Breeding Warmblood Horses for the Sports of Eventing, Dressage, Hunters, and Jumpers
The Donnelly Family’s breeding program started in 1995 with the purchase of Amphora at the first Alberta Breeders – Canadian Warmblood Auction.Her first foal was Buenos Aires.Sandra has continued to breed warmblood horses using top jumping, dressage, and eventing bloodlines.Breeding and producing top quality horses with temperaments suitable for a variety of athletes.
Belshazzar
The perfect balance of enthusiasm and sensibility have made this stallion a fun and talented partner.
His career included success up to what is now the CCI4* level of eventing. He is also a talent in the hunters and jumpers. His first show included wins in all of his over fences classes in the Baby Green Hunters. While he has taken a step down from the Advanced level of eventing, he is still sound and keen to work. He is now being ridden by young athletes looking to gain experience in the sport. His offspring are now starting into the competition arena and show plenty of trainability and promise as sport horses.
Photo Credit: Shannon Brinkman
Belshazzar has some top placings at the 3 star level which has earned him full approval as a breeding stallion. He has some experience at Advanced and will be looking to continue his FEI career in 2020.
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the first Alberta-bred horse and the first Canadian Warmblood to represent Canada at the Olympic Games.
To add to this, in the history of the Olympics, only one other horse has been bred, raised, trained and ridden by the same family or individual. Buenos Aires was born and raised at Alborak Stable, owned by the Donnelly family. He is out of a mare purchased at the very first Canadian Warmblood Fall Classic Breeders’ Sale, Amphora, and by Touchstone Farms stallion Bajazzo. Buenos Aires was the first foal raised by the Donnellys and what a start in the business of breeding he turned out to be.
Trained by Sandra Donnelly, “B”, as she calls him,
was a challenging young horse. “When he’s decided he’s not doing something, he’s simply not doing it”, according to Sandra. But from the start he had a presence and, early on, eventing coach Jody Sloper commented to Sandra, “He’s your team horse.” And she was right.
He took his time, advancing through each level of Eventing, each time Sandra wondering if he had what it took to move up…and he did, every time. Sandra says, “He’s not the fastest horse on the planet, but he’s reliable on the cross country course, uncomplicated and honest to his lines.” So, although they have only made time once at the Advanced level, B is not short of accomplishments in the world of Eventing.
Sandra rode him to an Eventing team silver at the 2007 Pan-American games and they then went on to be the top placing Canadian pair at the 2008 Olympic Games, finishing 31st in the individual competition.
B is now enjoying retirement at the farm. He spends much of his time out on the pasture with the young horses and the mare herd. He still goes on an occasional trail ride.
