Santa Rosa Equestrian Center owners Wesley Leckner and Tracy Underwood asked their dressage trainer Jack Burns to find a Lusitano stallion to breed and that Tracy could ride. There was one other small requirement: That the stallion have the lineage, looks and movement to impact the U.S. dressage world. It was a tall order and one that took Jack to Brazil, where he looked at dozens of stallions. Then he met Verso do Retiro and the striking golden color of his coat contrasting with the full black mane and tail were just the beginning of this stallion’s assets.
Jack found the stallion at the Villa do Retiro breeding farm near Sao Paolo. “I went down last May to look for a stallion that could be a competitive dressage horse and stand at stud and I tried a few dozen horses,” Jack explains. Most of the farms in Brazil are not open to the public, but Jack was able to see so many horses through his association with Dominique and Debra Barbier of Healdsburg, who have established relationships with many of the best farms.
The breeders in Brazil have five principles that they practice in their breeding; blood that represents a good pedigree, beauty that translates to a magnificent presence, functionality with natural athleticism, temperament and handling. Lusitanos are known for being smart, trainable and engaging with people. Brazilians bring their colts up right by handling them daily and then turning them out in the pastures to let them be horses.
Verso do Retiro excelled in each of these five areas. The 6 year old, 17 hand stallion has a pedigree filled with nationally recognized champions. His sire, Othelo do Retiro, is an Isabella (meaning caramel color) stallion and his grand sire, Dardo Do Retiro, is a grey. Both are champions in Brazil in Working Equitation. This division tests a horse’s versatility and proficiency for ranch work through three elements; one part is similar to a dressage test and Doma Vaquera, another is an obstacle course judged on agility, and the third is a speed obstacle test with aspects of reining.
At his stallion approval, Verso received a high overall mark with a score of nine on his head and neck. At the farm, Jack was able to ride Verso’s sire and see the entire lineage firsthand, including two of Verso’s babies. “I got to see the whole range of his relatives and there are some strong genetics,” Jack says. “Verso’s babies look like Verso and show that Verso has prepotent (strong) genes. Because he’s homozygous, he’s likely to pass along his golden color.”
Temperament was another important trait and Tracy was quite pleased that, within a week of his arrival, she was able to ride Verso. “I’ve been riding less than four years and I’m not a super aggressive rider so he’s a perfect match for me,” Tracy enthuses. “Jack found a horse with the pedigree, presence and the temperament that I could actually ride and handle. I’ve never owned a stallion and it’s been such a pleasure to work with this horse.”
Verso is available for cross breeding. Tracy and Jack are confident that Verso is going to impress himself on his offspring including body and mind. One of Verso’s colts on the ground is a Thoroughbred cross and the other is a Westphalian cross. Both are a nice mix, according to Jack, and they mirror Verso’s lovely buckskin color.
A Sizeable Influence
One of the main considerations for Jack and Tracy was Verso’s size. “So many of the Lusitanos are under 16 hands and many people today prefer height. At 17 hands, potential breeders know they’ll get larger offspring,” Jack explains.
The plan is to compete Verso at First Level dressage this year and to qualify for the Regional Championships in October. His debut show will be in Danville at Denville-Kanani in April. They also plan to participate in the Starr Vaughn show in May, the CDS Shelly Siegal at Santa Rosa Equestrian Center in June and the Pebble Beach CDI in July.
Jack Burns is a dressage and three day eventing rider originally from the Midwest. He’s been in Sonoma County for 10 years and has trained with such accomplished riders as Dominique Barbier, who was a student of Nuno Oliveira’s. Jack’s principles for training include developing the natural abilities of the horse and developing the relationship between the horse and rider. Jack seeks to create an equestrian expression that is pleasing to experience and to watch.
The Santa Rosa Equestrian Center (formerly Oakridge Training Stables) is a full-service facility situated on over 50 acres of fully-irrigated pastures. The facility has two large outdoor all-weather arenas (one for jumping and one for dressage), a cross-country course, and a good sized covered arena. They are currently adding another larger covered arena.
The facility hosts rated and schooling shows each year. The schooling shows are very popular and there are usually six dressage shows and six jumper shows each year. It’s a nice venue for a schooling show because it has a large, rated show environment.
For more information on breeding to Verso do Retiro contact Tracy Underwood at the Santa Rosa Equestrian Center, LLC at 707-566-0500 or tracy@srequestrian.com or visit www.srequestrian.com.
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