CE So Sage K

CE So Sage K was by the legendary eventing sire Jumbo out of Kristie, by Giovanni. The combination brought together one of the most influential British eventing bloodlines with a mare who had already demonstrated her own versatility, having been successfully trained and competed to Novice level eventing.

Jumbo has had an enormous influence on British event horse breeding. By Skippy out of a mare by Seven Bells, he combined Irish Draught and Thoroughbred blood and was himself a remarkably versatile performance horse. He competed successfully in eventing, showjumping and dressage, reaching Advanced Medium level in dressage, before becoming particularly renowned for the success of his offspring.

His progeny have competed at the very highest levels of eventing, with horses such as Headley Britannia helping establish his reputation as an exceptional sire of performance horses. Headley Britannia, ridden by Lucinda Fredericks, became one of the most successful mares in eventing, winning Burghley, Badminton and Kentucky. Jumbo's influence became particularly valued for producing athletic, trainable horses with the versatility required across all three phases.

Sausage's dam, Kristie, provided an interesting complement to Jumbo. Although predominantly dressage-bred, she demonstrated her own versatility by training and competing successfully to Novice level eventing. Her sire, Giovanni, is by Chippendale out of a Scandic mare and won his KWPN performance test with 86 points, including particularly high marks for his canter, self-carriage and rideability. He later finished fifth at the World Young Horse Championships as a seven-year-old and was trained to Grand Prix level.

Through Giovanni, Kristie's pedigree also carries Chippendale, Lord Leatherdale, Negro and Ferro, giving considerable depth of established Dutch dressage breeding. Her dam, Black Magic MP, is by Van the Man out of a Jazz mare, adding further dressage influence through the maternal line.

The decision to combine Kristie with Jumbo was therefore particularly exciting to us. Kristie brought movement, rideability and generations of dressage breeding alongside her own proven ability as an event horse, while Jumbo added a bloodline renowned for producing tough, athletic and versatile horses capable of succeeding at the highest levels of eventing.

Sadly, CE So Sage K died at less than 24 hours old, meaning we never had the opportunity to see how those qualities would develop in him. Despite his very short life, he remains an important part of our breeding story and a foal we will always remember.

We believed strongly enough in the combination to repeat it, and Kristie is once again in foal to Jumbo for 2027. The prospect of welcoming Sage's full sibling makes this next foal particularly special to us, and we are very much looking forward to seeing what this mating produces.