Approved KWPN, Hanoverian,
Selle Francais, Oldenburg
As an 8 year old Voltaire jumped
1.50m courses with a great deal of success. He showed his prowess
in international show jumping in 1988 in Calgary, Stockholm,
Lanaken, Helsinki, Wiesbaden and Wembley. In 1989 he brought his successful career
to an end by winning the Grand Prix of Berlin. Voltaire stands very high on the index
for dressage and jumping. Voltaire is the result of crossing
two outstanding bloodlines, Furioso II and Gotthard.
Furioso II produced 200 state premium
mares and at least 68 approved stallions of which several are
standing at stud in other continents. One can easily say that
Furioso II has influenced the breeding industry world-wide.
Voltaire was really the first of the super star performance stallions to go on and prove himself equally as important as a breeding stallion. In the competition arena, he won at the highest level, winning Nations Cup classes at Calgary, Stockholm, sHertogenbosch, Lanaken, Helsinki, Wiesbaden and Wembley. In 1989 he won the Grand Prix of Berlin.
And yet he was a horse that no-one wanted!
He was a bit small (just 162 cms) and had a problem with one hoof, and he was rejected by the Oldenburg licensing commission.
That didnt deter Jan Greve, a Dutch veterinarian with a passion for breeding jumping horses and his partner, Henk Nijhoff. They heard that the young stallion was for sale, liked his technique and took him home to The Netherlands.
The KWPN licensing commission was not much more enthusiastic than their Oldenburg counterparts, Voltaire was graded 14th out of the fourteen horses to complete the performance test. He received excellent marks for jumping (and stable manners!) but just made it to stallion status.
After a sensational performance career, Voltaire stood at Jan Greves picturesque stud De Watermolen, dominated by an ancient mill and water wheel, Voltaire started to prove that his explosive mix of the best of the French and the best of the German jumping lines, could weave a special magic.
Voltaire is by Furioso II, one of the first Selle Français stallions to come to Germany.
Originally called Vertuoso, the two and a half year old French stallion was imported to Germany by the great Oldenburg breeder, Georg Vorwerk. Voltaire is out of Gogo Moeve by the great Hanoverian stallion, Gotthard. Gogo Moeve was the dam of successful competition horses Fandango R, PS Falkan and Petite Fleur. Her dam sire is the English Thoroughbred, More Magic xx, who was the sire of 1980 Moscow Olympic dressage gold medallist, Mon Cherie.
Out of his first crop of foals Voltaire produced the approved stallion, Concorde, who after an international jumping career with Jos Lansink and Eric van der Vleuten (including the Dutch showjumping championship in 1994) is in the process of writing his name into the history books as a breeding stallion in his own right.
Voltaire is represented by a staggering 28 jumpers in the WBFSH standings for 2000/2001 - and is ranked 9th in the top 50 sires in the ten years from 1991 to 2000.
Jacques Verkerk of the KWPN, comments:
"Voltaire produces roughly two types of horse; rather square exteriors with an articulate top-line or big rectangular horses with a lot of bone. His progeny move with sufficient length of pace, but are a little slow and without optimum bend in hocks. The hind leg is often a little straight. Due to their nice type and good character a lot of riders can easily cope with them. They can make quite nice dressage horses for riders at rural level, although the KWPN doesnt recognize him as a producer of dressage horses.
Concorde with Piet Raymakers, the
silver medal winner in Barcelona, was the spectacular winner of
the 1990 National Stallion Champion. His outstanding performances
at a very early age earned him the prefix Olympic. His prestige
remains phenomenal with Jos Lansik, given their
success in Dortmund, Paris and Darmstatt. Concorde comes from a
strong jumping line on both sides. Sire of this stallion is the
impressive Voltaire, who is bred to perform. He has already
sired 5 approved stallions in the Netherlands, one in Belgium, two
in Germany and one in Sweden. Through the performance of his offspring,
Voltaire stands very high in both Dressage and Show
Jumping indexes.
Concorde
sire of this stallion, who in jumping circles is known as Olympic
Concorde, is the impressive dominant breeding stallion Voltaire,
who via his sire Furioso II and Gotthard is bred to perform. Voltaire
is the number 2 in the World Breeding Ran-kings for Showjumping
Sires in 1996.
Voltaire through the performances of his offspring stands very high in both the dressage and jumping indexes. Due to his high ranking position, Voltaire was given the "keur" and "pref-erent" predicates at a very early age. Concorde's dam, Flyer, is by the legendary Marco Polo, one of the most influential Dutch stallions in breeding and jumping with representatives such as: Irco Polo, Pybalia, Marius, Orpheus, Mr LA, Pierrot and Recruut.
Flyer is related to the international jumper Vivaldi, which under Melanie Smith was speed horse of the Year in 1980. Flyer produced at least 6 (inter)national jumpers.
Concorde was himself an international jumper with Jos Lansink. They won the Grand Prix of Nordrhein-Westfalen at Aken and they were Champion of the Netherlands in 1994, 2nd in the Grand Prix of Amsterdam, 2nd Darmstadt, 2nd Lanaken, 2nd Helsinki and 2nd Gothenburg.
The last three years Concorde was the sire with the most offspring at the World Breeding Championships for young horses. In the year 2001 the "preferent" Concorde has proved himself to be an absolute top sire of international sporthorses. His offspring Audi's Jikke, Kathja, Conquest II, Larino, Viktor and Isabella proved themselves at the very top at Grand Prix level (1.60 m.).
In the Grand Prix of Rotterdam 3 from the top 8, had Concorde to thank as their sire. At the international horseshow of Maastricht Concorde had 11 offspring in the international finals! Concorde was the youngest stallion ever to be awarded "preferent", due to his endless list of national and international children.
Home
Voltaire
After a sensational performance career, Voltaire stood at Jan Greves picturesque stud De Watermolen, dominated by an ancient mill and water wheel, Voltaire started to prove that his explosive mix of the best of the French and the best of the German jumping lines, could weave a special magic.
Voltaire is by Furioso II, one of the first Selle Français stallions to come to Germany.
Concorde
Concorde
sire of this stallion, who in jumping circles is known as Olympic
Concorde, is the impressive dominant breeding stallion Voltaire,
who via his sire Furioso II and Gotthard is bred to perform. Voltaire
is the number 2 in the World Breeding Ran-kings for Showjumping
Sires in 1996. 
Voltaire through the performances of his offspring stands very high in both the dressage and jumping indexes. Due to his high ranking position, Voltaire was given the "keur" and "pref-erent" predicates at a very early age. Concorde's dam, Flyer, is by the legendary Marco Polo, one of the most influential Dutch stallions in breeding and jumping with representatives such as: Irco Polo, Pybalia, Marius, Orpheus, Mr LA, Pierrot and Recruut.
Flyer is related to the international jumper Vivaldi, which under Melanie Smith was speed horse of the Year in 1980. Flyer produced at least 6 (inter)national jumpers. 
Concorde was himself an international jumper with Jos Lansink. They won the Grand Prix of Nordrhein-Westfalen at Aken and they were Champion of the Netherlands in 1994, 2nd in the Grand Prix of Amsterdam, 2nd Darmstadt, 2nd Lanaken, 2nd Helsinki and 2nd Gothenburg. 
