Royal Kaliber

Royal Kaliber was a horse that competed at the Grand Prix level of show jumping, and was part of the United States Show Jumping Team at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.

*Lived: 1992-October 8, 2004
*Sex: Stallion
*Color: Dark Bay
*Markings: Large star, thin stripe, high socks on RF and both hind
*Breed: Dutch Warmblood
*Breeding: by Ramiro Z (Holstein), out of Fiedonja by Voltaire Dutch Warmblood
*Owners: Chris Kappler & Kamine Family
*Rider: Chris Kappler

Breeding

Royal Kaliber had impressive breeding. He was by the "Stallion of the Century", Ramiro Z, a prolific sire of jumping horses. Ramiro has contributed a son to every stud book which has the goal of producing a top jumper, as well as sired many excellent dressage horses. His bloodlines include Ramzes, Cottage Son, and Logenschlieser. Notable offspring: the mare Fatinitza (who was a great jumper and the dam of Almiro Z), and the stallions Rinaldo, Rio Negro and Ronald, and the great mare Ratina Z (olympic medalist and World Cup winner).

Royal Kaliber's dam sire was another notable stallion, Voltaire, whose bloodlines included the globally influential Furioso II and the great stallion Gotthard. Voltaire competed internationally in show jumping, and sired Concorde and other approved sons.

Pedigree for Royal Kaliber
1992 Dark bay

Pedigree
name =Royal Kaliber
inf =
f = Ramiro Z
dkb/br. 1965

Holstein
m = Fiedonja

ff = Raimond
g. 1960

Holstein
fm = Valine
dkb/br. 1961

Holstein
mf = Voltaire
br. 1979

Hanoverian
mm = Adonja
Dutch Warmblood
fff = Ramzes
g. 1937

Anglo-Arabian
ffm = Infra
br. 1950

Holstein
fmf = Cottage Sonblk/br. 1944

Thoroughbred
fmm = Holle
1949

Holstein
mff = Furioso II
dk ch. 1965

Anglo Norman
mfm = Gogo Moeve
br. 1975

Hanoverian
mmf = Stuyvesant
dkb/br. 1973

Thoroughbred
mmm = Sonja

ffff = Rittersporn
fffm = Jordi
ffmf = Fanatiker
ffmm = Lining
fmff = Young Lover
fmfm = Wait Not
fmmf = Logenschliesser
fmmm = Ilona
mfff = Furioso
mffm = Dame de Ranville
mfmf = Gotthard
mfmm = Mosaik
mmff = Priamos
mmfm = Sabera
mmmf = Frappant
mmmm = Majon|

how jumping Career

American Chris Kappler first began riding the Dutch Warmblood when the horse was 8, after receiving him from Ben Boessen. Boessen made the horse totally ready for the big work. Kappler rode him to several impressive wins, and Royal Kaliber was named 2002-2003 AGA Horse of the Year and 2003 U.S. Equestrian Horse of the Year.

2004 Olympic Games

The stallion was a part of the US Show Jumping Team at the 2004 Athens Olympics, winners of the team silver medal. However, while jumping in the final round of the individual competition, the horse had an awkward landing from the 15th fence on course, a large oxer. Kappler felt his mount take an odd step and, with only two fences to go, pulled him up and dismounted. A diagnosis by the team veterinarian found that the horse had an acute strain to his superficial digital flexor tendon of his left foreleg [http://www.usyd.edu.au/su/rirdc/articles/miscell/athens.htm] . This made him the third show jumping horse to be injured, which brought up questions of the suitability of the footing. Royal Kaliber was pulled from competition, but his previous effort had still earned him the individual bronze. It was decided to keep the stallion in Europe until he had completely recovered from his injury, before shipping him home.

Resulting colic

Royal Kaliber's leg was said to be healing very well following the Games. However, the horse began experiencing problems with colic, and an ultrasound was performed finding intestinal adhesion. The veterinarians Dr. Jack Snyder and Dr. Barry David (who flew in from the United States) and Dr. Edwin Enzerink deemed that surgery was appropriate, and on September 27, 2004, they performed the procedure at the Veterinair Centrum Someren in Someren, the Netherlands. Finding the intestine adhered to the spleen, they removed parts of both the large and small intestine. Royal Kaliber appeared stable after the surgery, but his health worsened on October 6. The veterinary team performed another surgery, and found that further adhesions had occurred, which were non-repairable. The decision was then made to euthanize him on October 8, 2004.

Offspring

By chance, a sample of Royal Kaliber's semen was collected for approval testing. Using the surplus, it was possible to breed a few mares, and the result was four offspring: one was sold to Europe, one given as a gift to trainer Frank Chapot, one to a client of Chapot's, and a filly was kept by the owners of Royal Kaliber.

Accomplishments

2004
* Team gold and individual silver medal at the Athens Olympics
* 2nd $60,000 Idle Dice Classic (Wellington, Florida)

2003
* Team gold and individual silver medal at the Pan American Games (Dominican Republic)
* 1st Grand Prix at Devon (Devon, PA)
* 1st $200,000 Budweiser American Invitational (Tampa, FL)
* 1st AGA Show Jumping Championships (Wellington, FL)
* Named U.S. Equestrian Horse of the Year and American Grand Prix Association Horse of the Year 2002
* 1st $175,000 Cargill Grand Prix of the United States (San Juan Capistrano, CA)
* 1st $52,100 Bayer/USET Wellington Cup (Wellington, FL)
* 1st $50,000 Bayer/USET Wellington Cup (Wellington, FL)
* 1st $60,000 Budweiser American Gold Cup (Devon, PA)

2001
* 2nd $75,000 Ford Idle Dice Classic
* 2nd $200,000 Budweiser American Invitational
* 2nd $75,000 Kilkenny Internationale Cup (Wellington, FL)