Idora (by Eratosthenes xx) stands at the root of our breeding programme — the mare from whom every subsequent generation descends.

She is the dam of Goldschlägertochter (by Goldschläger Z, out of Gotthard), who in turn produced Truus Ducaet (by Lys de Darmen) and became granddam to Génépi Ducaet (by Parco). Génépi Ducaet, for her part, is dam to both Kahlúa Ducaet (by Arko III) and Lady Bird Ducaet (also by Arko III).

Idora herself competed with distinction at international level, carrying riders such as Frans van Herten and Sven Harmssen to success.

She was a daughter of the celebrated English thoroughbred Eratosthenes xx, who raced for several seasons in England before being imported to the Netherlands in 1961. Approved for breeding in 1964, he left his mark on riding-horse breeding through offspring that, in show jumping especially, achieved results of real distinction.

His career at stud, however, was cut tragically short. In 1967 he died after being struck by a mare during covering, leaving behind only a modest number of registered progeny — 83 colt foals and 53 daughters. Yet among that small legacy were mares of genuine quality.

Idora was one of them.

Brief as his time at stud proved to be, Eratosthenes xx left the sport with a number of exceptional show jumpers to his name — a few, by no means exhaustive:

• Horatio, with Eric Wauters ·
• Echo, with Eva Van Paesschen ·
• Swiftness D, under Harrie Wouters van de Oudenwijer ·
• Isocrates S, with Piet Raymakers ·
• Iwan F, with Rob Eras

and, naturally,

• Idora, with Frans van Herten, and Idora, with Sven Harmssen, among others — including Daby B, with Fonny Cox.