K jeld Kirk Kristiansen was 11 years of age when he first enrolled for a riding camp with the very straight-for-ward professional rider Gustav Martens.

– My interest in and knowledge about horses I ascribe to Gustav Martens who was a friend of mine until his death, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen commences.– I have ridden since 1959, but it was in the years from 1964 to 70-71 that I, in addition to daily riding, experienced the joy of the good riding lessons and fun rides in the summer with Gustav Martens. The horses found a place in my heart during those years, says Kjeld.– The years with horses taught me how much the horses have an educative impact on young people. The horses give you a certain upbringing, while you yourself are responsible for educating them. It is incredibly healthy.

Can I have a pony, dad?After graduating Kjeld and his wife Camilla moved to Switzerland where they lived for several years. It was only after they had moved back home to Billund that Kjeld’s interest in horses woke again, and it was due to the couple’s eldest daughter Sofie who would like to get a pony.

FROM RIDING CAMP TO INTERNATIONAL BREEDING

AND SPORTS CENTRE

BREEDER PROFILE

Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen’s passionate interest in horses started at a young age at riding camps and riding clinics with professional trainer Gustav Martens. The interest in and knowledge of horses he acquired at Martens are the basis for the start of the two leading Danish stallion stations, one focusing on show jumping and the other on dressage: Stutteri Ask and Blue Hors

MY WEEKDAYS IN THE LEGO COMPANY ARE VERY BUSY, BUT THROUGH THE YEARS THE HORSES HAVE BEEN A GREAT PLEASURE AND INTEREST

BREEDER PROFILE

- And, of course, she got a pony with our com-plete support.It was Sofie who in 1988 asked her father if they should go together to the big annual horse fair and Danish Warmblood stallion licensing in Hern-ing. And so they did, luckily, because here Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen met his old friend Poul Erik Fug-mann. They had not seen each other since the riding camps at Martens in the late 60s. Later this meeting turned out to be the beginning of Stut-teri Ask and Blue Hors.

Horses at SchelenborgKjeld had bought a couple of horses which he kept at the estate Schelenborg on Funen, so here he invited Poul Erik Fugmann for a visit. Poul Erik immediately saw the potential of the site and urged Kjeld to begin breeding horses.- At the time, the mares were not tested under rider, they were good at hand-showing, but you did not pay much attention to their performance abilities. And it was actually their work qualities I found interesting; the link between breeding and sport.- It was also evident in those years that the riders began to take an interest in their horses’ pedi-gree and breeders to take an interest in what their breeding could achieve, and it was also at that time artificial insemination was introduced

in horse breeding. It was an exciting develop-ment that I became part of and to some extent also was able to influence.

The first maresKjeld Kirk Kristiansen started quietly and bought five broodmares and a couple of 2-year old colts. The horses were stabled at Schelenborg and dur-ing this period where Kjeld was founding his stud he got in touch with some of the leading and experienced breeders in Denmark. Already in 1992 the number of broodmares had grown to ten mares sired by stallions like Allegro, Aspirant, Diamond, Donauwind, Faighter, Ibikus, Flamingo and Woernitz.Among the young horses, which had been pur-chased for the stud was the colt Racing Son by Racing Ace xx, which needed to be backed in 1990. Kjeld chose the multiple Danish and Nor-dic champion Lone Kroman who also had exten-sive international experience. The following year Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen bought the neighboring property to Schelenborg, Kristiansminde, and started to build a training centre with indoor are-na and outdoor jumping course. In October 1992 Lone Kroman and Kaj Rosenlund moved into Kris-tiansminde and that was the beginning of what we know as Stutteri Ask today.

The germ of Blue HorsWhile building Stutteri Ask Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen bought shares of the company Blue Hors which was a tack shop in Vejle owned and operated by Poul Erik Fugmann.– Poul Erik had a dream to breed dressage horses and run a stallion station and the location in the area near Vejle was ideal. I decided that I wanted to finance this - and then the farm Korshøjgaard came to my mind, says Kjeld.On the riding camps in the mid-60s the riders used a campsite in Vejle Valley along the stream close to the beautiful farm Korshøjgaard where the owner Anton Mortensen farmed and traded horses. Already while Kjeld lived in Switzerland, he tried to buy the property. It was a definite no from Anton’s side.

Almost twenty years later Kjeld tried once again, whether it would be possible to buy Korshø-jgaard. “It’s funny you called because I just turned 80, and came to think about whether you would still buy the farm,” Mortensen responded.– We traded, and I paid the price he demanded which he was actually a little disappointed about. As a trader he concluded that he must have asked too little since I agreed to that amount, Kjeld smiles. And it is at Korshøjgaard the modern stallion station Blue Hors resides today.– We employed Lars Petersen, who at the time had great success with Utopia, and then we bought Uffe Korshøjgaard who was actually born on the farm, for Lars to train and compete. And with this stallion Lars got to ride the Olympics in Atlanta and won the Danish dressage champion-ships.

In 2014 Stutteri Ask initiated a co-operation with Rolf-Goran Bengts-

son and Bo Kristoffersen. - The cooperation has proven to fully live

up to our expectations, says Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen. Here pictured with the Swedish top rider at the course

walk at the European Champion-ships in Herning along with Bo Krist-

offersen and manager at Stutteri Ask, Søren Møller Nielsen.

It was a moving moment when the crowd parted with Blue Hors Cavan at the stallion licensing in 2007 - moving for Andreas

Helgstrand, and certainly also for Esben Møller and Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen. Cavan has meant very much to me, says Kjeld.

In 2010, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen was honored with “Lis Hartel’s Me-morial Prize” for the important role he has played in the positive development of Danish dressage sport. HRH Princess Benedikte

presented the award along with Pernille and Nicole Siesbye.

THE INTENTION OF THE TWO STALLION STATIONS

HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO HELP PROMOTE DANISH RIDING

AND BREEDING

Casir and CavanWhen the plans for Stutteri Ask and Blue Hors were already well advanced in 1992 Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen purchased two stallions - one for the dressage and one for jumping. The two stallions were Blue Hors Cavan by Cavalier and Casir Ask by Cor de la Bryère - two excellent purchases.– Casir is the nicest and smartest horse I have ever had. He has had great significance in the breeding of show jumpers, while Cavan managed to go the Olympics and become Danish cham-pion. These two stallions mean something spe-cial to me. When I celebrated my 60th birthday, Esben Møller stood up to speak. He said among other things: “Kjeld, there are two elderly gen-tlemen who are disappointed that they were not invited to your party.”– I wondered who it could be, however, I had for-gotten until Casir and Cavan walked in the door. They had been taken up to the banquet hall in the elevator. The horses behaved nicely, even although they ate a bit of the table decorations, Kjeld laughs.

The purchase of a world class sireThe first stallion Esben Møller purchased for Blue Hors since he took over the management of the stallion station after Poul Erik Fugmann was Don Schufro. Esben spotted the stallion in 1998, when Don Schufro was 5 years.– Esben sent me a video of Don Schufro which I should look at before he bought it. I almost got tears in my eyes when I saw the amazing horse, and I really wanted to get this stallion to Den-mark. He has had great impact in the breeding, not only here in Denmark but throughout Eu-rope. He has put Blue Hors on the world map, and there is Don Schufro-blood in many of the good dressage horses out and about in Europe.

A locomotive for breeding– The intention of the two stallion stations has always been to help promote Danish riding and breeding. Denmark is a small country, and if we want to be internationally competitive, we need to be a locomotive for breeding. We have suc-ceeded, and along the way it has given me many wonderful experiences.

– Two stallions in particular have had special importance to me, says Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen. One is Blue Hors Cavan the oth-

er is Casir Ask who was named Stallion of the Year in Danish Warmblood in 2008, shown in hand by Kaj Rosenlund.

– It is also Esben’s achievement that we have de-veloped to what we are today. If you look at his shopping over the years it has resulted in many licensed stallions. He also managed to find the proper Dutch blood which matches the blood lines we have.–I have had the same ambition for jumping as for dressage, but in Denmark there is more focus on dressage than jumping, and then Blue Hors’ central location in the country has also been an advantage. However, Stutteri Ask is doing quite well. During Søren Møller Nielsen’s management we have made an expansion of the facilities and have managed to create well-attended frames for several sport and breeding events. And we also achieve many good sport results in show jumping.After the extensive reconstruction of Blue Hors was completed in 2014 the stallion station host-ed Global Dressage Forum with almost 400 pro-fessionals from around the world. Kjeld would very much like to repeat this and also has a wish to conduct international shows at Blue Hors.– I also think that we could offer courses and seminars. The facilities at Blue Hors can be used for a wide range of events, and our organisation is geared for it.

Great experiences– I have had great sport experiences with our horses. Of course, first and foremost victories in national championships, but I also think of Andreas Helgstrand’s silver medal with Matiné in Aachen, and the team bronze medal in Hong Kong with Andreas and Don Schufro on the team. They were both great experiences, and probably the biggest sport experiences I have had. Howev-er, there have been many really good shows over the years.– On the breeding side, I am pleased that we have homebred stallions that are approved, and it is fun to experience that in fact many horses have Blue Hors stallions in their several genera-tions of their pedigree. It happens only because over the years we have had many loyal breedes who have used our stallions for their mares year after year. Although I do not often have time to visit Blue Hors or Stutteri Ask I try to be present at the events. Every time I learn something from all the dedicated and enthusiastic people who are involved in breeding and sport.– My weekdays in the LEGO company are very busy, but through the years the horses have been a great pleasure and interest. The joy becomes even greater because I share it with my entire family. My goal with “the new Blue Hors” is that we in this place can build something that makes Danish breeding and riding even more known in the world. Viewed in an international context Blue Hors is a global brand which we must devel-op and utilise in every way we can think of, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen concludes.

Poul Erik Fugmann’s desire to run a breeding farm and stal-lion station in the Vejle area was fully supported by Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, and it became the beginning of Blue Hors. The two knew each other from adolescence, when they were in the same riding camp.

At the Blue Hors Open Day in 2012 Camilla and Kjeld Kirk Kris-tiansen study the latest plans of "the new Blue Hors".

BREEDER PROFILE