Popeye

Biography:

The result of many generations of selective breeding for the ultimate sport pony, Popeye showed his quality early on.  He began his competition career in Germany, earning scores as high as 9.0 in materiale classes. At his Stallion Performance Test, Popeye finished fourth overall with an 8.3.  His score highlights include a 9 and 9.5 for his walk and a well-deserved 9 for character.  Summit Sporthorses presented Popeye to ISR/Oldenburg while he was still in Germany and he received his lifetime approval in 2006. His Stallion Index scores of 227.5 points rank him among the top 20 of all ISR/OldenburgNA stallions (horses & ponies).

Popeye moved to Hilltop Farm in the summer of 2007 for training  and was first shown at the Fair Hill Breed Show where he won Stallions 4 & Older class, the Stallion Championship, and the Mature Horse Championship. These wins qualified him for the USDF/GAIG East Coast Stallion Final to be held at Dressage at Devon. Under the lights in the Dixon Oval, Popeye impressed both the spectators and the judges and was the Reserve Champion of the USDF/GAIG East Coast Stallion Final. He returned the next day to in the Westfalen class with a score over 80% - one of the highest of the entire weekend.

In 2008 Popeye had an excellent show season at Second Level, including winning the East Coast Pony Cup at Saugerties, earning a Reserve Championship at the USDF Region 1 Finals, and finishing the season with multiple USDF All-Breeds Awards.  2009 was a training year for Popeye as he stayed at home to polish the Third and Fourth Level work instead of competing heavily as he had done the previous year.  With his new partner Rebecca Cord, Popeye did come back out in the fall of 2009 and earned scores in the high 60’s and top placings in his first outings at Third Level. 

This season Rebecca and Popeye continued to build on those performances with strong scores and many wins at Third and Fourth Levels.  He consistently receives an 8 on his gaits and is taking to the increased demands for collection very well.  Popeye finished the year in first place for Westfalen USDF All-Breeds Awards.

Popeye’s pedigree represents some of the finest German sport pony bloodlines.  His sire, FS Pour l’Amour was Champion of both his Licensing and his Performance test.  He competed in the Bundeschampionat three times and has sired numerous Bundeschampionat qualifying offspring; he also has a number of approved sons, including Piccolo and Panco, and has several highly decorated mares to his credit.  FS Pour l’Amour’s grandsire Power Boy is standing at Flyinge, the Swedish National Stud and is the sire of the famous Power and Paint.  Power and Paint has been a Bundeschampionat winner, Silver Medal winner at the European Championships, and six-time National Champion in Holland. 

Popeye’s dam, Nice Touch, a Westphalian breeding federation show winner, is a States Premium mare by Night Star I. She has produced four St. Premium daughters in addition to Popeye.  Night Star I, won his licensing and placed second at the Bundeschampionat for show jumping ponies in 1987.  He has sired approved stallions, including North Star and Nanuc, States Premium mares, and Bundeschampionat winners such as Night Dream.

In 2008 we saw the arrival of Popeye’s first foals and they show the potential of these powerful genetics.  His first two fillies to be inspected by ISR/OldenburgNA received scores of an overall 8 and an overall 8.2.  Popstar (Popeye – Fascination) was named a Premium Foal and Champion Filly of her inspection. In 2009, Popstar placed was 7th in the yearling fillies class and won the ISR Sport Pony IBC during Dressage at Devon.  A Popeye filly out of a Grosso Z mare was the Champion Filly at the large Hilltop Farm inspection in 2009 for owner Suellen Myers.  As one of the inspectors commented, “the only problem will be finding someone who can ride this movement.”  Owners are raving about their Popeye foals’ temperaments and we excitedly await his oldest daughters being started under saddle in 2011.

Kind eyes, intelligent and willing characters, and three quality gaits have come through strongly in Popeye’s early foal crops.  Popeye has been bred to both pony and horse mares with outstanding results.  He had a 75% Premium success rate with his first two foal crops and those that have been out showing are winning against the horses.