Royal wins for CSH gelding

You don't necessarily have to be a big time breeder with a large band of broodmares to produce a winner. Sometimes it just takes one broodmare, the right stallion and a little help from a friend or two.

That's the story behind Carbon Copy, the dark bay, three-year-old CSH gelding that made a big impression at the Royal Winter Agricultural Fair, winning the prestigious Lieutenant Governor's Cup, placing second in the Governor General's Cup and capping it all off by taking the Grand Champion title at the CSH breed show.

Carbon Copy was the first foal of Marike Dussault's only broodmare, Image, a CSH mare by Salut. Dussault chose to breed the mare to Guy Laroche, a Trakehner stallion that is CSHA approved, not only because he was in close proximity to her farm in Vankleek Hill, Ontario (on the Quebec border) but also because she liked his conformation, movement and most of all, his temperament.

"I want to breed for myself or other amateurs," she explains. 'Carbo' as he is known, was the fifth foal Dussault has bred and the best so far.

By two, the colt's quality was evident and she decided to show him on the line, but had no experience doing so. She called up Sandra Laprise of Laprise Stable, who offered to help.

When this year's  Cup qualifier in Quebec was cancelled, she hesitated to make the trip to the Toronto area for the others. But Laprise encouraged her to go and she made the effort to make it happen and got the horse qualified for both Cups. Laprise handled him on the line while Kate MacIntyre handled the under saddle duties.

That effort paid off with Carbo's spectacular finishes in both Cup classes (judge by Hilda Gurney and Sue Ashe), making for a heady weekend for Dussault.

She's looking to start Carbon Copy in the baby green hunters next year ("he likes to go slow") and will be thinking of another Cup in her future with his weanling half brother, out of Image and by Laprise's stallion Sir Wanabi.