Firenze Van Het Watershoot

Firenze Van Het Waterschoot: Maker of Champions!
Producing a horse that competes at the 1.60m level is impressive, but having two horses at CSI 1.60m from just four of competition age is truly exceptional. Yet, that is exactly the feat achieved by the remarkable grey mare Firenze Van Het Waterschoot.

Firenze Van Het Waterschoot, Mother of Champions
A broodmare’s genetic potential typically shows itself quickly, and when paired with a top-tier stallion, it can explode. Firenze Van Het Waterschoot was bred at two years old to Tinka’s Boy, producing Upsilon de la Linière at three. A winning first attempt, Upsilon de la Linière has shone in CSI3* and CSI4* competitions, first with Pierre Cimolai in France, and later in the USA with Taylor St. Jacques, placing 6th in the 1.60m Grand Prix at Traverse City. Firenze Van Het Waterschoot doesn’t do things halfway; her second foal by world champion Vigo d’Arsouilles is none other than Pénélope Leprevost’s star, Bingo del Tondou. The powerful grey Bingo del Tondou has earned over €235,000, with top performances on the global stage, including a 3rd place finish in the GCT/GCL CSI5* 1.60m Grand Prix in Paris, 4th in the CSIW5* 1.60m World Cup Grand Prix in Lyon, and 9th in the CSIW5* World Cup Grand Prix in Bordeaux! Out of her four offspring aged 9 and older, Firenze Van Het Waterschoot has produced two 1.60m stars. At 19, Firenze Van Het Waterschoot has only eight offspring, making her progeny exclusive, with phenomenal sporting potential.

An Unusual Pedigree
Firenze Van Het Waterschoot boasts a solid yet unique pedigree. Her sire, Querlybet Hero (Baloubet du Rouet x Narcotique de Muze II), a CSIO5* 1.60m performer, comes from two legendary bloodlines in global breeding. Querlybet Hero is not only a sire of champions but also an excellent broodmare sire. Despite his qualities, Querlybet Hero’s blood is relatively rare in pedigrees today, making Firenze Van Het Waterschoot even more valuable. Firenze’s dam’s sire is the impressive Holsteiner grey stallion, Caesar Van de Helle, uterine brother to the highly regarded Cooper Van de Heffinck (sire of Olympic champion Hello Jefferson). Caesar Van de Helle combines the strong genetics of Cantus (Caletto I x Roman), Landlord (Landgraf I), and Athlet Z (Almé x Gotthard). Caesar Van de Helle’s third dam is the foundation mare Lyrik (Liguster), from whom Quaprice and Operette la Silla descend. Alongside these excellent male ancestors, Firenze Van Het Waterschoot comes from the Belgian maternal line of Cudana, the BWP chestnut mare who founded the outstanding “Waterschoot” line, which has also recently produced top horses under the “de Muze” name.

The Excellent Maternal Line of “Waterschoot”
Firenze is the third generation of the “Waterschoot” line from the Patteet-Van Bossche family, developed from the foundation mare Cudana (Sudan). Nelke Van Het Waterschoot, Firenze’s granddam, was a strong performer at CSI 1.50m level with Gudrun Patteet and is the dam of the outstanding stallion Shindler de Muze (For Pleasure), a proven sire of international winners. Nelke Van Het Waterschoot is also the second dam of Philippe Rozier’s brilliant stallion Lecoultre de Muze (Presley Boy), who has amassed nearly €400,000 in earnings in CSI5* 1.60m GCT/GCL Grand Prix, as well as Glasgow de Muze (Andiamo), CSI4* 1.60m in the USA with Jimmy Torano, and Costa Rica Vh Waterschoot Z (Cicero Van Paemel), CSIO4* 1.50m with Alejandro Karolyi. Nelke Van Het Waterschoot is truly an exceptional broodmare, an invaluable asset for any ambitious breeding program.