Text by Adriana Van Tilburg for Böckmann Pferde

The Westphalian bred stallion Fire and Ice J (For Contest – Cracker Jane x Coronino, breeder: Karl-Friedrich Junker) is the son of the very interesting bred mare Cracker Jane. Generations of careful breeding melted together in this mare and her offspring. She has four approved sons and in this article the focus is on her son the Hanoverian and ZFDP approved stallion Fire and Ice J. What is the story behind his motherline?

The motherline of Fire and Ice J is according to Dr. Gerd Lehmann; “One of the most valuable damlines of the Westphalian breeding. This line was build up in the hands of breeder Otto Adam and has nowadays many branches. This line is represented in several studbooks”. The foundation mare of family Junker is the mare Diebin. Her full sister Dorette became grandmother of Romadour I/II (Romulus I). Romadour I is father of Roman, who became world champion showjumping in 1978 in Aachen under the saddle of Gerd Wiltfang.

The famous stallion Rubinstein has Romandour II as a grandfather. The mare Diebin is by the in 1947 Hanoverian bred stallion Dorn. Dr. Gerd Lehmann continues: “I knew the stallion Dorn. He was born in 1947 and he was purchased in 1949. He was for that time a modern stallion, he did not had so much stallion presence. He became sire of very valuable mares and very appealing riding horses in his time in Westphalia. He was for the Westphalian breed in his time an important stallion. He only sired one approved son, because also his son’s lacked in stallion type.”  

Friedrich Junker purchased the in 1958 born mare Diebin (Dorn – Abendfee x Abendsiegen, breeder: Otto Adam). This was the start of this line in the hands of family Junker. His son Karl-Friedrich continued with the breeding of this line until he passed away. The breeding is now in the hands of his widow Martina and their daughter Friederike Junker. They both explain passionately about the history and their current horses from this line. Martina starts: “We are currently already breeding with the eighth or ninth generation of this family. My husband has purchased von Otto Adam (who was in his time a very respected breeder in Westphalia) the mare Diebin and we crossed her with the Thoroughbred stallion Fontanus xx (Masetto xx – Fargo xx x Gundomar xx). This resulted in the mare Fontäne and she became our foundation mare.

I still remember her because she was at the farm when I married Karl-Friedrich Junker. She was dark brown with no white markings. She never went under saddle, but she had excellent basic gaits. We have been breeding very all-round with her, we bred dressage and jumping horses out of her. Both my husband and I were more connected to the jumping world so we bred more jumping horses. We crossed then Fontäne with the stallion Wunderlich (Wedekind – Waltana x Waidmannsdank xx), this resulted in Waldessa J. She gave us two very good fillies. She has been a mare that I have competed up to 1m30 level when she was six years old. Also with the Bundeschampionat in mind. She had already scope and she always wanted to work for me. When she was seven she went also in breeding.

We kept her Lados (Landgraf I – Teerose x Calvados I, Stamm 4847) daughter; Louise J, because my husband and I were convinced of her qualities. I had her under sadle when she was three and four year old and after that she became a broodmare. Lados himself was a stallion that an outstanding scope. People also thought of him that he wasn’t jumping natural. He always jumped 30 cm higher then needed. He had a really good canter and did well in sport. Due changes in his ownership he went on a rollercoaster of events and ended finally up in Holstein where he had to be half castrated, because of a problem in one of his testicles He produced in our area several very good broodmares. We kept Louise J and a few of her daughters and continued our breeding with them. Louise J passed away when she was 21.

We have in our breeding her daughter Cracker Jane by Coronino (Corofino I – Nienburg x Fria Diavolo, Stamm 730B). She has given us four approved stallions and seven horses that are competing at 1m30 and higher. She could have been just as easily a dressage horse given her outstanding movement. My husband had then the idea to cross her with dressage bred stallions. We used for example the grand prix dressage stallion Dancing Dynamite (Don Bedo I – Florin x Fidermark) and this became a colt. We presented him at the stallion approvals as a 2.5 year old but he jumped like a jumping horse with a lot of scope and the approval committee was convinced that he wasn’t jumping natural. He had everything including good basic gaits. Currently he is competing at PSG level dressage. We have also the grand prix dressage stallion Ehrentusch (Ehrensold – Rheinfee x Rheingold) twice and these offspring were jumping at 1m40 and 1m45. Cracker Jane is an extraordinary mare." 

"I think everything fell on the right place with Cracker Jane and I think it has also to do with Corofino I that came in the pedigree through Coronino. I tried to find more stallions with Corofino I blood but that is very difficult. It is very old blood and not easy to get. Cracker Jane is passing on in a very good way the willingness to perform. Cracker Jane is for sure an exceptional mare where everything comes together from both sides and you don’t have very often mares of this quality in the stable. We also have a full sister to Crack Jane.

We had to drive to Stud Grenzland in Switzerland to get Louise J covered by Coronino. I really wanted to have a full sister or brother of Cracker Jane. Coronino stood as a young stallion at Gestüt Ligges and was a spectacular stallion to watch when he was four and five years old. He had a very honest character and amateurs could ride him. We really like this character of him. Louise J her mother Waldessa J was a bit hot because of the Thoroughbred that she had from both sides and we thought Coronino would be a good match with Louise J. At first this resulted in Cracker Jane but as I said I drove with Louise J to Stud Grenzland. Also because Louise J could only get in foal by natural covering from when she was 15. This became a full sister, she is now six years old. Her oldest foals are now three years old. We need to figure out the right cross for the full sister of Cracker Jane. This six year old daughter was also the last foal of Louise J. 

My husband and I have always been breeders and riders. I also inherited it from my parents. We live in Westphalia and we are also quite loyal to the Westphalian Studbook. However good horses have no brand or color and that is why we don’t look at studbooks when we choose a stallion. We have used for example in recent years Dominator Z. He is registered Zangersheide, but his sire Diamant de Semilly is SF bred and his mother by Cassini I is HOLST bred. You can get nowadays everywhere good genetics in fresh semen and/or frozen semen. Cracker Jane is again in foal by Dominator Z. Her daughter Ballerina (Balou du Rouet) has an approved son by Dominator Z; Dracon. We have in our breeding Ballerina, Cracker Jane and her full sister. To add sometimes about the success of Cracker Jane her offspring. Her first offspring was the mare Enya J (Ehrentusch), she was placed about 136 classes at 1m30 and 1m40 level." 

What do these horses give for feeling to their rider? Friederike Junker answers: “They give a very good feeling, certainty like they can do everything. I rode several horses up to 1m40 level. Like Cornflakes J (Cristallo I – Louise J), Enja J and Eminem J (Ehrentusch – Cracker Jane).” Martina adds: “Cornflakes J has just as Cracker Jane an outstanding hind end with a top engine in it. You don’t need a whip or spurs to keep her going. She got an injury and we took her out of sport. The most interesting overall quality of this line is that all the horses have an outstanding work ethic. They have willingness, scope and are noble."

The most successful offspring out of Cracker Jane is the 1m55 successful stallion Fire and Ice J. Martina explains about the combination: “We used For Contest for Cracker Jane. Not only because of For Pleasure. In the damline of For Contest there is the blood of the Thoroughbred Mytens xx and I rode in the past a few offspring by him. They were super to ride and were beautiful. For Contest looked very promising as a young horse. He looked very good during free jumping and also under the saddle. We thought that he might be a stallion that could be good in both dressage and jumping. He was also good looking, had elasticity and a good willingness to perform. Fire and Ice J also really stamps his offspring. For Contest gave all his good qualities also to Fire and Ice J. I really want to try to use frozen semen of For Contest for Cracker Jane. I would really like to breed another Fire and Ice J. I rode Fire and Ice J when he was four in flatwork and I also jumped him a few times and I already had early on the feeling that there is no limit for this stallion.”

Fire and Ice J was purchased as five year old by Wolfgang Brinkmann and Gilbert Böckmann. Yvonne Böckmann recalls: “We went to Wolfgang Brinkman to purchase a horse and he showed of Fire and Ice J. We purchased half of Fire and Ice J because he looked very promising. We started competing him and we presented him for several studbooks. We own him now completely.

We purchased Fire and Ice J because he showed an unbelievable scope, that he still shows today and is very careful. That are already two characteristics that are necessary to become a grand prix horse. I personally value him very much and I will be grateful to him for the rest of my life for taking care of our daughter Leonie. When she was.  finished with her school she could take a break and she went as a nineteen year old alone to the U.S.A. with Fire and Ice J. Markus Beerbaum was a true support for her there and trained her there. Leonie did everything by herself and Fire and Ice J behaved like a Saint. What stallion is going with a nineteen year old girl for four months to the U.S.A. and is behaving in a perfect way? That was very impressive, he has a heart of gold. We are very grateful that Markus helped her so well.”

Yvonne continued to explain more about his qualities as a sire: “His oldest offspring are now six. His daughter Pucara Tilcara looks very promising. We have used him also a lot and his offspring show a good character, a willingness to perform and scope. He gives the typical Oldenburger bred mare a bit more frame. A bit more length in the legs and in the topline. We have two very special five year old mares. One out of the full sister to Lord Pezi Junior and one out of No Father’s Girl.

Leonie and Fire J will continue their sport career. They had good results last year at the German championships in Balve. Leonie is working on getting her rhythm back, she did a semester in New York the last six months. The plan is to continue to progress to higher levels.”