Appleton DHU

KWPN 05.00591 Brown 9/3/2005 At the 'Horse of the Year Show', 2008, Hastings, Appleton DHU became overall Champion Young Performance Bred Horse Of the Year. As a winner of the '3 Year Old Performance Bred Horses' and the 'Colt as Sire of Performance Bred Horses', he stole the heart of many in the audience. Appleton, with his excellent exterior, showing a lot elasticity in his movement, was the stallion of choice of the European jury. Comment from the jury: I was really surprised by your stallion Appleton DHU because he was amazing : without discussion, he was the best horse of the show, congratulations.
Appleton at the age of 3 years at the 'Horse Of the Year' show, Hastings, 2008, as winner of the Horse & Pony Magazine sponsored breeding classes.
In 2005, the young stallion Appleton G was purchased by Dutch Horses Unlimited, from his breeder AHM Bakker-Brom in the Netherlands. In October 2005, Appleton arrived in New Zealand. Appleton was chosen, because he met the strict conditions, that  were imposed by Dutch Horses Unlimited, in order to be able to make the best dressage blood available in New Zealand. Appleton's dam is the mare Michigan G, who received the honors of 'keur', a high distinction in the Dutch Warmblood studbook, for excellence in exterior, movement and quality of offspring. Michigan G's sire was the world famous stallion Burggraaf, who was assigned the honors of 'preferent', an even higher distinction.
Appleton at the age of 28 months
Appleton's sire is the young stallion Rousseau, (see also www.hasslerdressage.com) who serves in the United States. Rousseau is owned by Harmony Sporthorses and is amoung the highest rating dressage stallions in the Dutch Warmblood studbook. Rousseau also carries the predicate of 'preferent'. Rousseau's sire was the dressage stallion Olympic Ferro, who was second at the Olympic Games in Sydney 2000, with Coby van Balen. Rousseau's dam was by the very influential stallion Roemer, which is currently very sought after as an ancestor in a bloodline. Rousseau had a very exciting year in 2007. In February, for a second year in a row (unprecedented!, a Rousseau son was deemed Champion of the KWPN stallion Show. We look forward to Zagreb's bright future under his new name 'Bue Hors Zack' with Blue Hors Stud of Denmark. The KWPN recently released the new stallion index results from the 2006-2007 keuring season and Rousseau has risen to the top, not only with his peer group, but as a pinnacle example of the Dutch warmblood breed. He carries a new dressage index of 181 points, surpassing his peer group by an 8 point margin! As of this writing, Rousseau has three Champion Mares in Holland and five offspring qualified for the PAVO Cup. In February 2008, another Rousseau-son became champion of the KWPN stallion show. Appleton has developed into a stallion very much like his sire.
Appleton at the age of 28 months	Appleton at the age of 33 months
Appleton at the age of 33 months	Appleton at the age of 22 months

From all the stallions that were available, Dutch Horses Unlimited selected on the breeding value for dressage in the first place. All stallions that didn't meet the condition of being far above the average of the Dutch population were discarded. Then, the stallions that were left over, were judged on movement, exterior  and character.

On 3 February 2007, the stallion Zagreb (Rousseau * Jazz), a half brother of Appleton, became champion at the stallion selection in Den Bosch. He was sold at the KWPN select sale for 430,000 euro's ($NZ 820,000) to the Danish stud farm Blue Hors. Another half brother (Zoltan) was sold at 90,000 euro's (NZ$ 170,000).

At the stallionshow of January 2008 in Den Bosch another half brother of Appleton became the champion of the year. This made Rousseau the only stallion who sired three consecutive champions of the year.

After Appleton arrived in New Zealand, he has been kept with other mature horses, to assist in his education. Appleton is of very good natured, big-hearted, and he is an extreme good mover. Appleton has served in 2006 and 2007 and the first foals were born in 2007.