Linsell Farm

10/31/2026

"A thoroughbred is a horseman’s horse. They can be reactive and sensitive. They require consistency and patience. They will make you painfully aware of your shortcomings. A thoroughbred will also make you realize your strengths. When properly prepared, they will outrun and out-try all the competition. They will give you every ounce of their big hearts. So, if your horse is spooky, skinny, flighty, or crazy, it’s not because your horse is a thoroughbred. It is simply your thoroughbred calling upon you to be the Horseman he needs you to be.”

~ Author: The Western Thoroughbred ~

Amy and Stoney Hollow Stables OTTB Stallion Romeo rearing on command
(JC registered Do the Conga, by Congaree)

10/23/2026

🐎👑 𝗧𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗟𝗔𝗦 – 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗗 𝗗𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥! 🖤✨

With his breathtaking movement, powerful presence and unforgettable performances, this magnificent black Dutch Warmblood stallion became a global dressage sensation.

🔥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗔 𝗟𝗘𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗗

Born in the Netherlands in 2000, Totilas was sired by Gribaldi out of Lominka. His extraordinary talent became unmistakable when he partnered with Dutch dressage rider Edward Gal.

Together, they created something truly remarkable. Their performances combined spectacular athleticism, expressive movement and an electric presence that captivated audiences worldwide. 🐴💫

🏆 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗢𝗥𝗦𝗘 𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗞𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟵𝟬% 𝗕𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗥

In 2009, at the European Dressage Championships in Windsor, Totilas and Edward Gal made history!

🥇 They scored an astonishing 90.750% in the Grand Prix Freestyle, becoming the first partnership to break the magical 90% barrier.

But the story didn't end there.

That December, at Olympia in London, they raised their own world record to an incredible 92.300%! 🤯

Suddenly, dressage had a superstar whose performances attracted attention far beyond the traditional equestrian world.

🌍 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝗚𝗢𝗟𝗗𝗦 – 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗘𝗫𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝗛𝗢𝗥𝗦𝗘

At the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, Totilas and Gal achieved an extraordinary triple triumph.

🥇 Team Gold
🥇 Grand Prix Special Gold
🥇 Grand Prix Freestyle Gold

Their Freestyle performance earned 91.800%, confirming their place among dressage's greatest partnerships.

💔 𝗔 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗

Later in 2010, Totilas was sold to Germany in a multimillion-euro deal, separating him from Edward Gal.

Under German rider Matthias Alexander Rath, he continued competing, but injuries and setbacks prevented him from recreating his earlier dominance.

His career also sparked passionate debates about training, horse welfare and the pressures of elite competition.

🕊️ 𝗔 𝗟𝗘𝗚𝗔𝗖𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗡𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗗𝗘

Totilas passed away on 14 December 2020, aged just 20, following complications from colic surgery.

Yet his influence lives on through his offspring, his historic achievements and the unforgettable memories he gave millions of admirers.

🖤 𝗧𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗛𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗻.

💬 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗗𝗢 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗞?

Was Totilas the greatest dressage horse of all time? Or is there another legend who deserves that title? 🏆👇

10/12/2026

Equitation scientists agree on the critical importance of self-carriage. It improves performance, makes riding safer for both horse and rider, and is also better for your horse's mind as well as dressage sport welfare.

In large part, that’s because it frees up the rider to focus on balance rather than cues, while freeing up the horse’s body for the task at hand, says Andrew McLean, PhD, BSc, Dipl. Ed., founder of the Australian Equine Behaviour Centre in Victoria.

Click on the link in the Comments below to learn why teaching your horse to "carry himself" is key to his training.

10/07/2026

Vision Saddlery Equestrian Store Near Me in Ottawa! Welcome to Vision Saddlery Store! We are the best equestrian store that offers high-quality tack products at affordable prices.

10/07/2026

We are locked and loaded for 2027 😎

💫 World Champion Hunter Rider (WCHR) joins the Caledon Summer Tour
💫Great Pony Challenge
💫Nations Cup of Caledon
💫Hunter Showcase & Hunter Spectacular in the main arena at Angelstone
💫Major League Toronto Season 7
💫7 FEI dates from July to October
💫Derbies, Classics and Team Events
💫Circuit Stalls & Seasonal Paddocks
💫Affordable entry level divisions to welcome new athletes and young horses
💫Angelstone as a 4 ring venue all season to offer the best competition rings in Canada
💫10 USEF rated events

🌟 Many more surprises to be announced in the coming months 🌟

10/07/2026

📣 WIN 10 TICKETS TO THE EHT SKY LOUNGE AT THE ROYAL! 🥂🐴

We’re giving one lucky winner the chance to bring 9 friends for an unforgettable evening in the EHT Sky Lounge at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair!

Join us Friday, November 13 for the Royal International Show Jumping Challenge and enjoy incredible views of the action, drinks, light bites, and EHT hospitality from our sky suite.

TO ENTER:
🤍 Like this post
📲 Share this post to your story
👥 Tag the friends you’d bring in the comments

✨ 10 tickets. One winner. One incredible night at The Royal.

Winner will be announced Friday, October 16.

Good luck — we can’t wait to welcome you to the EHT Sky Lounge! 🥂

Business attire will be required.

10/07/2026

L

📣 WIN 10 TICKETS TO THE EHT SKY LOUNGE AT THE ROYAL! 🥂🐴

We’re giving one lucky winner the chance to bring 9 friends for an unforgettable evening in the EHT Sky Lounge at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair!

Join us Friday, November 13 for the Royal International Show Jumping Challenge and enjoy incredible views of the action, drinks, light bites, and EHT hospitality from our sky suite.

TO ENTER:
🤍 Like this post
📲 Share this post to your story
👥 Tag the friends you’d bring in the comments

✨ 10 tickets. One winner. One incredible night at The Royal.

Winner will be announced Friday, October 16.

Good luck — we can’t wait to welcome you to the EHT Sky Lounge! 🥂

Business attire will be required.

09/26/2026

🐴 Furioso II: The Stallion Who Shaped the Modern Sport Horse

Few stallions have left a mark on European sport-horse breeding quite like Furioso II. 🌟 Born in 1965, this striking Selle Français stallion became an enormously influential breeding sire, particularly in Germany, and his blood can still be found throughout modern jumping and dressage pedigrees.

🇫🇷 French Blood Meets German Breeding

Furioso II was by the Thoroughbred stallion Furioso xx, a son of Precipitation xx, and out of the Selle Français mare Dame de Ranville, by Talisman. The FEI pedigree database confirms this combination and records Furioso II as a Selle Français stallion born in 1965.

His Thoroughbred sire was himself a remarkable breeding influence. Although Furioso xx failed to win during his racing career, he became an important sire of French sport horses after being purchased by the French National Stud. 🧬

Furioso II was brought to Germany by breeder Georg Vorwerk, where he became particularly important to Oldenburg breeding. His influence helped breeders introduce refinement and athletic qualities while developing the increasingly modern sport-horse type.

🏆 A Phenomenal Breeding Legacy

Furioso II's importance wasn't limited to producing attractive horses. His descendants became successful athletes and, crucially, influential breeding horses themselves.

Among his best-known sons was Voltaire, born in 1979. Voltaire competed internationally in show jumping and subsequently became an important sire in his own right. The FEI database confirms Voltaire as a son of Furioso II and Gogo Moeve, by Gotthard. 🏇

Then came the extraordinary For Pleasure. ❤️‍🔥

Born in 1986, For Pleasure was by Furioso II out of Gigantin, by Grannus. He enjoyed a long international show-jumping career and helped Germany win Olympic team gold at Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney in 2000. His success ensured that Furioso II's influence would continue into another generation of elite sport horses. 🥇🥇

Furioso II also influenced dressage breeding. Historical accounts credit him with producing more than 200 state-premium mares and at least 70 approved sons, illustrating just how widely his genetics spread through European breeding programs.

🧬 Why Furioso II Still Matters

The fascinating thing about Furioso II is that his legacy didn't stop with his immediate offspring. Through sons, daughters, grandsons and later generations, his name became woven into sport-horse pedigrees across numerous studbooks.

His story also demonstrates why studying a pedigree means looking beyond individual competition results. A truly influential stallion can shape generations by consistently passing desirable characteristics to his descendants. 🌍

Furioso II died in 1986, but genetically his story was far from finished. Through internationally important descendants such as Voltaire and For Pleasure, his blood continued to influence high-level sport and breeding.

Nearly four decades after his death, Furioso II remains a name worth knowing whenever you open a European sport-horse pedigree. 🐴✨

A stallion may have one lifetime—but an exceptional bloodline can influence generations. 🧬🏆