We would like to thank  Mrs. Elena Werdenberg and www.rustrakehner.ru for the information.and photos

FOCUS - a page in Trakehner history

by Elena Werdenberg and Margarita Lobova                                                   translated by   Elena Smirnova

Approved Sons: Fah (RUS), Fort Pech (RUS), Focht (RUS), Cheopsas (USSR- LIT), Figurant (RUS), Favn (RUS), Ferro (USSR - RUS); Faktor (RUS), Forum (RUS), Favorit, (Han, RUS), Fasad(Han, LAT), Futbol(Han, BY)

Focus was one of the most influential Trakehner sires in Russia. He earned top performance scores, including numerous prizes in Soviet Union and Republic Jumping and Three-Day Event Competitions in 1968 and 1977. Focus was ridden by Sport Master V. Kalinin. Kalinin won the title of the USSR Champion with Focus. Focus also influenced the Hanoverian breeding program in Russia as well, producing a legacy of International performance horses. 

This bay colt was born at the Kirow Horse Stud. Massive with good bone, he had what we can call common conformation – a common, small head with expressive eyes; long neck; good shoulder; wide, well-formed chest; rectangular frame with short extremities and a wide, well-muscled croup. As a disadvantage we can mention a bit of a soft back.

We can’t write about Focus without a few words about his sire, Fidelio xx. From 1930 to 1940, the offspring of the Thoroughbred Ferro xx (by Landgraf by Louviers xx) was in high demand in Eastern Prussia and Germany due to his jumping ability. Maybe that was the reason of Fidelio’s unusual story. As the Second World War drew to a close, a very emaciated horse was found in one of bunkers. It is documented that this horse was the Thoroughbred, Fidelio. It is worth noting that during World War II, horses were sometimes still ridden into war zones. The soldier’s lifted the exhausted horse up by their hands, placed him on the sleigh covered with sheepskin coats and took out from the battle area. Later he was taken to USSR. It was obvious that the horse was of the great value. He had been carefully hidden. Fidelio’s dam was by Oleander, sire if the famous Raufbold, a foundation sire of jumping horses in the ex-USSR.

Fidelio arrived to the Pishevik Riding School very weak and ill, with a persistent wound of withers. He was close to being cast out, but was saved by the trainer A. Tamanov. Bringing the colt back to life was an intense labor of love. Through Tamanov’s care, the wound healed.  Fidelio became stronger and in 1946 he was started under saddle and taught to jump. Tamanov and Gromova, another Russian trainer, partnered in training the great Fidelio. Gromova won Moscow eventing Championships and was third in the USSR Competitions. Later Fidelio captured a 6000m hurdle race with U. Andreev in the irons.

After suffering a ligament rupture and recovering, Fidelio moved to jumping competitions. He gained silver with Kulikova in the 1952 USSR competitions. In 1960, at 18 years old, Fidelio was sent to the Kirow Horse stud.

In spite of objections from the Ministry of Agriculture (the reason was his height of only158 cm) Fidelio covered several mares. Two siblings – Fat (1961) and Farchad (1963), out of Habina (by Hrisolit) became USSR champions in three day event competitions. The filly Figurazija (1962), out of Glina was unbeaten in races, later used in jumping, and retired as a broodmare. The mare Feja formed a strong female family at Nemuno horse stud and took part in S-class jumping competitions despite her small height of 154 cm. At the age of 10, she moved to the broodmare herd. Fetisas (showjumping class “S”) belongs to the Distaff family. Another son of Fidelio, Festival (1964), out of Teberda (by Termit), was shown very restrictedly, even though she participated in jumping competitions of high classes.

 Fidelio was used in breeding for only four seasons. He died at the age of 22 years, leaving 21 offspring, 3 stallions and 5 mares who would later be used in breeding. Focus was one of the stallions.

The dam of Focus, Economia, by the imported east-Prussian sire Erstling (FriponierXX line ) out of a Poseidon daughter, belonged to the strong, valuable Distaff family № 61 Soldatsche. Apart from Focus, Economia produced three daughters and founded a strong Distaff family. Her daughter Reklama, by Registr xx, produced Rafael, who participated in jumping competitions class “S”. The sibling sister of Focus, Firjusa, produced in her turn Folga, who gave Fed (by Olympic Champion Espadron), a silver-medalist in eventing competitions in Russia.

Focus stood at:

Nemuno Stud from 1974,

Georgenburg (Kaliningradski) Stud from 1977.

The total amount of his offspring is 80, including 40 colts and 39 mares. He contributed breeding stallions to the Trakehner breed, including:

Fach (out of Hrisantema, by Tok II ), had great success in show-jumping competitions and later was used at Georgenburg (Kaliningradski) and Zlinski horse studs. His son Delfin took part in show-jumping competitions and is currently used in breeding.

Fort Pech (out of Pozicija, by Hockey), placed in national show jumping competitions and was used restrictedly in Russian breeding farms. In 2000, Fort Pech went to the Ukraine where he currently stands at stud.

Cheopsas probably, one of the most distinguished sons of Focus, was used at Nemuno Stud; at Rossija Stud Farm; and the last years of his life, at Krosno Stud in Lithuania. He sired the Trial Champion of Lithuanian-Byelorussian Region, Liteksas. Cheopsas was an expressive, outstanding, elegant type stallion, with large, elastic gaits and a correct strong jumping technique. He was trained for Grand Prix dressage, but was sold to Germany at the age of 9 years. His current location is unknown. His son Veto was as elastic in his gaits as his father, but much stronger in jumping. After being used at his native breeding farm for a short while, he was sold to Norway.  Nemuno Horse Stud has no progeny by Cheopsas. His best offspring, the colt Efendis, inbred to Cheopsas II-III, was sold to Russia. He is owned by private individual and will be leveraged at stud at several breeding farms in Russia. Another great son of Cheopsas, Padishach, participated in class “S” jumping competitions, but was gelded. In the international jumping world there is one more son of Cheopsas, the famous Traxdata Mulligan ex Esopas. This chestnut gelding is a champion and prize-winner under Peter Charles from Ireland. In the sire list of Nemuno there is also the bay Hunibas (1997) out of Chatanga by Volteras, also inbred to Cheopsas I-IV. Another son of Cheopsas, Kreolas out of Karelia by Privet was used in Dovator Stud, Byelorussia.

Figurant out of Gupija by Pompej, inspite of his success in jumping, was used on a limited basis at Georgenburg Stud and then sold.

Favn out of Venesuela by Etjud sired the prize-awarded siblings Fejerverk and Figaro, out of the full sister of Galop, who is owned by Vivat horse stud farm. Favn took part in national jumping championships.

Ferro, out of Eola by Etjud, successfully took part in national jumping competitions and was used at Pokrovski ZBP Horse Stud. Ferro sired the following stallions: Orfey (out of Ochta, by Hosjain), who bred only a few mares at this stud and Halif (out of Himka, by Paket). Halif currently stands at Mordovski Stud.

Faktor, out of Orgija(by Gluhar) stood at Georgenburg Stud, currently is owned by ATK of Russia and leased by Fridland Trakehner Stud.

Focht, the jumper, was bought to Yaroslavl. In 1993 at Kirowski GZK horse stud, he sired one colt and one filly out of Hanoverian mares, as well as the Trakehner filly, Hartia. All three are successful in jumpers.

Sportsmen were eager to get Focus offspring. His best advertisement was his son, Fasyidas, out of the Hanoverian mare Diversija. Fasyidas was the Champion of two Sports Championships in USSR: The Jumping Champion under saddle of Sport Master Z. Sharka. Focus also sired the Hanoverian sire, Favorit, a successful “S” Slass jumper, ridden by SM Kartavsky.

Another son Fasad stood in Lituania and left a number of valuable broodmares that produced good sport horses. Futbol placed in Natinal “S” Class Jumping Championships and influenced the Trakehner and Hanoverian breeds in Byelorussia.

Broodmares by Focus produced excellent sport horses, his daughter Festivalnaya produced dark-bay Farvater, (1990), 172-195-23, 9,8,8,/-/9. He took part in “S” Class competitions and was placed at the “Volvo” Cup.  In total, Focus left 14 broodmares that are in the Georgenburg (Russia), Tervete (Latvia) and Nemuno (Lithuania) distaff bands.

Unfortunately, due to the period in history, the proper selection work in the biggest horse farms was not organized to distribute this Ferro-Focus line, and there are no noted progeny left in Russia. Nevertheless, private breeders are interested in this line. The sires Figaro and Faktor are still successfully being used in breeding and this gives hope to get some serious continuation for this sport line.

POST SCRIPT ADDED BY DONNA RAY

A descendant of Focus is the athletic Latvian mare, Drieskoole, now in America. Dreiskoole has produced two embryo transfer colts. She has gained top scores from Danish and Westfalen Registries. Her oldest colt, Freedom CF, by Freestyle, was foaled in 2002 and is preparing for his career in sport and as a breeding stallion. He earned top scores of 9 as a weanling at the Danish Verband Keuring. He will have one foal in 2005. Dreiskoole is expecting a third foal in 2006, this one by the Russian Hanoverian, Otschag, standing at Carson Farm.

© Russian Warmblood Association 2005 - 2007