Capitol I is a real rarity in the ranks of Holsteiner stallions - a showjumping sire, whose name begins with C who is not related to Cor de la Bryre! Nor for that matter, is he related to that other pillar of Holsteiner breeding, Landgraf. Indeed, there is quite some speculation as to whether his pedigree is an accurate reflection of reality!!

There is no doubt on his matrilineal line for he is the product of one of those legendary mares on which studs are built. In 1960, a wayward mare, Rappel was saved from the knackery by Rheder Thormhlen, a breeder from a family which had lived on the Kollmaran marsh for 500 years, where they had been involved in the breeding, riding and selling of horses throughout that time. Rappel who was by Heinzelmann, had made herself unpopular by jumping out of paddocks, and was still jumping at the age of 23 when she won an elementary showjumping class! Herr Thormhlen did not know it at the time but Rappel had an earlier foal, by the influential Arabian bred, Ramzes, who as Romanus had won the Grand Prix of Rome with Hans Gnter Winkler.

Ten years later, Rappel presented Thormhlen with another Ramzes foal, this time a filly, Vase - who went on to be champion mare of Holstein. Vases full-brother, Roman topped the German showjumping standings for two years running with Hans-Gunter Winkler. Vases daughter, Folia, by Maximus (himself an Advanced showjumper), foaled five stallions: Latus I and II (both by Landgraf), and then Capitol - who was by Capitano out of Retina (also by Ramzes) who had won the Hamburg Derby with Fritz Thiedemann in the saddle. The query as to Capitols antecedents has been raised in an article by Gabrielle Mohmann-Pochhammer (the editor of the German magazine, St Georg) in an article in Horse International (No 5, 2001)

According to Ms Pochhammer while it is recorded that Capitols sire Capitano, is out of Retina, and by Corporal, this may not be the case. "On paper the bay Corporal was the sire of Capitano, but even when the stallion was still alive, doubts about the pedigree kept surfacing. This was because Capitano was a grey who dominantly passed on his colour, and is said to have produced only a few chestnut foals. But homozygous greys usually have two greys as parents. At the time in question, a young grey stallion, Vases son, Grand Vicar, a brother of Folia, had been frolicking with Retina in the paddock. If the suspicions, which were never substantiated by appropriate genetic tests, are true, then Capitol would be the product of intensive in-breeding, and Ramzes blood would be in his genes via Retina and Vase, and a third time via his grand-sire. But we will never be sure about that…"

The yearling Capitol I was bought by the Holsteiner Verband, and he soon established himself as one of the great showjumping sires, represented internationally by jumpers such as Corso (ridden by the Swiss, Willi Meliger), JR Number One (exported to the United States), Caruso Rex, Calle, and most notably of recent times, Cento, a team gold medallist at the Sydney Games, and who missed out of an individual medal by just one rail!

Capitol Is full-brother, Capitol II was initially rejected by the licensing commission but was approved on the basis of his performance as a showjumper. In 1993 he presented his first crop of foals, and most of them were bay - which perhaps adds strength to the argument about his older brothers sire not being Capitano! If further proof was needed, Capitol II is not listed at all in the WBFSH standing for 2000/2001 (nor for that matter in the standings for the past 10 years), while his brother has pride of place - number one in the standings with 38 progeny gaining points!!!>

Carthago Z by Capitol I out of a mare by the Cor de la Bryre son, Calando I - competing with Jos Lansink at the Sydney Olympic

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