LEOPARD ROCK SPORT & SHOW HORSE STUD

introduces

“WAP'S MAMMA MIA”

From the dynasty of the all time top-producing Appaloosa sport horses in the world, comes the exquisite ApHC yearling filly “Wap's Mamma Mia“. She is purebred Appaloosa; a striking dun snowcap with large, spotted lightning flashes on her legs. Her pedigree is resplendent with legendary names like ‘Wap’s Spot 2’ and ‘Reflection‘. Wap’s Spot 2 paved the way for other Appaloosas in the All Breed show arena, showing his outstanding talent when competing, ninety percent of the time against Thoroughbreds and non-Appaloosas. Reflection produced size, bone and substance and a puppy-dog temperament. Their legacies live on in Mamma Mia.

‘Mamma Mia‘, or “Mia” as she is known, was carefully chosen, after ten years of following the unprecedented success of her forbears, and painstaking tracking of the foals produced by these world-class studs, because she is triple bred Wap’s Spot 2 and once Reflection. It was imperative to us that these lines were not diluted with other outcrosses. Being a true snowcap, she will also be homozygous for colour, with black and dun as the base. Considering the very loud colour in her pedigree and that of Many Moons, we look forward to some exotically spotted foals in the future.

Renowned Thoroughbred breeders have for centuries selected the most superior quality animals and intensified their desirable genes through line-breeding to entrench the genes, thereby creating unsurpassed athletes. It is of interest to note that the top Thoroughbred breeder in Australia, John Messara, on a recent visit to South Africa to advise the local breeding industry, attributed a large portion of his international success to line-breeding. JG Appaloosas and HeronHaven Sport Horses in Pennsylvania, USA, have perfected the breeding of sport horses to a fine art too - the studs having produced over 200 mostly All Breed winners in every equine discipline one cares to mention.

One of the attributes we were looking for in a mare is one who will breed ‘true to type’, especially when bred to a prepotent stallion like Maluti Toby’s Many Moons, the current stallion at stud at Leopard Rock, who is conformationally, colour and movement-wise the closest in South Africa to these world famous sport horse stallions. His pedigree has a good amount of black, dun, sorrel and palomino colours from his great grandsire Southern Beau, and has himself produced both black and dun fillies. He consistently produces size, dense bone, excellent conformation and his trademark floating extension in his foals.

Mia, bred by Lori Fong of Heronhaven Appaloosa Sport Horses USA, is the first produce of the young 16.1hh dun spotted blanket stallion 'Wap's Pilatus HH‘. Her dam is the 16.1hh dun snowcap mare ‘Wap N’ Jazz‘, whose full sister is ‘Ballet Slippers‘ also a dun snowcap and the 2000 Belgian National Champion. Mia’s 2006 full sister is a black and white filly with the same conformation, class, refinement and movement, showing that when one breeds with the best and with proven lines, top quality is what one consistently produces. Other half-sisters and brothers and related horses have been sold world-wide to competition riders, one of the most recent being a New Zealand Olympic top level dressage prospect.

One of the most exciting aspects of Mia, apart from her superb conformation, dense bone and her unusual colouring, is her incredible movement. Her extension and elevation are so powerful and so elastic, she literally dances on air. She is one of a kind.

Negotiations to purchase Mia began nearly a year ago, and it has been a long but worthwhile wait until she reached a suitable age for transporting. Importing a young foal from as far afield as the USA is not for the faint-hearted and all we can say is “ignorance is bliss!“

Fortunately, she could spend her thirty day isolation period at her home which alleviated some of the potential stress. However a four day journey which began with a long road trip from Pennsylvania to New York, then by air to the Netherlands and again by road to Belgium from where she flew on a specially chartered horse flight to South Africa, must have been a daunting experience for a youngster.

As ‘luck’ would have it, she arrived during the worst African Horse Sickness period in South Africa in years, and because she quarantined in Cape Town, we decided to leave her in that province until the first frosts appeared in Johannesburg, which meant regular trips to visit her. She is a very trainable and responsive filly, who learns very quickly and loves human interaction. She will unfailingly come up to one in the paddock, first of all for a head and ear scratch, and then she presents her huge hindquarters for a good tail rub! Everyone who meets her soon becomes fond of her very endearing personality. She has been a great ambassador for the breed wherever she has travelled as she truly has the “wow” factor.

Despite losing a lot of condition whilst in quarantine, as is evidenced in the photos taken on arrival in winter in pasture condition, and after the ordeal of moving to three different locations in as many months, her excellent conformation is still very apparent. She is a truly remarkable filly and we are thrilled to finally have her with us with.   We are extremely grateful to Lori Fong of Heronhaven who went out of her way to help us, but most especially for breeding such a remarkable horse!