Donegal Double Take
Background
Donegal Double Take is an eleven year old registered Irish Sport horse stallion. A particularly beautiful horse, he stands exactly seventeen hands high, and is an iridescent chestnut colour with a flaxen mane and tail. In addition to his busy stud duties as a breeding stallion his outstanding temperament, trainability and athleticism saw him competing with great success in the demanding discipline of dressage. Donegal Double Take also has an impressive list of accolades from the show ring, where he has been shown with success at agricultural shows and the Royal Brisbane Show where he has won on three occasions.
The Double Take story to date.
Donegal Double Take was bred and is owned by Mr Brendan Croese of the Donegal Irish Sport Horse Stud at Bondoola (near Rockhampton) in Central Queensland. Double Take stands at stud to outside mares in both Central Queensland and South-East Queensland as the stud has breeding farms at Bondoola, and at Marburg near to Brisbane. His sire is the imported Irish Draft stallion Kiltoghert Casey and his dam an Australian thoroughbred mare, Batilde by Fralo.
In April 2001 Double Take went into work with German trained and qualified dressage trainer Steffi Stevens, proprietor of Courtland Dressage Horses at Coolana. In October that year he placed 4th and 5th in Novice level at the Queensland Dressage Championships. After a busy 2001 breeding season he returned to Steffi Stevens for further dressage training and competition.
In 2002 Double Take achieved numerous wins and placings including being Novice Champion at the prestigious `Brenda Wittman Classic' dressage event (scoring 67.52%) in May. By July he was winning at official Elementary level (Lockyer Equestrian Group One Star Trophy Day, 63.71%) and his dressage season culminated with a second placing in the Novice-Elementary freestyle to music at the Queensland Dressage Championships 2002, with the pleasing score of 71.56%. In 2003 he competed successfully at Medium level. Donegal Double Take continued to earn accolades when shown at halter. Since winning at halter at the Royal Brisbane in 2000, DT has won the led Irish stallion award in 2001 and 2002, and has beaten an imported mare for the `Best of Breed' sash.
Donegal Double Take was also a wonderful ambassador for the Irish breed, when displayed before thousands of people at Equitana 2002 in Brisbane, drawing praise and complements for both his wonderful calm temperament, and the polished dressage display he gave as part of the breeds expo.
In 2003 disaster struck, in the form of a colic attack. Although we were able to save Double Take his Dressage career has come to a premature end. Although no longer competing he still maintains a strong presence at our stud. Despite the trauma of the post operative care he is still the perfect gentleman, and regularly shows off his wonderful movement and presence. His breeding duties are not affeced by his condition, although we endeavour to reduce the demands of hand serving, where ever possible.
Donegal Double Take's tends to breed "True to Type" of the Irish Sport Horse breed. Approximately a third of his foals have flaxen mane & tail, and 100% of his off spring have inherited his superb top line.
He has sired all colours from chestnut through grey to black (see insert for one of his quality foals). His foals show quality of temperament, bone & movement, with his 3 & 4yr olds showing significant ability in jumping and dressage.
At this point we are having rising 1 and 2yr olds for sale.
