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The owners of the best producing mares in Sweden
receive a Diploma for their mares contribution to the
sport of harness racing. These mares are named Elite
mares, and the naming of Elite mares started with mares
foaled after the year 1940. Today 133 mares have been
named Elite mares, and a study of their maternal lines
show that the influence from American maternal lines
are overwhelming. Three
Foundation mares are represented with 32 Elite mares
(25%) and ten Foundation mares are responsible for 57
Elite mares (43%). These Foundation mares are all from
the US.
There are a couple of people I would like to thank in
this regard, and that is firstly Ylva Welèn who
gave me the idea to study the Elite Mares' maternal
lines more thoroughly. Ylva had already spent quite
a bit of time gathering information about the mares.
When I was writing the article for the Norwegian trotting
magazine Trav- og Galopp Nytt my path also crossed with
Tom Vibke who is a tremendous source of information
in regards to maternal lines. Tom has helped me get
the final pieces of the puzzle together so that all
the information now is complete.
Speedy Crown tops among sires
Among the 132 mares, most sires have one daughter as
their representative. It is remarkable that Speedy Crown
has eight daughters in this group, but of course he
is also a remarkable sire and broodmare sire. Six sires
then have four daughters each: the well known Super
Bowl and Speedy Count in addition to Big Lama (by Jamie
and out of a french mare. Bred in the US by Delvin Miller),
Frances Nibs (also broodmare sire to Meadow Road), Pay
Dirt (son of Florican, out of the impeccable Impish)
and Whitney Hanover (son of Spencer Scott, exported
to Sweden in 1946). Three sires have three daughters
in the group of Elite mares, and this is Songcan, the
Star's Pride son Near Me and Bulwark (son of Volomite,
exported to Sweden in 1936 and a dominating sire in
Sweden).
Sire lines
The sire lines from Peter the Great has been dominating
in international trotting since the 1940s. In Sweden
the sire lines from Axworthy has been competitive for
a little longer period than in the US. This was mostly
due to the success of Scotch Nibs (son of Nibble Hanover),
sire of i.e. the great sire Frances Nibs.
Among the Elite mares in Sweden, the sire
lines from Peter the Great dominates with 93 mares,
but the Axworthy sire lines has 30 representatives.
These numbers indicates how important the Axworthy sire
lines has been also in Swedish trotting. The number
of Axworthy representatives is much higher than what
one could expect after the domination by the Peter the
Great sire lines for so many decades.
The McKinney sire lines has two representatives
among the Elite mares, both from French sires. The sire
lines from the "French Hambletonian", Fuschia, has seven
representatives, and the Orlov sire line (from Russia)
has one representative.
Sophronia through Nancy
Hanks with twelve Elite mares
Sophronias maternal line has most representatives among
the top Swedish mares, all through Nancy Hanks - the
mare that was foaled in 1886 and trotted in 2:04m. Sophronia
is Nancy Hanks third dam. The twelve Elite mares comes
from three of Nancy Hanks daughters: Markala, Narion
and Palema.
Nine Elite mares comes from Palema, as
two of her granddaughters were exported to Sweden and
became extremely successful broodmares. Duchess (f.1928)
made the maternal lines that gave the Elite Mares Lass
Dancing (dam of three Swedish millionaires), Leona B.L.
(dam of two Swedish double millionaires) and Minerva
(one of Swedens most influental mares). Lemomite (f.1932)
is responsible for Calotta (dam of Callit, the winner
of i.e. Roosevelt International), Caressa, Lime Flash,
Liselothe, Lola Will and Quadriga. A daughter of Lime
Flash, Brioni, was exported from Sweden to Norway and
became an important mare there.
Nancy Hanks daughter Markala, is granddam
of Anna Maloney - a mare that was exported to France
and became influental there. In Sweden this family has
given the two Elite mares Kramer Spin and Louison H.
Kramer Spin is well known in the US, as dam of the Stakes
winners Exclusive Lavec and Kramer Collection. She is
also granddam of Mr Lavec - a multiple Stakes winner
in both the US and Europe, and now a well known sire
in North America.
The twelvth Elite mare from Sophronia,
is Solitaire Spin (dam of two Swedish millionaires).
This maternal family comes from Nancy Hanks daughter
Narion.
See overview
of maternal lines from SOPHRONIA
Maggie H. with ten
Elite mares
Two Foundation mares are responsible for ten Elite mares
each. One of them is Maggie H. - through her two daughters
The Gaiety Girl (six mares) and The Widow (four mares).
The mare Gay Party was exported to Sweden
in 1936, she was a granddaughter to The Gaiety Girl.
Her daughter Nancy Gay received the Elite Diploma, and
so did Nancy Gays daughter Oki. Okis granddaughter Princess
Ride has been one of the top 4 year old mares in Sweden
in 2003. Gay Party also became dam of Mimi Gay. Mimi
Gay is dam of Axo Gay and granddam to Gay One - both
these mares are Elite mares.
The last two Elite mares from The Gaiety
Girl, is Lass Dame (through Gayworthy, daughter of The
Gaiety Girl) and Misty Sister (through Gaiety Lee, another
daughter of The Gaiety Girl). Misty Sister should be
well known in the US, as she is the dam of the multiple
Stakes winner Newmarket S (f.1983) and granddam of Constable
- winner of Breeders Crown elim. for 2yo colts in 2002.
Misty Sister has made a big contribution also to french
trotting through her son Mickey Viking (by Bonefish)
- a top sire in France. His son Viking's Way is a champion
sire in France.
The other of Maggie H.'s daughters, The
Widow, lives in Swedish trotting through her daughters
Maggie Onward and Sienna. Maggie Onwards granddaughter
Miss McElwyn (a sister to great sire Mr.McElwyn) was
exported to Sweden as a 2 year old in 1937. She became
dam of Love in Bloom, a super mare for both Norwegian
and Swedish trotting. In Sweden the Elite mare Rain
Loc has Love in Bloom as her 5th dam, and in Norway
the super mare Inka Spin (bred in Sweden) has Love in
Bloom as her 4th dam. Rain Loc is dam of i.e. Activity,
and Inka Spin is dam of two classical winners in Mr
Moxy (30 wins) and Zoot Spin (34 wins).
Siennas daughter Kashmir gives Maggie
H.'s blood to the two Elite mares Cash Income and Enina
Olympia (in the US registered as Success Bunny). One
of the best mares for Norwegian trotting, Nevele Now
(dam of two Derby winners and several Classical winners),
also comes from Kashmir. Anticipation is another daughter
of Kashmir. Anticipation is granddam to the great North
American mare Wishe's Keeper, also dam of the Elite
mare Lady Lexington. Lady Lexington was herself a Stakes
winner in the US, and is dam of i.e. Bowls Lady - winner
of the Mares Championship in Sweden.
See overview
of maternal lines from MAGGIE H.
Medio with ten Elite
mares
The other Foundation mare with ten Elite mares, is Medio.
All the Elite mares come from Medios granddaughter Miss
Bertha C. In Sweden, Miss Bertha C. is known as the
dam of Sister Bertha, dam of the Stayer King Harper
Hanover, in addition to The Divorcee and Miss Bertha
Dillon that both gives their precious blood to Elite
mares. The Dicorcee is 6th dam to Sylvia Brodda. The
Divorcee's sister Miss Bertha Dillon is one of the most
influental mares in harness racing - a previous broodmare
at Hanover Shoe Farms.
Bertha C. Hanover is a daughter of Miss
Bertha Dillon, and her blood is in Lanette
Hanover (dam of two Swedish millionaires). This
line is also responsible for one good mare in Norway,
Speedy Sonja (in the US registered as Ata Laura) - dam
of i.e. Victoria S, multiple Stakes winner in both Norway
and Sweden.
Betsy Hanover was exported to Sweden in
1937. She was a daughter of Miss Bertha Hanover - another
daughter of Miss Bertha Dillon. From Betsy Hanover,
there are two Elite mares: Butterfly and Grevinnan Ribb.
Miss Bertha Hanover was also dam of Madge Hanover, the
4th dam of the Elite mare Margit Lobell (dam of three
horses registered in the US, all with over USD 100,000
in earnings, i.e. the Peter Haughton winner Enjoy Lavec).
Dam of Margit Lobell is Matina Hanover - one of the
best mares in North America. Matina Hanover is also
dam of Mack Lobell,
granddam of American Winner, BJ's Mac, Super Pleasure
and Victory My Way.
The third daughter to Miss Bertha Hanover
with tremendous influence on Swedish trotting, in addition
to Betsy Hanover and Madge Hanover, is Patricia Hanover.
This line is responsible for some of the most successful
maternal lines in Europe the last years. The mare Scotch
Dot was exported to Sweden in 1969, 11 years old. Her
daughters foaled in the US, Trader Dawn and Glenna H.,
was also exported to Sweden. From Scotch Dots production
in Sweden she received a Diploma as an Elite mare. In
addition, her daughter Trader Dawn is dam of the Elite
mare Trader Girl, and Glenna H. also became an Elite
mare. Glenna H. then became dam of another Elite mare
- Cikora Tilly, a mare again dam of another Elite mare
in Icora Tilly. Icora Tilly is known all over the world
as dam of the fastest trotter ever - Victory Tilly.
Victory Tilly has an Elite mare as dam, grand dam, 3rd
dam and 4th dam!
In this respect, it is also worth noting
that another daughter of Miss Bertha Hanover, Brenda
Hanover, is the 4th dam to the great producers Amour
Angus and Canne Angus.
See overview
of maternal lines from MEDIO
Jessie Pepper with
four Elite mares
This great Foundation mare is represented among the
Elite mares through her two daughters Annabel and Iona.
Iona is granddam of Mabel Trask, a daughter of Peter
the Great that was foaled in 1911 that trotted 2:01.3/4m.
This great mare is 4th dam to the Elite mare Noble Annie
(dam of two stallions in Sweden).
Estabelle is the daughter of Annabel that
is responsible for three Elite mares. Spenesta was exported
to Sweden in 1937, and she had Queen Regent Ideal (daughter
of Estabelle) as 3rd dam. Spenestas two daughters Spensa
Flash and Spensa Craftsman are influental in Sweden,
as Spensa Flash is granddam to the Elite mare Lady Village
and Spensa Craftsman is 3rd dam to Elite mare Karolina
J.
Another daughter to Estabelle, Princess
Royal, leads us to the 4th Elite mare from Jessie Pepper:
Ata Donna Y. Ata Donna Y's 3rd dam is Tanya Hanover
- a mare that has Princess Royal as 4th dam (through
her daughter Roya McKinney). Ata Donna Y. was a tremendous
broodmare, and has four sons accepted for commercial
breeding in Sweden. Her son Atas Fighter won the Roosevelt
International and stands at stud in Italy. The mentioned
Tanya Hanover is a sister to Misty Hanover (dam of Hickory
Pride and Hickory Smoke) and Tronia Hanover (dam of
the great mare Helicopter, dam of i.e. Armbro Flight).
It is also interesting to note that Princess
Royal has been an important factor for developing both
Axworthy's and Peter the Great's sire lines. Her daughter
Queenly McKinney was the dam of Guy McKinney - grandsire
of Florican (important sire for the Axworthy sire lines).
Another daughter, the already mentioned Roya McKinney,
was dam of Scotland - grandsire of Rodney that leads
to both Speedy Crown and Arnie Almahurst (two important
sires for the Peter the Great sire lines)...
It is worth mentioning that a daughter
of the great Roya McKinney was in fact exported to Norway.
This was Elsie Scott foaled in 1921, and Elsie Scott
immediately made a huge inpact on Norwegian trotting.
Her foals raced tremendously well, and her daughters
became dominating producers. To give an example - the
Norwegian team in international FFA races for a few
years all had Elsie Scott as granddam! One of these
horses were Scott Protector - one of the most important
horses in Norwegian trotting history. This beautiful
horse won 116 races. Several Norwegianbred stallions
comes from the maternal family from Elsie Scott.
See overview
of maternal lines from JESSIE PEPPER
Lida through Young
Miss with four Elite mares
Lida is 4th dam to Young Miss. Young Miss is well known
as dam of one of the four great sires (Axworthy, Bingen,
McKinney and Peter the Great) in the development of
the trotter: Bingen. It is Bingens sisters Miss Lizzie
S. and Petronia that has been important for the lines
to four Elite mares. The Elite mare Pergoletta has Petronia
has 8th dam. Miss Lizzie S. is 4th dam to Vienna Girl,
the mare that is responsible for three mares with the
great Diploma in Sweden. Vienna Girl is granddam to
Virana, 4th dam to Johanna and 5th dam to Happy Secret.
See overview
of maternal lines from LIDA
Minnehaha through
The Thompson Sisters with four Elite mares
Another great family from the US, the mares Tillie Thompson
and Madam Thompson are known as The Thompson Sisters.
They are both daughters of Eva, a daughter of Minnehaha.
Tillie and Madam Thompson are responsible for two Elite
mares each.
The Elite mare Victory Flight was imported to Sweden
in 1965, and she became dam of two Swedish millionaires
in Legend Ribb (50 wins) and Perfect Ribb (21 wins).
Tillie Thompson is 6th dam to Victory Flight - a daughter
to Dinner Song. Dinner Song is also a sister to Dinner
Music, a mare that is well known in Scandinavia as dam
of Lord Valentine - one of the sons of Florican that
was highly successful from his years at stud in Denmark.
3rd dam of Victory Flight is The Miss Hanover. A sister
to The Miss Hanover, Minnetonka, is 6th dam to another
Elite mare Viva la Difference. Another sister to The
Miss Hanover is Rose Brooke, she is 7th dam to the winner
of The Kentucky Futurity 2003 - Mr Muscleman.
Madam Thompson is responsible for two
Elite mares - both through the daughter Eva Tanguay.
Eva Tanguay's daughter Harvest Eve was exported to Sweden
in 1936, and she is the 4th dam of the Elite mare Annwone
P. Eva's Girl is a another daughter of Eva Tanguay,
and therefor a sister to Harvest Eve, and she is 5th
dam of the Elite mare Sonoma. Sonoma is a full sister
Speedy Somolli, the dam of Royal Troubador and the granddam
of Cartier Hall. A full sister to Sonoma, Vana Lobell,
is also dam of Egon Lavec - a multiple European stakes
winner and now a stallion.
See overview
of maternal lines from MINNEHAHA
Young Chicago Maid
with four Elite mares
It is the American mare Princess Kate that has made
this maternal line big in Sweden. Princess Kate was
exported to Sweden in 1928, and her 6th dam is Young
Chicago Maid. Princess Kate has four important daughters
in Sweden, and three of them are represented with Elite
mares: Flora Scott, Hollyroodsons Dotter and Princess
Hollyrood.
Flora Scott is dam of the Elite mare Jannie,
a mare that is granddam to Ex Hammering and 3rd dam
to Mustard - two Swedishbred sires. She is also 5th
dam to the young Supergill-son Staro Showbiz, who bred
91 mares in Sweden in 2003.
Princess Hollyrood is 3rd dam to two Elite
mares in Ingela and Princess Bowl.
The Elite Mare that joined this exclusive
group in February 2004, Eva Mon, also joins the family
from Young CHicago Maid. Her 5th dam is Princess Kate's
daughter Hollyroodsons Dotter f.1932. Eva Mon had six
foals, all older than 2 year-olds in 2003. Thee of these
horses has made over 1 million Swedish Crowns.
See
overview of maternal lines from YOUNG CHICAGO MAID
Abbess through Nannie
Etticoat with three Elite mares
Abbess is 3rd dam to Nannie Etticoat, and this blood
has been important both in France and in Sweden - in
addition to the US.
A granddaughter of Nannie Etticoat, Pollyanna,
is granddam of the French sires Tamerlan, Tigre Royal
and Uranus. It is through another granddaughter of Nannie
Etticoat, Sybil Knight, that this line has become responsible
for three top producers in Sweden. Sybil Knight is dam
of Sybil Day - 5th dam to the Elite mare Bibbi Girl,
dam of the super racehorse Copiad (50 wins). Sybil Day
is a sister to Taffeta Silk - granddam to the impeccable
mare Evensong.
Evensong is dam of the sires Victory Song,
Hit Song, Peter Song, Mighty Song and Gay Song, and
her daughters Love Song and Scotch Song have made sure
that the maternal lines still blossoms. It is Scotch
Song that brings us to two Elite mares in Sweden, both
through her daughter Scotch Rhythm. Silken Hanover is
a daughter of Scotch Rhythm, and she is the dam of the
Elite mare Sybil Hanover in addition to granddam of
the Swedish Elite sire Quick Pay, 4th dam of Tsar d'Inverne
(winner of the Swedish Derby 2003) and 5th dam to the
well known Varenne. Scotch Rhythm also became dam of
Smoke Screen - 3rd dam of the Elite mare Fifth Avenue
Girl. In the US, Fifth Avenue Girl is known as dam of
the multiple Stakes winner First Lavec. In Sweden First
Lavec also won Stakes, and his sister Gatsy Lavec has
made over 2.000.000 SEK as well. A young brother to
these two horses, Maxi Lotus, just won a big race for
2 years olds in Sweden this fall.
See overview
of maternal lines from ABBESS
Jenny e.Bull Pup
with three Elite mares
The mare Calumet Adelle was exported to Sweden in 1937,
10 years old. Her 5th dam is Jenny e.Bull Pup. Calumet
Adelle had three important daughters for Swedish trotting,
and one of these, Astra, is responsible for the line
to three Elite mares. Astra is 3rd dam to Cilla Nathaline
and Jortina Nibs, and Jortina Nibs is also dam of the
Elite mare Ecana Nibs.
See overview
of maternal lines from JENNY by BULL PUP
Lizzie Witherspoon
through Isotta with three Elite mares
Lizzie Witherspoon is 6th dam of the great Isotta -
a mare that is represented through two of her daughters
among the Elite mares: Isabel Hanover and Melba Hanover.
In 1969, the mare Precious Star was exported
to Sweden. Quite remarkable as her full brother Nevele
Pride was 4 this year, so everyone knew about his qualities.
Precious Star had only two foals in Sweden, but with
these two foals she became a remarkable mare for Swedish
trotting. Her son is Oden Sund, a horse that won 4 out
of 13 starts and then sired a few nice trotters from
very limited opportunity. Her daughter is Noblessa Sund
- an Elite mare. Noblessa Sund is dam of five Swedish
millionaires and granddam to three horses in this exclusive
club. Noblessa Sund has been one of the best mares ever
at Erikssunds Säteri, the farm where Sugarcane Hanover
and Viking Kronos were standing at stud when they were
in Sweden.
It is Isottas daughter Melba Hanover that
is 4th dam to Noblessa Sund. Isabel Hanover, a sister
to Melba Hanover, is granddam of the impeccable Impish
through the daughter Ilo Hanover. Another daughter of
Isabel Hanover is Dutchess Hanover, and she leads us
to two Elite mares in Trapped and her daughter Traffic
Jam. Dutchess Hanover is 3rd dam of Trapped. Traffic
Jam won multiple Stakes both in the US and in Europe,
and she is well known in the US as dam of Kramer Boy.
In Sweden she is also dam of the stallion Express Lavec.
Kramer Boy stands at stud in Italy. In Norway, Dutchess
Hanover's grandson Doctor Rodney became the sire of
Rex Rodney - the Norwegianbred winner of the Elitlopp
1986.
See
overview of maternal lines from LIZZIE WITHERSPOON
Other important Foundation mares in Sweden
In addition to the Foundation mares mentioned above,
several other mares from the US are represented with
one or two Elite mares. Some worth mentioning, are the
well known Foundation mares Mamie (two Elite mares),
Mambrino Beauty (one Elite mare plus Princess Anita
in Norway - one of the most important mares the last
two decades in Norway, dam of i.e. Tamin Sandy that
won the Gran Premio Orsi Mangelli over Pine Chip and
Giant Chill), Ab (two Elite mares), Miss Copeland (two
Elite mares, incl. Haha Arden - granddam of one of the
best FFA trotters in Scandinavia 2003, Gidde Palema),
Molly J. (one Elite mare) and Nelly through Honeymoon
H. (two Elite mares).
Click
here for full chart Maternal mares - Elite mares
Mickey Vicking (US)
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