Cradilo is a 17.1 hand, 1993, liver chestnut Registered Irish Draught (RID) Stallion who was imported from Ireland in 1996. He is currently with (as of July of 2006) Huntington Training Farm LLC. The Irish Draught, typically considered a foundation breed, is crossed with the thoroughbred and other light breeds to produce the Irish Sport Horse (ISH). While the ISH is a fairly rare cross within the US Hunter Jumper industry, many of the top competitive horses in the most successful barns (for example, the little Irish Sport Horse named Flexible, currently taking the Grand Prix rakings by storm) are those one or two Irish Sport Horses. The combination of the size, bone, mind, athletic jumping ability, power, natural balance, hardiness, courage and a willing temperament (brought about by the intesity of Irish Field Hunting); lightened by a quality (we prefer race horese bred fast) mare, tends to yield an exceptional sport horse. The cross has been documented repeatedly to produce top international stadium jumping horses and 3-Day eventers. And the Irish Draught is a rare breed, with less than 2,000 pure breds in the world. Cradilo, being rarely bred within the breed itself and competing Grand Prix, is among the most elite of the RIDs. In Ireland, his sire, Kildalton Gold (now deceased) was regarded as the best Irish Draught Stallion of his time. He was twice named Irish Draught Stallion of the year within Ireland at R.D.S. in 1988 & '89. His dam, "Brehan Lass" is a Grade C showjumper, who won the Millstreet Kerrygold Championship in 1989 and has won a total of 75 First Prizes. She was considered one of the top Irish Draught Grand Prix jumping mares in Ireland for almost a decade, and is also the dam of Brehan's Pride, the Aer Rianta Cork Airport (sponsor) All-Ireland Champion in 1996. Understandably, we are told the Irish Draught horse industry within Ireland has felt and mourned the loss Cradilo to the United States. In the U.S. as a newly started 4 year old, Cradilo immediately distinguished himself through the Irish Draught Horse Society of North America (IDHS/NA) ... see www.irishdraught.com. With Amy Hunter aboard (and putting the initial jump training on him), Cradilo was the 1998 Supreme Champion and field Hunter Champion at the IDHS/NA Annual Breed Show in Greenville, VA, the 1998 American Irish Draught Performance Champion and the 1998 North American Irish Draught Champion. Celtic Cross (aka Joxer), Cradilo's first born out of a thoroughbred mare, was the 2005 and 2006 IDHSNA National Jumper Champion, the 2005 Reserve Supreme Sporthorse Champion, and the 2006 Supreme Sporthorse Champion.
While Cradilo, due to an early training injury, spent most of his adult life retired as a breeding stallion, in 2007 he blazed a trail back in to the competition ring, suprisingly going Grand Prix on the Midwest Circuit, his first year back in serious work. He has shocked multiple top trainers within the industry, expecting him to be too large to jump with such exuberance and power ... and surprised by his sudden appearance and quick rise through the ranks, carrying a very "new to the ranks" Grand Prix rider. His offspring, being quite rare due to his recent competitve schedule and relatively unknown status prior to competing, are also beginning to be noticed by top trainers within the sport horse industry. Denny Emmerson has recently recommended Cradilo to clients owning Connemara mares due to Hobbs, a Cradilo foal going Advanced 3-Day; and Joxer has been a successful upper level jumper with hunter/jumper trainer Frank Madden. Recently, Deluca by Cradilo and Fatima by Cradilo, 4 year old mares out of thoroughbred dams, were 1st and 2nd in the 4 year old jumping over fences class at the Young Horse Show @ WEF in Wellington, FL in February of 2011. Cradilo and Amy will continue pursuing competitive success in 2011 with their 5th year of Grand Prix competition, and hope to negotiate their first FEI level competition in the near future. **For Cradilo's show results go to 'HF News'... go to 'HF Schedule' to find our next show. Video can be seen below or on youtube by double clicking on the video picture.** ***To see a video of Sea King Gold, a Cradilo gelding doing the Level 6 jumpers, go to www.windfallfarm.com and click on breeding*** Cradilo will still be available for artificial breeding via fresh cooled semen throughout the Spring and Summer. Stud fee is $2000 ... contact Amy for further details. Call or email for the breeding contract.