Lineage

Rubino Bellissimo is the first German Hanoverian Verband and AHS approved son by the great Rubinstein I in the U.S.  He is completely modern in type; and a perfect example of combining the best of a Thoroughbred and all the advantages of a Warmblood - he is elegant, refined, with excellent top line, clear joints and tendons.  He has the brilliance of a Bolero type, and has inherited the prominent Rubinstein traits: desirable flexible long poll, upright and well-shaped neck smoothly connected into sloping shoulders, and the long legs. His gaits are very uphill, elastic with a lot of self carriage. He is a typical "Rubinstein" with super good mind and trainability; Rubino scored 8 for his character and 9 for his temperament.

Rubino Bellissimo was raised by the well-known Knoops family, whose recent famous horses include Grand Prix horse Duvalier and the two-time Bundeschampion mare Wahajama, sold for 5 million Deutsche Marks. Rubino was selected into the State Stud Celle Lot 1 at his LIcensing in Verden. Der Hannoveraner magazine described him: "The high Thoroughbred blood contributes to the expression of the special noble stallion. With his middle frame size, he is convincing a Rubinstein son by his supple movements, and an above average jumping technique over the fences."

Rubinstein I unfortunately passed away in year 2000. Before his untimely death, Rubinstein I competed with Olympic Gold Medalist Nicole Uphoff at Grand Prix level.  He was a close relative to Nicole's Olympic mount Rembrandt (same sire and dams are full sisters) and Dr. Klimke's Olympic horse, Ahlerich (full brother to the dams of Rembrandt and Rubinstein I).  Rubinstein I sired several already well known young stallions: such as Rohdiamant and Relevent; both have reached Grand Prix in dressage with US rider Lisa Wilcox. Others are Royal Diamond, Rubirando, Rubino Rosso, Rosier, Rotspon and now our young Rubino Bellissimo.

Rubino Bellissimo's dam line comes from the Hanoverian improvement sires Bolero and Shogun xx.  They are well known for producing highly ridable horses.  Bolero is the foundation sire of the Hanoverian B-line.  Shogun xx shows up in the dam side of many well-known horses, including the dam line of the versatile Celle State Stud stallions Wanderbursh I and Wanderbursh II. 

Vollkorn xx was famed for siring easy to ride, willing and capable performance horses.  He had 248 offspring competing in Dressage and 191 in show jumping.  Many Olympic jumpers carried his name in their bloodlines.  His progeny won well over one million DM by 1994, and his name continuously shows up in today's competition horses' pedigrees. 

Volturno was a handsome and refined stallion. He was the champion at his Oldenburg stallion licensing. The German Hanoverian Verband stallion directory describes him as "An example of good manners as well as light to ride and keen to learn.  His complete willingness to perform endorses his outstanding character."  Volturno was a member of the 1976 German Silver Medal 3-day team and was on the German Olympic team again in 1980.  Volturno won over 20 international events and retired sound.  No wonder Rubino Bellissimo scored 8's in his cross country jumping at his performance testing. To 1994, Volturno's progeny earnings were already over 648.000DM. 

Performance

In 1999, Rubino completed his 11-month State Stud testing with a dressage index of 123.1, ranked 6th.  Though quite immature in his physical development, his superb ridability, as promised by his "R" name from the bloodline, was clearly visible.

n 2000, Rubino, at age 4, competed in his first show, which was AHSA, USDF and CDS rated, during his first season at stud. Scores received from international judge were 70.7%, 74.2%, 74.5%, and 78.2% for his First Level tests. He received 87 and 89.5 for his USDF Material classes with 9's for trot and canter, and 9.5 for walk.

At age only 5, Rubino Bellissimo with his trainer/rider Nicole Perry was the Champion of USDF All-Breeds Award at First level, and ranked 4th at Second Level with only 0.4% behind the champion.

At age 6, he achieved two Reserve Champion titles with California Dressage Society Horse of the Year and USDF/ABIC Regional 7.  He was also very successful at 6-year-old FEI competitions; the highlight was winning and qualifying the FEI Championship with 78% at Del Mar CDI show.

At not quite 7 years old in 2003, he was already competently schooling tempis to two's as well as piaff and passage.  In October, 2003, Rubino won the USDF region 7 Championship Prix St. George class, and was the Reserve Champion for the CDS Horse of the Year Prix St. George class.  He also was 3rd for both USDF Intermediare-1 and CDS Intermediare-1 Freestyle.  His incredible mind and ridability is proven again and again.

In 2004, Rubino was 3rd in the nation to qualify the USEF Intermediaire-I Championship, and achieved 3rd out of 12 qualifies, behind two Olympians and their older horses, at the USEF I-1 Championship Final held in conjunction with Olympic Selection Trial in San Juan Capistrano, California.  The 8-year-old proceeded to win Intermediaire-I Freestyle classes in both USDF Region 7 and CDS Horse of the Year Championships.

in January, 2005 at his first USET invitational clinic with Klaus Balkenhol clinic, Rubino impressed Klaus so much that Klaus immediately asked for Rubino's bloodlines and wanted to get his breeder's name - Jakob Janssen.

In 2006, Rubino and his trainer/rider were invited to train with Klaus Balkenhol and other USET team members again. He also competed multiple Grand Prix classes including CDI classes. He ended up with the honor of Reserved Champion at Grand Prix level for The USDF Regiona 7 Championships, an incredible feat as the first year Grand Prix competitor. He was again invited to train with USET in year 2007.

Progeny

Rubino's first son, Rubaron von Foxpaw, born in 2001, is currently being raised as stallion prospect, and has won or placed highly at many breed show championships. He was also the Reserve Champion for 2002 USDF Consequin Championship Finals.  in 2003, Rubaron won many breed classes including colts/gelding, young horse, and with his full brother, they also won 1st for Get of Dam, Get of Sire and Breeder's group.  Several other foals also achieved great results at inspections or breed shows.  All of Rubino's foals are smart, elegant with lofty movements, and very easy to handle.

Rubino Bellissimo rivals the best young dressage stallions in Germany and represents the epitome of a modern Warmblood sport horse.  He is also now proven to produce modern and highly desirable riding horse type that will be suitable for both serious competitors and amateurs. In addition, his outstanding bloodlines will make his progeny valuable breeding prospects as well.

Wonderful was Reserve champion of the stallion licensing at Verden, Germany out of 100 stallions in 1991. The Hanoverian State Stud Stallion Book describes him being with excellent conformation, striking nobility, a very good type and expression. He is bred out of a good dam line and has passed on his excellent dressage talent. He started competing at M level (3rd - 4th level) dressage in 1996 and has been winning with scores of 80 - 85%. At age of only 7, he started schooling all Grand Prix movements. (The video was taken when he was only 8.)

Wonderful served at the State Stud for three years. Many of his foals won at breed shows in Germany. In 1996, a 2-year-old filly was the champion of her class and the Grand Champion at Bargstedt Mare Show. Again, in 1997 the Bargstedt mare show champion was a mare by Wonderful.

In June, 1997, three 3-year-old filles by Wonderful were awarded States Premiums at Bargstedt mare show. Also in the United States, the inspection overall champion mare, and one of the only three Hanoverian mares that scored 8 or above at the 1997 AHS inspection tour was a black filly, Wondergirl by Wonderful. In 1999, Wondergirl went on to win her mare performance test with an overall score of 8.33 and an incredible ridability score of 9!

His first US foal crop arrived in 1999. They span from Rhode Island, Virginia, Florida, Canada, all the way to Hawaii. Among his US foals, we have inspection and breed show champions, impressive stallion candidates, and several foals were successfully sold before they were weaned with prices as high as $12,000. Wonderful's other imported offspring have also been observed to be successfully marketed at $40,000 to $50,000.

He has been a sire and grandsire to several horses participated in the prestigious Elite auctions in Verden, Germany. At the 1998 Fall Elite auction, Winwood, a 3-year-old gelding by him, was selected and imported by Pan Am and World Equestrian Game Gold Medallist Debbie McDonald. This youngster went on to represent the US for year 2000 World Breeding Championship in Holland with owner/trainer Heather Bender. He also finished 2000 with many wins in CDS and USDF championships with scores as high as 80+%. He was also the champion of USDF All-Breeds award at First Level in 2000, and Reserve Champion of USDF All-Breeds award at 3rd level in 2001.  In 2003, at e 8, Winwood has started his winning way at Prix St. George and I-1.  He was 4th in the nation to qualify for the USEF Intermediaire-1 Championship held with 2004 Olympic Selection Trial in San Juan Capistrano.  Olympian Debbie McDonald selected Wonderful to breed for her sponsor River Grove Farm.

Wonderful's US crops are still young, but already have started to shine in the USDF Breeding in-hand classes and low level dressage.  He has foals ranked highly in the USDF Sporthorse in-hand Year-End Awards while their amateur breeders only showed a few times for fun.

Wonderful is a proven sire with very high prepotency of passing down his athleticism and gentle temperament. His older offspring produced when he was in Germany have demonstrated that they are not only good as foals, but also when they become performance horses. The statistical Breed Index of 156 says it all!