Henry George has played many an influential role in the growth of our states capital, its buildings and on a greater scale many international cities. When it came time for the pace to slow down and enjoy life a little more, the obsession with creating the best entwined with his wife’s (Diane) passion of dressage horses. Diane (Di) has always had a love of beautiful things, the arts, theatre, the ballet, a combination of dance with the song of the horse results with the beauty of dressage and the foundation and purpose of Dicavalli Stud in Southern Queensland, Australia.
This passion originally started with a partnership with the Leonardo 68/Domherr stallion and now paralympic team member “Jaybee Leuwin”, and some select mares of early imported Australian bloodlines from decendents of Aachen, Skyhigh, and Chico D’Oro. 1998 after extensive research, the quest to improve the pool of supreme dressage horses, took Di and Henry to the mica of all dressage, the regions of Oldenburg and Hannover Germany and to the Vechta Elite Auction.
“Our research, both in Australia and in Germany indicated that the two top dressage stallions that were producing winning offspring at the highest levels were the legends Donnerhall and Rubinstein. We decided to base our stud on these two superior sires and proceeded to do so.
Donnerhall, team gold and individual bronze medalist WEG 1994, has been described by Dr Zudwig Christmann of the Hanoverian Verband as “the most successful dressage stallion in the world!”. Resident stallion Donautraum is a son, and Royal Gregor carries Donnerhall through sire of his dam, Don Gregory also well on the way also to legendary status.
From the recent 2008 Olympic Games four of forty seven strong field
carried the bloodlines of Donnerhall including the famous Blue Hors stallion Don Schufro who placed individually 11th with Andreas Helgstrand, another Sweed “Digby” with Zu Sayn Wittgestein placed individually 15th, not to mention or very own Australian team members of Heath Ryan and “Greenoaks Dundee” by Duntroon (Donerhall) placing 36th , also in 42nd place Japanese rider Yuko Kitai with the Don Primero (Donnerhall) gelding “Dow Jones”, these sons and grandsons of Donnerhall definitely held a strong influence on the field and contentions on the Olympic arena proving their ability to perform and take riders to the highest of levels.
“During our 1998 tour we viewed many superb Donnerhall-Rubinstein crosses and it is interesting to note that the 2005 World Champion 5yo stallion “Damon Hill” is a Donnerhall-Rubinstein, and the silver medalist “Donnerball” is a Rubinstein-Alabaster cross. On our tour in Germany progeny from Alabaster caught our attention, we were that impressed, therefore the reason behind the importing of the gentle natured exquisite “Alladin”.
The Vechta Elite auction is a select auction comprising of some of the finest performance horses prejudged by a panel for entrant to the auction. “Royal Gregor” a weanling son of Royal Diamond (Rubinstein) was awarded the prestigous “Non Plus Ultra” by the panel as the best of his age group in that year for the auction.
1998 and 1999, Dicavalli imported eleven horses from the Oldenburger area in Germany, most of which were purchased at the Vechta Elite Auctions. Four colts (Donautraum (Donnerhall – Lortzing – Wenzel I), Royal Rubin (Royal Diamond (Rubinstein) – Tin Rocco – Adrian), Royal Gregor (Royal Diamond – Don Gregory (Donnerhall) – Quo Valis) and Aladdin (Alabaster – Glorieux (Goldstern) – Ultraschell), and seven fillies all became the foundations of Dicavalli.
In Australia most people merely refer to the stallions in the pedigrees of their horses. It is recognized worldwide in breeding, the mare has a 55% to 60% influence on its progeny, and for that reason we imported seven mares that are just as good as our Champion stallions.
To reproduce the example of ones brilliance and pass this onto ones offspring, creating of equal greatness or better is the aim of the breeding programme at Dicavalli. This principle of breeding by line crossing through the Donnerhall and Rubinstein lines, has been perfected by Henry in his other passion of breeding show quality budgerigars. And to prove that these principles are working, Henry has an unequalled 25 years of Australian National Champions to his credit. Seeing the result of ones work in the breeding programme and the quality of progeny that is produced is both exciting and rewarding, in budgies the result from mating to mature bird is around 12 months, the time for a foal to be produced and to see the rewards of ones selection is far greater, can be up to five or so years.
Dicavalli is a very young stud on an international basis, however operating on proven practices and well managed care. Success has come to Dicavalli with Champions produced in the dressage and show arenas at State, National and International levels with the crowning of “Don Quattro” 2007 New Zealand Young Dressage Horse of the Year” with Kim Whitelegg. Both Donautraum and Royal Rubin have State dressage titles to their names. In 2007 Donautraum won the Australian Hanoverian Society award for most successful horse that year.
The future is unlimited with the main stream focus to produce international quality supreme dressage mounts, the options and talent shown by the progeny to have fine jumping technique, along with the demands to produce an ultimate sport horse, lays a very promising and exciting road ahead for the youngstock of Dicavalli.
On behalf of Henry and Diane George of Dicavalli Stud, Australia we invite you to reach for the pinnacle of all your goals ever dreamed achievable with a horse produced from Dicavalli.
