This is the second in a series of articles that takes a sentimental look back at some of the early and influential warmblood breeding stallions in North America. No discussion of warmblood breeding in the 70's or 80's would be complete without a few words about Judy Williams Ehlers and Glenwood Farms in California., Judy was one of the first warmblood breeders in the western US and her breeding program had a profound effect on the early breeding of warmbloods on the west coast and later the rest of the United States. Her first two imported stallions, Diamont and Prinz Gaylord, had enormous influence on the 'early years' and remain deeply entrenched in the pedigrees of our current breeding stock. Diamont and the Glenwood Farms Hanoverian history will be covered in a later article.

Prinz Gaylord (Perlkonig/Goldberg)

Glenwood Farms had gotten its start in warmblood breeding in 1980 with Diamont, but decided that having a jumping stallion in addition would provide for a more complete warmblood breeding program. There were no Approved Hanoverian jumper stallions on the West Coast at that time. Judy wanted a stallion strictly for jumping with a strong jumping pedigree - a stallion with some kind of competition record himself and whose ancestors had been in the sport.  This was obviously a tall order and precluded the purchase of a young, newly licensed stallion. After much searching, she found Prinz Gaylord in training and owned by Gestut Vorwerk. George Vorwerk liked the stallion a lot but he was not impressed with his scope - the stallion was so careful at home that Mr. Vorwerk was not convinced that he would do the higher fences. Although he was not actually for sale, a deal was reached and Prinz Gaylord went to California in 1982.

Prinz Gaylord had just started his competition in Germany, so was started in modified jumper classes in California. Judy rode and trained him at home, and Chris Borba and Dick Carvin picked up the rides at the shows. As he was, of course, a breeding stallion, he would literally cover a mare then have to jump in the trailer and go to show. Even early in his career, Judy says "He had a huge fan club. People were very devoted to him loved his attitude and heart." After Dick left, Richard Sands took up the reins and then later Duncan Mcfarlane.

Volker Ehlers came to Glenwood Farms in 1986 and took over the ride on Prinz Gaylord at that time. Volker had trained and showed grand prix jumpers for eight years in Alwin Schockemohle's stable and had ridden and trained dressage horses under the instruction of Herbert Rehbein. Up to that point, not only had Judy schooled and prepared Prinz Gaylord at home for the jumping classes, but she showed him in 2nd and 3rd level dressage classes as well. "He wasn't overly fond of dressage but loved the jumping. He hated it when he saw 'the blond lady' coming". Jumping training began in earnest with Volker, who competed the stallion through the levels up to Grand Prix.

He was a steady, consistent competitor and put in clean rounds in big competitions, including World Cup qualifiers, against formidable opponents. Judy says "He was a strong jumper and he had incredible heart; it just wasn't in him to quit." Throughout his show career, he remained an active breeding stallion - often breeding mares just before competitions. Volker says "Prinz Gaylord was one of the few stallions who could really separate breeding and competition. At home he was 'all stallion', but at a competition you could ride him next to another stallion or mare and he totally ignored them. He was amazing in his ability to separate the two - the best I have ever seen."

The Pedigree

While approved for breeding by Hanoverian, Oldenburg, ISR and Westfalen studbooks, Prinz Gaylord was registered Westfalian. He is the son of the Champion Stallion Perlkonig. His dam, SPS Golden Gate, was a Grand Prix jumper who won more than 30 European jumping competitions. Prinz Gaylord is her only offspring. At the 1977 Jubilee Show in Munster, she was declared the best Westphalen jumping horse. She is bred from the legendary Gotthard line. Her dam Panama (Petra) was by Papayer xx, the father of Paradox, the biggest producer of jumping champions in Westphalia. Panama, was an International Grand Prix jumping champion and was Jumping Champion of all Germany. Perlkonig's dam is by the Hanoverian Lavendal, producer of many Hanoverian jumpers. Prinz Gaylord is, therefore, a successful jumper from a dam and grand dam who were also successful jumpers - a very strong pedigree.

The Offspring

Prinz Gaylord proved to be a successful producer of jumpers early in his career. He was declared Germany's Leading Sire for 1983 by the German FN. His progeny include the international Grand Prix horses: Prinz Charming (Germ) shown by Margie Engle and Prinz Haylord, and the approved stallion Prinz Charming (US), a top 10 finisher in the International Jumper Futurity West Coast Finals in 1995. Others include:

Dear Prudence (Dancing Lana) - $24,620 total money won A/A and GP

Princes Papaya (Servus x Gotthard) - competed up to Grand Prix with Chris Borba

Perez  (Avus x Winnetou) - Approved ISR Oldenburg stallion owned by Diane McDonald, Camelot Stables in Canada 1991 - winner at Spruce Meadows and in the Open Jumper Divisions in Oregon and California. Early in his career, Perez won the Preliminary/ Intermediate Northwest Horse Council Year End Championship.

Puccini S and Paganini S (Servus x Gotthard)  - Full brothers owned by Silverhorne Sporthorse. Puccini has competed GP and was the AHC Jumper Award winner at that level

Papreka (Sevus x Diskant) - scored 10 for technique and 9 for scope 9 in her mare performance test

Prinz Gottfried (Gotthard) - shown preliminary by Chris Borba

Fransancisco (Godehard x Furioso) - shown preliminary by Kelly McKnight

Full brothers Prinz David and Prinz Tlalock (Decapo) - competed in Mexico

PG 13 (TB) - 6th IJF, competed preliminary

Pagau (TB) - successful international eventing

Prinz Lombard (Pik Solo) - 3rd level dressage

In breeding, Volker feels that Prinz Gaylord was most successful bred to "good, warmblood, jumper mares - old, traditiona,l jumper blood. He had a lot of Thoroughbred influence in his pedigree even though he did not look it. But whatever mare you bred him to, the offspring could jump - all of them."

Prinz Gaylord died in 2000 but like many of our early stallions, will continue to show his influence through his daughters. A few examples include:

Sympatico (Sandro x Prinz Gaylord) - ridden by Laura Kraut

Celtas Queimaylia S (Carthago x Prinz Gaylord) - Markku Söderberg         

Cygnus (Fuerst Gotthard x Prinz Gaylord) - winner of the San Francisco Grand National Grand Prix

Fuerstin Felicity (Fuerst Gotthard/Prinz Gaylord) - elite mare candidate and top performance tested mare at her Hanoverian inspection

Fuerst Lady (Fuerst Gotthard/Prinz Gaylord) - successful in open jumpers

Fuerst Nino R (Fuerst Gotthard/Prinz Gaylord/Goya) - making his way to the A circuit with Kelly McKnight.

Archer (Fuerst Gotthard/Prinz Gaylord/TB) - CDS horse of the year, Schooling Prix St. George.

And, as noted above, there was the occasional, but not insignificant, dressage horse. The sale topper at the 60th Oldenburg Elite Auction in Vechta in April 2004 was Daddy Cool, a black gelding by Don Primero out of a Prinz Gaylord mare. Daddy Cool, with life winnings of 3,016 Euros, was Germany's most winning five-year-old dressage horse of the year 2003 and, at 261,000 Euro, brought the third highest price ever achieved at a Vechta auction.