K-Foal 2026

The foal’s sire Bugatti Eclat SH (Flash) combines world-class endurance lines with impeccable US foundation stock. His sire Karol du Cavallon was imported from France, from the famed endurance farm La Ferme du Cavallon. Led by international FEI rider Gabriela von Felten—ranked 35th in the world in 2022—the Cavallon program is world-renown as a center for Shagya breeding. Karol is a 15’3h chestnut by the endurance champion Carol, who competed internationally to FEI 2* level and sired Alto de Traclin, ranked number one in the world for FEI Endurance in 2022. Flash has been DNA-typed as “Endurance Type.”

Flash’s dam Bajara Silver SH was bred by Shelley Child at Sterling Shagyas. Bajara is by Sterling Silver AF, who combined the blood of Shandor and Oman, two foundation Shagya stallions in the US. Sterling was the highest-scoring stallion at his NASS Inspection tour, and has produced athletic, versatile offspring. He passes on bone, height, outstanding movement, and a kind, willing temperament. Flash’s pedigree features sex-balanced linebreeding to O’Bajar through the full brothers Osiris and Oman—essentially doubling O’Bajar’s influence with the added genetic diversity of full brothers producing both male and female siblings in blood.

The foal’s dam Khvida of Solstice (Katie) is a very special mare: she is one of the few Russian warmblood mares in North America with a full Russian pedigree. Her sire Izar was imported from Russia by Alexandr Chterba from the Starozhilovsky State Stud, where he was graded Elite-1 at his bonitirovka. He was owned and trained by Nanette Sexton of Palm Beach—a Harvard Ph.D. and great-niece of sculptor Alexander Calder—who trained him to Grand Prix. Izar was a striking black stallion standing approximately 16.1–16.2hh with excellent conformation. Katie therefore carries proven upper-level dressage genetics through her sire.

Katie’s dam 4039 Khvoia is a purebred Akhal-Teke imported from Russia by Tito Pontecorvo, arguably the most important figure in American Akhal-Teke breeding history. Pontecorvo—son of the famous nuclear physicist Bruno Pontecorvo—bred approximately 900 purebred Akhal-Tekes over his career in Russia, working with the legendary Vladimir Petrovich Shamborant, founder of Russian Akhal-Teke breeding. In 1997, facing threats from corrupt officials, Pontecorvo fled Russia and evacuated 75 of his best horses to Texas—selecting them from a herd of over 250. Khvoia was among those chosen, representing one of ten Akhal-Teke lines Pontecorvo preserved to maintain genetic diversity. At the time of his departure, more than half of international Akhal-Teke champions were bred by Pontecorvo.

Khvoia’s pedigree includes a direct line to the legendary 668 Absent through 1421 Akra (by 668 Absent out of 1548 Kaska). This makes Katie a great-great-granddaughter of the black Akhal-Teke stallion who won Olympic Gold in dressage at Rome 1960 and Bronze at Tokyo 1964—competing at three consecutive Olympic Games. Absent was famous for his “clockwork” piaffe and passage, natural collection ability that has transmitted through generations.

This breeding unites two of the world’s great endurance breeds through horses that have each been DNA-typed as “Endurance Type.” The Akhal-Teke is legendary for endurance feats including the famous 1935 ride of 2,600 miles from Ashkhabad to Moscow, crossing 300 miles of Kara Kum desert in three days with only the water they could carry. Combined with Flash’s FEI endurance lines through Carol and Alto de Traclin, this foal is purpose-bred for stamina sports.

Katie’s August 2025 Oldenburg inspection revealed an exceptionally strong profile: +2 for breed type, +2 for head refinement, +2 for walk activity and suppleness, +2 for trot impulsion and suppleness, +1 uphill direction, and crucially for a breeding program, +2 for cooperativeness. She is the strongest mover in the program—the “Engine.” Her structural weaknesses are base-narrow hind limbs (-1 bilateral) and small/narrow feet—common in desert breeds selected for speed and agility. This is where Flash becomes the perfect complement: he provides the “Chassis”—the hoof quality, dry joints, and correct limb alignment necessary to support Katie’s powerful movement over long distances.