Sire Lines Of International Jumpers   The Nearco Line

by Dr Pete Birdsall DVM of Equine Bloodlines 
    
Sixth In A Series Of Eight Articles

The Thoroughbred sire Nearco was bred in Italy by Federico Tesio, an Italian breeder and author who was nicknamed "The Wizard of Dormello" because of his successful breeding program at his estate, Dormello.

Nearco was never defeated on the race track, winning 14 races at distances from 5 furlongs to 1 1/4 miles. As a three-year-old, he was purchased and exported to England, where he was champion sire three times and champion broodmare sire three times.

Some of Nearco's greatest influence was asserted by his sons *Nasrullah and *Royal Charger, who were three-quarter brothers; the former was out of Mumtaz Begum, who also produced Sun Princess, the dam of *Royal Charger.

Both descend from The Tetrarch through Mumtaz Begum. Mumtaz Mahal, a daughter of The Tetrarch, was the dam of Mumtaz Begum. *Nasrullah and *Royal Charger were exported to the United States, where both became leading sires of race horses.

The effect of the Nearco line has been felt strongly in Europe and in America in the pedigrees of jumpers. In Europe, Lucky Boy the sire of the leading Grand Prix jumper Calypso (winner of over $100,000 in purses and 1982 FEI World Cup winner, ridden by Melanie Smith of the United States), is a grandson of Nearco.

Lucky Boy is a popular jumping sire who also sired Van Gogh. a Swiss jumper and member of the 1982 Nations Cup winning team in Lucerne, and the jumper Sassakiss, currently showing in the United States.
Lucky Boy, as mentioned previously, also descends from the *Rock Sand line.

Another grandson of Nearco in Europe, this time out of a daughter of Nearco, is the Thoroughbred stallion Ozymandias. This stallion is the sire of the jumper Heatwave. now shown as Tabac Original by David Broome, and he is also the sire of Ryan's Son, ridden by John Whittaker of Great Britain. who was fourth in the 1982 FEI World Cup in Gothenberg, Sweden.

Armapour, a French Thoroughbred stallion who sired many jumpers is out of a Nearco mare. Armapour's offspring include the Grand Prix winner Inca Du Vallon, Ignance (of the French Equestrian Federation). and Ideal S, successfully showing in the United States. Armapour is considered a leading jumper sire in France.
Grebe was a successful international jumper ridden by Peter Robson of Great Britain. Grebe was a member of the winning Prix de Nations teams at Lisbon, Nice and Madrid, and he was the reserve mount for the Munich  Olympics. The sire of Grebe was Even Money, a Thoroughbred stallion who was by Krakatao, a son of Nearco. Even Money's dam was a granddaughter of Dark Legend. Krakatao is the grandsire of the jumper Le Dauphin, a Canadian Equestrian Team member and individual bronze medal winner at the Pan American Games in 1971 and winner of fourth place at the Munich Olympics.

In North America the influence of Nearco in jumpers has been exceptional. Australis, a member of the Canadian Equestrian Team. previously mentioned, was out of a daughter of Nearco. Big Dee. also a member of the Canadian Equestrian Team and a gold medal winner in the Mexico Olympics, was sired by
*Unsinatus, an imported grandson of Nearco.

A grandson of Nearco in North Ameriica was the Thoroughbred stallion The Hammer. The Hammer sired many steeplechasers and show jumpers, including Sympatico, the leading Grand Prix horse in North America for several years, and member of the Canadian Equestrian Team. The Hammer also sired the United States Equestrian Team jumper Golden Gavel. Chase The Clouds, rated one of the leading jumpers in the world in 1979 and 1980, descends from Nearco three times, once through each of Nearco's son *Nasrullah and *Royal Charger, and once through Nearco's daughter *Naishapur II.

Other leading international jumpers who descend from "Nasrullah include Mighty Ruler who won the Nassau New York  Grand Prix in 1976, ridden by Michael Matz, is a member of the Nearco sire line. Mighty Ruler was sired by Bold Ruler (the sire of Secretariat.)

Bold Ruler was by *Nasrullah, a son of Nearco.

Mighty Ruler (a Grand Prix winner and member of the USE'r),
Lyrical Lou, Katmandu, The Crimson Tide (a member of the USET and a member of the silver medal winning team at the 1979 Pan American Games).
Allegro (on the gold medal winning USET in 1969 Pan American Games and Nations Cup winner in Dublin, Ireland),
Icy Paws, Garham Girl. Plain Jane,
Semi Tough (a member of the USET and winner of the John Player Grand Prix in Wembly. England, in 1980), Silver Exchange (a member of the Nations Cup winning U.S. team in Dubliin, Ireland, and a member of the team winning the Aga Khan Trophy) Southside (Grand Prix winner and second in the FEI World Cup in Birmingham, England in 1981), and
Volunteer (member of the Canadian Equestrian   Team gold medal winning team in the Alternate Olympics in Rotterdam in 1980).

Much of Nearco's influence in North America is through his two imported sons *Nasrullah and *'Royal Charger.

*Nasrullah was bred in Ireland by His Highness the Aga Khan, and he stood in Ireland for several years before coming to the United States.
*Nasrullah was a very temperamental horse, a trait which he passed on to his offspring. The list of Grand Prix and international jumpers descending from *Nasrullah is formidable.
*Nasrullah was the sire of Nanticoke, a Grand Prix winner and twice the jumper champion at the National Horse Show in New York. The dam of A Little Bit.,ridden by Buddy Brown. and winner of an individual silver medal for the USET at the Pan American games in 1975., was out of a granddaughter of *Nasrullah.
Gayrullah, by *Nasrullah. sired Brother Sam, who was a silver and bronze medal winner in the 1979 Pan American Games and a member of the gold medal winning team at the Alternate Olympics in 1980 in
Holland. Catbird, of the Canadian Equestrian Team. was by *Nasrullah's steeplechasing son, Independence, who also sired Indigo, a puissance winning jumper in the United States. Another grandson of *Nasrullah is Coach Stop. winner of the Adirondack Grand Prix and member of the USET, who was sired by  *Nasrullah's son On And On. On And On is also the sire of Everest Philco, rated one of the top ten jumping horses in the world, ridden by David Broome of Great Britain. In 1980, Everest Philco won the Grand Prix at Olympia,  in London.

Nearco's son, *Royal Charger, is a very  influential jumper sire as well. He is the grandsire of the jumpers Damuraz (a Canadian Equestrian Team Member and Grand Prix winner), Canadian Club (a winner of two gold medals for the Canadian Equestrian Team), Texas (winner of the President's Cup and member of the silver medal winning team in the 1979 Pan American Games for the Canadian Equestrian Team), Boy Colonel (a Grand Prix jumper), and Johnny's Pocket (a member of the USET and winner of numerous Grand Prix).

*Royal Charger also appears in the pedigrees of Another Brother (a member of the Canadian Equestrian Team), Bonte II (USETjumper on Nations Cup winning teams in Lucerne, Aachen and Harrisburg), Chase The Clouds (Grand Prix winner and USET member rated in the top ten jumpers in the world in 1979), and
Volunteer (gold medal winner for Canadian Equestrian Team at the Alternate Olympics in Rotterdam in 1980).

Canadian Club and Texas were both sired by sons of *Royal Charger, and both of these sires were out of mares by Furrokh Siyar. Furrokh Siyar is by Colorado, out of Mumtaz Mahal, who is by The  Tetrarch. Mumtaz Mahal is the second dam of *Nasrullah. the third dam of *Royal Charger, and the second dam of *Mahmoud (to be mentioned later), all important jumping sires.

Colorado is also the sire of Loaningdale, who is the maternal grandsire of the Thoroughbred stallion Ladykiller, who sired Boy, the Hamburg Derby winner, and the jumper Landgrafin. Ladykiller is also the maternal grandsire of Livius, gold medal winner at the European Championships in Munich,1981.

*Nasrullah is the sire of the leading race sire Bold Ruler, the sire of Secretariat.

Bold Ruler also sired the jumper Mighty Ruler. a Grand Prix winner and member of the United States Equestrian Team at the Pan American Games in Mexico. Bold Ruler is the grandsire of Allegro, a member of the gold medal team in the Pan American Games in 1969 and third placed jumper at the 1979 World Cup in Sweden.

*Nasrullah was the sire of over 100 stakes winners on the race track, making him the leading race sire of the century. His son, Bold Ruler, has sired more than 80 stakes winners and 11 champions on the race track. making him the second leading sire in this century.