SPORTS PONY STUDBOOK SOCIETY

  A DEFRA approved Passport Issuing Organisation

Studbook Office: The Last House, Keysoe Row West, Keysoe, Bedfordshire MK44 2JJ

Tel: 07703 566066    Email: 

Normal office hours - Monday to Friday 10.30 am to 4 pm

Note that the SPSS Office relocated in April 2014 and the contact details at the top of the page should now be used for all contact with the SPSS
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Dark Knight

Colour:

Bay (Agouti AA)

Photo by kind permission of Graham Gannon

Breeding:

 

Deutsches Reitpony (Westfalen)

Sire: Dressman I

Dam: Gina

Damsire: Folklore

Height: 145 cm
Born: 27 Jan 2005
Graded: SPSS
Stud Fee: £500 NFFR (no VAT)
Semen: AI (Fresh, Chilled & Frozen)

WFFS result:

CA result:

Negative (N/N)

Negative (N/N)

Breeder: Adolf-Theo Schurf, Germany
Owner: Diane Kilshaw
Location: Nr Stroud, Gloucestershire

By kind permission of Foto-Job.com

Dark Knight was graded Premium Stallion at his Westfalen licensing in Germany and is full brother to Der Feine Lord and Dance Star AT who are two of Germany's best current ponies of their age or level. Der Feine Lord was the second highest scoring member of their 2009 FEI European Dressage Championships Gold Medal wining team and Dance Star was Bundeschampion (German young horse championships) once and Vice Champion twice. 

 

Dark Knight has a superb temperament yet sharp and such a work ethic and trainability. He is quite fine boned for a pony - very much a scaled down horse.

 

For more information please see below, FB: Dark Knight Stallion, darkknightstallion.com or contact Diane Kilshaw - 07920 426834 or

  

Origins

Pedigree:

Dressman I

(DRP)

Domingo

(DRP) 

Derby

(DRP) 

Dandy (DRP) 

 

Britta (DRP) 

 

Valerina

(DRP) 

Valentino (DRP) 

Downland Santolina (WPCS B) 

 

Nadin

(DRP) 

Niklas I

(DRP) 

Nijm ox (Arab)

Utina (Welsh)

 

Suleika

(DRP) 

Shalom (WPCS B)

Narzisse (DRP)

 

Gina

(DRP)

Folklore

(DRP) 

Ponny Power Darling Boy

(DRP)

Downland Folklore (BRP)

Sheila Holl (BRP)

 

Brigitte

(BRP)

El Malaak ox (Arab)

Crwydryn Gowyll

 

Giana

(DRP) 

Brillant

(DRP)

Piran John Halifax (BRP)

St. Lawrence Lilactime (BRP)

 

Gina

(WPCS B)

Chirk Caradoc (WPCS B)

Kirby Cane Greyhen (Welsh)

Dark Knight has one of the strongest pedigrees in German Riding Pony history. By the great Dressman 1 out of the highly acclaimed Elite mare Gina he is full brother to two of the most sought after pony sires in Germany, Der Feine Lord AT and Dance Star AT with his full sister also producing champion ponies. This proven family keeps producing generation after generation of top ponies with sporting type, size and quality. Dark Knight’s full sister St Pr St Gina D has produced state premium mares, graded stallions and FEI dressage pony Grazia WE

 

Sire: Dressman 1 is one of the most successful FEI dressage ponies ever and still fit and healthy at over 30yrs old. Only retiring from international sport at 19 yrs, he was ridden by 3 different German pony riders and won 6 team Gold medals and two individual Golds! Champion of his licensing, winner of his 30 day stallion test and the first pony to win the Bundeschampionate four years running, Dressman has 50 graded sons, 20+ State Premium daughters and many champion stallions, mares, Bundeschampion and Vice-Bundeschampion winners. This pairing with Gina being the most successful family out of them all. A truly phenomenal acclaim in pony breeding!

 

Dam:

A proven world class dam line with StPrSt Gina being Reserve at the Weser Ems state show and her dam Giana, by the notable British Riding Pony Brillant out of a Welsh sec B, was a German Federal Champion mare.

 

Damsire:

Dark Knight's damsire is Folklore who is a grandson of the famous Downland Folklore who, as the sire of many graded stallions, is a key influence in modern Sports Pony breeding and was posthumously declared an Elite stallion in the Netherlands. On his dam's side, Folklore has Welsh and Arab ancestry. Folklore's sire, Ponny Power Darling Boy is also known as Power Boy and is the sire of the successful Dutch competition stallion Power and Paint (winner of 6 Pony Team Silver medals as well as individual Silver and Bronze medals). Power Boy is also the damsire of 2010 Pony European Individual Gold medallist Danilo and of International ponies Desmond and Danny Boy B.

  

Performance

 

Photos by kind permission of Graham Gannon

Full brother Der Feine Lord AT, won Pony Euros Team Gold medal for Germany and many national and state awards and now retired from international competition as a reliable schoolmaster with his owner’s daughter. His offspring are winning FEI level dressage ponies all over Europe with Der Kleine Lord winning Euro Bronze for Great Britain with Alexandra Hellings. Full brother Dance Star AT won Bundeschampion, Vice Bundeschampion twice over, champion at his stallion grading and now successfully competing PSG level in Germany.

 

Dark Knight shows the family traits of the powerful long strides, superb ability to collect and quick, trainable temperament. In time he is sure to follow Der Feine Lord and become a dressage pony any nation would be proud to have on their team.

 

Dark Knight was British Dressage Petplan Area Festival Championships Novice Open finalist in 2015 and now works at Medium level with his owner/rider.

 

By kind permission of Foto-Job.com

  

Offspring/Breeding Advice

Dark Knight possesses an exquisite conformation, beautiful fine boned pony face, athletic ground covering paces and an engine to die. His trainable and loving nature makes him a pleasure to handle at home and away.

 

His first crop produced outstanding foals in 2017 including an SPSS Gold Premium foal and a BEF Futurity First Premium foal.

 

From warmblood, native pony and German riding pony mares all his foals inherited Dark Knight’s people loving sweet nature, athletic physique and movement.

 

If you are looking for predictability in type, size and performance then Dark Knight must surely be top of the list. Both his sire and dam lines are two of Germany’s strongest breeding lines with this pairing of Dressman and Gina proven as one of the best. Many top performance and breeding ponies keep coming through year on year in this family from Bundeschampionat young pony winners, International FEI medal winners to quality family ponies. His semen is excellent quality.

 

Progeny:

 

Henza Suzanna

Bred by Dark Knight’s owner, Diane Kilshaw, this 2020 filly is an exciting cross between legendary sports pony bloodlines with her dam, Sophie (Dressman x Black Boy) having been awarded the German Elite & State Premium Mare accolades and Dark Knight being the full brother to two of the top pony sires Der Feine Lord AT and Dance Star AT. Photos: Diane Kilshaw

 

   
   

    

The Sports Pony Studbook Society

Studbook Office:   The Last House, Keysoe Row West, Keysoe, Bedfordshire MK44 2JJ

Tel: 07703 566066    Email: 

A Private Limited Company - Companies House (Cardiff) Registration No. 4106148

Registered Office: The Stables, Higher Farm, Limington, Yeovil, Somerset BA22 8EG