Rolling Stone Farm’s Shakespeare RSF Wins 2009 North American 70-Day Stallion Performance Test

March 9, 2010 Off By Roberta Johnston

Rolling Stone Farm’s Shakespeare RSF wins 2009 North American 70-Day Stallion Performance Test, Fhitzgerald Finishes a Strong Fifth

The 2004 dark brown Hanoverian stallion Shakespeare RSF by Sandro Hit, out of EM Acapella, by Arrian, was named Champion of his 70-Day Stallion Performance Test held October 4-December 12, 2009, at Silver Creek Farms, Broken Arrow, Okla. Shakespeare is owned and bred by Maurine (Mo) and Jim Swanson of Rolling Stone Farm, Slatington, Pa.

Shakespeare achieved Class I status with a score of 130.53 points overall (this score reflects a five percent deduction for being over four years old), placing him first among the 13 other stallion entrants. He was also amid the top five stallions for jumping with a final score of 105.31. Shakespeare’s scores included 9.5 character, 9 temperament, 9.5 trainability, 8.5 trot, 9 canter (8.5 under saddle and 9.5 cross country), 8 walk, 9.5 rideability, 8 free jumping, 8 stadium jumping, 8.5 cross country jumping, and 9.25 rideability (test rider).

In honor of Shakespeare’s overall win and top-placing dressage score, the Swansons were awarded two beautiful etched crystal vases. The American Hanoverian Society (AHS) also presented the stallion with an embroidered cooler for being the highest-placed Hanoverian and the highest-placed domestically-bred Hanoverian in the test.

As a foal, Shakespeare’s quality was readily apparent and he was named the Top Colt at the 2004 Rolling Stone Farm AHS inspection site. His sire, Sandro Hit, was the German National Young Horse Champion and Young Dressage World Champion and has an extensive legacy of successful offspring at all levels of sport including daughter Poetin, who won the 2003 World Young Horse Dressage Championships as well as the Bundeschampionate twice as a three- and five-year-old. In 2003, she sold for a world record price of 2.5 million Euro. Shakespeare’s dam, EM Acapella was Reserve Young Horse Champion at the 2001 Mid-Atlantic Hanoverian Breeders Club (MAHB) mare show, receiving a 1A Premium.

In 2009, Shakespeare’s first foal crop was born. He had eight Premium Oldenburg foals, with two receiving Foal of Distinction ribbons and he also sired the Top Colt named at the large AHS Ohio inspection. His foals have been strongly stamped by their sire, displaying elegant exteriors, correct conformation, willing temperaments and beautiful gaits.

Shakespeare RSF is now fully approved by the AHS, the German Hanoverian Verband (HV), the Oldenburg Horse Breeders Society (GOV), RPSI and the Oldenburg/ISR.

Also successfully completing the 70-Day Stallion Performance Test at Silver Creek Farms was a second Rolling Stone Farm youngster, the 2004 bay Oldenburg stallion Fhitzgerald “F Scott” (Florencio-Weltlady/Weltmeyer), bred by Wolfgang Sames, Ger.

Fhitzgerald placed fifth overall with a score of 113.16, fourth in jumping (115.89) and fifth again in the dressage portion. The overall score reflects a five percent penalty for being over the age of four. He is purely dressage bred, but even at an early age, showed amazing potential when free jumping, and displays an inherent, natural rhythm over fences under saddle. This jumping ability was confirmed during the performance test in the cross-country course and over the stadium jumps. Fhitzgerald’s individual scores reflect his easy attitude and good gaits and included a 9 for character, 8.5 temperament, 9 trainability, 7.5 trot, 9 canter (both under saddle and cross country), 8 walk, 8 rideability, 8.5 free jumping, 8.5 stadium jumping, 9 cross country jumping and 8.75 rideability (test rider). He easily jumped 1 meter 40 under saddle at the stadium jumping final test. He is now fully approved by the GOV, RPSI and Oldenburg/ISR, and his first foals will arrive in 2010.

Both Shakespeare RSF and Fhitzgerald will stand their first seasons to outside mares in 2010. Rolling Stone Farm is located in Slatington, Pennsylvania, and is convenient to the Lehigh Valley International Airport, New York and Philadelphia. Further information, breeding contracts and an extensive sales list are available on the website at www.rollingstonefarm.com.