I'd like to cite Ludvig Christmann Studbook Manager for the Hanoverian Verband, one of the most successful horse breeds in the world.

About stallion lines says:

"A danger connects with that system: that you generalize too much. Bloodlines change over the years, with each generation. Certain characteristics connect with each bloodline, but you must also see the individual stallion and not say "How does a G-line horse or a D-line horse 'match"?' Nobody can answer that question in general terms."

I'd like to emphasise that you must look at the horse itself first, a bad horse is a bad horse and a good horse is a good horse, the stallion line (rare or not) does not matter if the horse is not good enough for breeding, the stallion line is should not be considered before type, conformation, soundness, performance, character etc, these traits have to be evaluated before you look at the stallion line. Overseeing these important steps in the selection process will lead to failure, this is also valid for the Teke breed.

There are a few breeders of Akhal-Tekes in the world today, that have the mare material and knowledge, hands-on and theoretical, to give new life to a vanishing stallion line alternatively create a new stallion line, a vanishing stallion line will be continued with the mares and bred into another more successful stallion line.

Leonid says in his comment (translated from Russian to English by Darya) posted under the Almaz thread:
"The line is a group of animals descending from one outstanding individual, which extends beyond the borders and different breeders and includes stallions as well as mares".

So how does the stallion line progress, do the breeders select to make the horses from a certain line look like the founder? Or is it certain sought after characteristics with the founder that shall be observed when a breeding animal is selected in order to improve each generation's line characteristics?

How is a new line founded and why and by whom? How does a line die and why? What qualities does the new line founder have in order to be considered outstanding enough to creat his own line?

Lines are not static nor do horses from a certain line automatically give certain traits. The diversity of the lines are upheld by those breeders that understand to select for the typical characteristics of the breed and the line and to leave the breed with more quality than it had before they got involved with the breed.

I would like to look at the Teke breed from the point of view of the most outstanding breeding stallions that have been used for the last 10 years, in other words the stallions that have made an impact on the breed as we see it today. It would be interesting to see how these stallions compare to the founders characteristics and what they have improved in the breed.

About the Sovkhos-2 comment under the Almaz thread, I'd like to agree with Leonid to 100% and join him in my question to why the studbook management see the need of making Sovkhos-2 a line founder.
It would be interesting to see an in depth analysis how this stallion differed so much from the line's characteristics and at the same time was considered exceptional enough to found his own line. On the surface it looks like the studbook manager liked his looks and he did not perform as well as the El line reps are known for. Being the only person that can enter official evaluations into the studbook makes it easy to prove ones point.
I see other stallions that have had so much more impact on this breed than Sovkhos-2 that should be looked at as new line founders.

1. Leonid04/27/2007 22:38:44
Homepage: http://www.shael-teke.com

I am sure that lines are not scientific conception. That is a big conventionality, which breeder can consider or not in his breeding. Line is quantity of outstanding animals from generation to generation by one direct male. I am sure, that such sires were and are Garem, Gayghysyz, Sere. I can say Pampa (Gayaz, Pirakhmed, Pekhimdar). Interesting, that Gayaz gives 50% of buckskin foals, typical for Gayghysyz, and 50% of grey, typical for Pampa in general style for other brothers Pirakhmed and Pekhimdar.

2. laurence Bougault04/28/2007 03:08:52
Homepage: http://www.cheval-akhal-teke.com

Hi Jessica, Leonid,
I've de special question to Leonid. I would love to go to Piartigorsk and Moscow this year and by the same time visit his stud and Alexander Klimuk Stud, and maybe others... Does he knows when exactly the events will happen?

3. Leonid04/28/2007 11:24:56
Homepage: http://www.shael-teke.com

I don't know right now.