him elite in 2019 and named him Danish Stallion of the Year 2020. At the ceremony to honour Sezuan with this title in Herning, the horse was remarkably absent from his own celebration. Instead a video message was played, which was recorded at the end of February 2020 with Kittel riding the horse through some of the Grand Prix movements.
It was the last time Sezuan was "shown" in public.
In Germany alone, Sezuan sired 28 licensed sons (14 in Studbook I), amongst them Secret, So Unique, Janeiro Platinum, Blue Hors Santiano, Shu Fu, Sezuan's Donnerhall, Selectric, Sky, So Perfect, and Suarez. He also sired top sport horses Queenparks Wendy and Elverhojs Raccolto,
Photos © Dirk Caremans - Astrid Appels
Related Links
Eurodressage Photo Database: Sezuan
Sezuan, Danish Warmblood Stallion of the Year 2020
Sezuan Not to Stand at Stud in 2019
Sezuan Swedish Warmblood Approved Despite OCD
Sezuan to Stand for Only Four Months this 2018 Breeding Season
Sezuan Withdrawn from 2017 Nurnberger Burgpokal Qualification