Pedigree:
Pixar’s sire Popeye stands at Hilltop Farm. Popeye is 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 and 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 Devo. 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. In 2010 Popeye showed at Third and Fourth Level with scores into the 70s and was 1st for Westfalen All-Breeds Awards at Third Level. He consistently earns an 8 on gaits and was Reserve Champion at Fourth Level for the 2011 BLM Finals.To showcase his versatility, Popeye began eventing in the fall of 2012. He easily tackled Novice courses and moved to Training Level in the fall of 2013.
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 anumber 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.
Pixar’s dam Faschon -/*/* is a granddaughter of Furioso II. She has amazing movement, which she passes on to all of her offspring. She has several pony foals out competing in dressage and eventing. Faschon is an ISR Oldenburg of North America Star Award Mare, for Quality of Foals and Success of Offspring.
FASCINATION (Oldenburg) Fascination links the best qualities of his sire, the immortal Furioso II, and the Absatz line of his dam Armira II. He is one of the leading producers of premium foals registered with the Oldenburg Verband in the United States, with scores up to 9.0. To date he has sired six premium mares and two sons approved for breeding. His son Flambeau was the top scoring stallion at the 1994 Oldenburg 100 day stallion test.
Fascination is a Premium stallion who predictably passes on strong top lines, well defined and free shoulders, clean necks, and ultimate character and ridability. His offspring are proving themselves in the performance arenas, with dressage horses accumulating scores in the 70%s and successful hunters on the A circuit. His consistent production of premium status progeny has lead to many blues in the in-hand divisions of major shows.
Furioso II (1965 – 1986) is one of the most influential sires in sport horse history. His offspring have performed well in all disciplines of show jumping, including at the Barcelona and Sydney Olympics.
Furioso II was imported in 1968 to Germany by George Vorwerk, a breeder of Oldenburg horses. His dam, Dame de Renville, produced several great horses, including Mexico, Laeken, Jexico de Parc and Heur de Bratand. He stood 16.1½ hh (1.66 m).
The stallion was approved for the Oldenburg stud book in 1967, and won his 100-day test performed in 1968 at Westercelle. He was incredibly influential to the Oldenburg breed, which used his Thoroughbred bloodlines through his sire to introduce a more modern type of sport horse without resporting to a pure Thoroughbred. Known as the “Stamp Stallion”, because his offspring inheirited his ‘very good feet and legs, his outstanding neck and shoulder, striking dappled chocolate chestnut coat with flaxen tail and white markings’, Furioso II was later approved for the Hanoverian, Rhineland, and Westphalian studbooks.
Based on money earned by offspring, Furioso II was the top producing stallion in Germany from 1979-89. In 1990 he was the top producer of Dressage horses. During his lifetime, the stallion produced over 200 state premium mares and at least 70 approved sons, including:
FBI: show jumper
Heisman: finished fourth at the Barcelona Olympic in show jumping, was Horse of the Year in the United States
For Pleasure: won show jumping team gold at both the Atlanta and Sydney Olympics, has sired 8 licensed Hanoverian stallions to date, was German Horse of the Year in 1995 and 1996
Voltaire: show jumping sire of 33 approved sons, including Finesse and Altaire
Cocktail: Grand Prix dressage horse ridden by Anky van Grunsven, sire of Jazz