Balou du Rouet has died – the top sire at the Schockemöhle stud farm leaves behind world-class horses in show jumping and eventing

The Schockemöhle Stud Farm mourns the loss of Balou du Rouet. The bay Oldenburg passed away at the age of 27. For nearly ten years, he was ranked among the world’s best sires by the WBFSH in both show jumping and eventing. Anyone who ever saw him could never forget him.

Unmistakably Balou du Rouet

A broad blaze with brown spots, a large, alert eye, and a somewhat mischievous look. Balou du Rouet was a stallion who left a lasting impression—one who stood out. And not just because of his striking markings, which he passed on to many of his offspring.

When Balou du Rouet was born in 1999 at Paul Schockemöhle’s Lewitz Stud, he was one of those horses whose family background clearly pointed to PS. His sire is the Olympic champion and multiple World Cup winner Baloubet du Rouet, ridden by Rodrigo Pessoa. It was no coincidence that his son was given a name strongly reminiscent of his sire. His performance would prove that the decision was the right one.

The maternal grandsire, Continue—a son of Contender and Tin Rocco—brought Contender’s power into the pedigree via the Holsteiner half-blood Tin Rocco by Tin Rod xx, from whom the speckles on his face are derived. Domino, Gepard, and Granit are sires from the very early days of stallion breeding in Paul Schockemöhle’s equestrian empire.

His career unfolded as hoped, especially as a sire

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Balou du Rouet was very successful in show jumping competitions. At the National Championships, he received scores above 9.0, just as he had in the stallion performance test. Later, he competed in show jumping up to 1.50 meters. But unlike his sire, he was not a constant presence on the world’s major tournament circuits.

He really made a name for himself as a sire. In the current WBFSH rankings, Balou du Rouet is ranked 15th among show jumping sires and 31st in eventing. Nearly 100 of his offspring have been successful in 1.60-meter courses.

Balou du Rouet’s International Flagship Stores

Baloutinue is one of the best-known sons of Balou du Rouet. Riding with American Laura Kraut, he won two Olympic team silver medals, in 2021 and 2024. In the individual competition in Paris, both finished eighth. Germany, too, owes an Olympic medalist to Balou du Rouet: First Class van Eeckelghem, who, together with Daniel Deußer, played a key role in the German show jumping team’s bronze medal win at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and helped him become German champion.

Both this chestnut horse, who passed away far too soon, and the sensitive mare Bianca—with whom Steve Guerdat won individual bronze at the 2018 World Championships in Tryon and team bronze at the 2018 European Championships, demonstrated that Balou du Rouet’s offspring were exceptional horses not only in terms of quality but also in character. And there are many more examples of this. Saura de Fondcombe was part of the Swiss bronze-medal-winning team at the 2017 European Championships in Gothenburg, riding with Nadja Peter Steiner. Equitron Naxcel V competed for the Austrian European Championship team in Milan in 2023, ridden by Gerfried Puck.

In eventing, Billy the Red—bred by a team of breeders with doctoral degrees—won team gold and individual silver for Great Britain at the European Championships with Kristina Cook. Corouet, who won individual bronze at the European Championships with Sarah Bullimore, was also a descendant of Balou du Rouet.

In total, Balou du Rouet sired five horses that were successful at the five-star level in eventing, two competed in Grand Prix dressage competitions, and 93 have achieved international success in show jumping courses starting at 1.60 meters, including several ridden by German riders, such as the gray Baju NRW, ridden by Steffen Engbers.

Balou du Rouet’s popularity never waned. In 2025, when he was already 26 years old, his daughter Ortane became world champion among six-year-old show jumpers.

Over 100 approved sons

According to FN figures alone, Balou du Rouet has sired more than 70 licensed sons. Horsetelex counts 136, including those abroad. Perhaps the most prominent are Patrick Stühlmeyer’s World Cup finalist Baloutaire PS, Balzaci, Baccord, and Balous Bellini. A success that is also rooted in the competitive maternal line.

Balou’s dam, Georgia, produced three more licensed sons, including the Bundeschampion Cornet’s Balou by Cornet Obolensky, who, as Balou du Reventon under Brian Moggre, was part of the winning U.S. Nations Cup team at Aachen in 2021 and placed third in the Rolex Grand Prix. He later enjoyed great success with Harry Charles.

Balou du Rouet leaves a huge void, not only among the stallions at the Schockemöhle stud farm.