Royal Kaliber
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Royal Kaliber was a horse that competed at the Grand Prix level of show jumping, and was part of the United States Show Jumping Team at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
- Lived: 1992-Oct 8, 2004
- Sex: Stallion
- Color: Dark Bay
- Markings: Large star, thin stripe, high socks on RF and both hind
- Breed: Dutch Warmblood
- Breeding: by Ramiro Z (Holstein), out of Fiedonja by Voltaire Dutch Warmblood
- Owners: Chris Kappler & Kamine Family
- Rider: Chris Kappler
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[edit] Breeding
Royal Kaliber had impressive breeding. He was by the "Stallion of the Century," Ramiro Z, a prolific sire of jumping horses. Ramiro has contributed a son to every stud book which has the goal of producing a top jumper, as well as sired many excellent dressage horses. His bloodlines include Ramzes, Cottage Son, and Logenschlieser. Notable offspring: the mare Fatinitza (who was a great jumper and the dam of Almiro Z), and the stallions Rinaldo, Rio Negro and Ronald, and the great mare Ratina Z (olympic medalist and World Cup winner).
Royal Kaliber's dam sire was another notable stallion, Voltaire, whose bloodlines included the globally influential Furioso II and the great stallion Gotthard. Voltaire competed internationally in show jumping, and sired Concorde and other approved sons.
Pedigree for Royal Kaliber
1992 Dark bay
| Pedigree of Royal Kaliber | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sire Ramiro Z dkb/br. 1965 Holstein |
Raimond g. 1960 Holstein |
Ramzes g. 1937 Anglo-Arabian |
Rittersporn |
| Jordi | |||
| Infra br. 1950 Holstein |
Fanatiker | ||
| Lining | |||
| Valine dkb/br. 1961 Holstein |
Cottage Son blk/br. 1944 Thoroughbred |
Young Lover | |
| Wait Not | |||
| Holle 1949 Holstein |
Logenschliesser | ||
| Ilona | |||
| Dam Fiedonja |
Voltaire br. 1979 Hanoverian |
Furioso II dk ch. 1965 Anglo Norman |
Furioso |
| Dame de Ranville | |||
| Gogo Moeve br. 1975 Hanoverian |
Gotthard | ||
| Mosaik | |||
| Adonja Dutch Warmblood |
Stuyvesant dkb/br. 1973 Thoroughbred |
Priamos | |
| Sabera | |||
| Sonja |
Frappant | ||
| Majon | |||
[edit] Show jumping Career
American Chris Kappler first began riding the Dutch Warmblood when the horse was 8, after receiving him from an amateur rider. Kappler rode him to several impressive wins, and Royal Kaliber was named 2002-2003 AGA Horse of the Year and 2003 U.S. Equestrian Horse of the Year.
[edit] 2004 Olympic Games
The stallion was a part of the US Show Jumping Team at the 2004 Athens Olympics, winners of the team silver medal. However, while jumping in the final round of the individual competition, the horse had an awkward landing from the 15th fence on course, a large oxer. Kappler felt his mount take an odd step and, with only two fences to go, pulled him up and dismounted. A diagnosis by the team veterinarian found that the horse had an acute strain to his superficial digital flexor tendon of his left foreleg[1]. This made him the third show jumping horse to be injured, which brought up questions of the suitability of the footing. Royal Kaliber was pulled from competition, but his previous effort had still earned him the individual bronze. It was decided to keep the stallion in Europe until he had completely recovered from his injury, before shipping him home.
[edit] Resulting colic
Royal Kaliber's leg was said to be healing very well following the Games. However, the horse began experiencing problems with colic, and an ultrasound was preformed finding intestinal adhesion. The veterinarians Dr. Jack Snyder and Dr. Barry David (who flew in from the United States) and Dr. Edwin Enzerink deemed that surgery was appropriate, and on September 27, 2004, they preformed the proceedure at the Veterinair Centrum Someren in Someren, the Netherlands. Finding the intestine adhered to the spleen, they removed parts of both the large and small intestine. Royal Kaliber appeared stable after the surgery, but his health worsened on October 6th. The veterinary team preformed another surgery, and found that further adhesions had occurred, which were non-repairable. The decision was then made to euthanize him on October 8, 2004.
[edit] Offspring
By chance, a sample of Royal Kaliber's semen was collected for approval testing. Using the surplus, it was possible to breed a few mares, and the result was four offspring: one was sold to Europe, one given as a gift to trainer Frank Chapot, one to a client of Chapot's, and a filly was kept by the owners of Royal Kaliber.
[edit] Accomplishments
2004
- Team silver and individual bronze medal at the Athens Olympics
- 2nd $60,000 Idle Dice Classic (Wellington, Florida)
2003
- 1st Grand Prix at Devon (Devon, PA)
- 1st $200,000 Budweiser American Invitational (Tampa, FL)
- 1st AGA Show Jumping Championships (Wellington, FL)
- Named U.S. Equestrian Horse of the Year and American Grand Prix Association Horse of the Year
2002
- 1st $175,000 Cargill Grand Prix of the United States (San Juan Capistrano, CA)
- 1st $52,100 Bayer/USET Wellington Cup (Wellington, FL)
- 1st $50,000 Bayer/USET Wellington Cup (Wellington, FL)
- 1st $60,000 Budweiser American Gold Cup (Devon, PA)
2001
- 2nd $75,000 Ford Idle Dice Classic
- 2nd $200,000 Budweiser American Invitational
- 2nd $75,000 Kilkenny Internationale Cup (Wellington, FL)
