This week the breeding world lost one of its biggest names. The Oldenburg stallion Balou du Rouet died on October 13 at age 27 at Paul Schockemöhle’s Gestüt Lewitz in Germany, where he was bred in 1999 (read World of Showjumping’s tribute). His sire was Baloubet du Rouet, who won individual Olympic gold in 2004 with Rodrigo Pessoa, plus three consecutive World Cup Finals. Balou didn’t have a famous show career of his own. His legacy was made in the breeding shed, and it’s hard to overstate how far it reaches.
The numbers are remarkable. More than 95 of his offspring have succeeded at 1.60m, and around 200 compete at the top international level (see Equnews for more on his career). His son Baloutinue won team silver at the Tokyo Olympics with American rider Laura Kraut, and First Class van Eeckelghem took team bronze in Rio with Daniel Deusser. For nearly ten years, the WBFSH ranked him among the world’s best sires in both show jumping and eventing, a title almost no stallion holds.
But what is most fascinating, is how long a stallion’s influence can last. In the same week Balou died, a grandson of his, by his son Balou Peggio, was presented at the Hanoverian stallion licensing. His sons are now sires, and their foals will be competing in 2035. One horse born in 1999 will still be shaping pedigrees long after most of us have stopped showing.
For anyone sourcing young horses, that comes with an important lesson. An infamous name like Balou on the papers raises the price, because everyone recognizes it. But the bloodline is now so widespread that the name alone doesn’t make a horse special. The real value comes from looking one layer deeper. The strength of the dam line, or a lesser-known son of a great sire whose foals haven’t been priced up by the market yet. Papers give you peace of mind for what’s possible, but the horse in front of you tells you what’s real.
Next time you look at a young horse’s pedigree, don’t stop at the sire. Look up the dam’s record and the sire’s sons, and ask what the market might be overlooking. Do you have a favorite Balou du Rouet horse? Share it in the comments, and subscribe for more on finding value before the market does.
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