Invest in an internationally recognised bloodline, bred for South African conditions

Conti Stud was born in 2006 with the purchase of our first warmblood stallion, Seiss Montreal who was imported from Namibia. We are a family-based stud which started when all three daughters were riding and it was really difficult to find a horse which ticked all the boxes and was suitable after all the advertising jargon was eliminated. We had the goal of striving to breed an honest willing horse with both good temperament and great potential. Going forward we have carried it further by trying to match a horse we have bred with the right owner so that the horse has the best possible outlook for a secure future where he is well looked after as both owner and horse are suited to each other.

Our stud is based on our motto "Where Potential becomes Performance" and we aim to obtain the best bloodlines so that the potential is there to build upon. Seiss Montreal is by Conti who was by the iconic jumping sire Contender and our second stallion is by Consuelo, also a legend in South Africa.

Our horses combine jumping ability with great movement and conformation and can go on to different disciplines. An example is Seiss Montreal who is not jumping now but is competes at EM dressage level and is progressing up the grades and about to go Medium.

All horses benefit from growing up in a herd and learning the herd dynamics and our youngsters grow up in a herd with space and freedom to run. They are hardy, sure footed with good feet and easily maintain condition – all of us have experienced the horse that is a constant drain on the owner’s finances and the horses we breed are developed to be easy keepers. We monitor them on an ongoing basis but they are not confined to stalls and have no chance to develop any stable vices by being confined too early in their lives.

We strive to adhere to our vision, which is breeding with honesty and integrity – what you see is what you get and transparency is key when matching prospective buyers with the right horse.

We lived in the Netherlands for 10 years and it was a major advantage to go and watch the international riders and their horses. As an example, the jumping horses were generally so well balanced and schooled, their self-carriage so inspiring, it looked as if they could go straight out afterwards and win a high-level dressage test. It emphasised the need for proper flat work in all disciplines and also the need for a basic good conformation which allowed the horse the best foundation for success without having to overcome an impediment just as in any other sport.

Living in Europe, fortunately positioned us at the centre of the International Equestrian Sport circuit, and surrounded by industry professionals and top sport horses, where we could learn and ride with the best, and we returned to South Africa with this wealth of knowledge, which we now share with our discerning clientele. There are undoubtedly very talented horses with difficult temperaments but we want to breed horses which are level headed and well balanced mentally, with good solid temperaments, making them a pleasure to work with or train. We also want to breed hardy horses as, based on our first-hand experience in Europe, is really not uncommon to see premium stock, living out during the cold, snowy winter months, and these same horses unrecognisable during the summer and in show condition.

There are really good locally bred warmblood horses in South Africa that go on to compete internationally. The warmblood market is really big in Europe, we personally only saw warmbloods competing in dressage and jumping at high levels but there were also some thoroughbreds competing in cross country eventing.

We spoke to a breeder in Europe who said the best horses from Europe do not generally go to South Africa for a number of reasons i.e. the price is in Rands is prohibitive, it is better for the breeder to have international exposure for his horses as opposed to much smaller localised South African recognition and the equestrian market is really small compared with that in Europe. We believe that our warmblood horses in South Africa bred by South African breeders are continually improving and we are proud to be part of that group going forward.

We would like to offer any prospective buyers an open invitation to visit us at Conti Stud should they like to invest in an internationally recognised bloodline, bred for South African conditions.