Julien Bellet, 41, is part of the new generation of Selle Français breeders. At the head of a dairy farm of 300 cows in EARL with his brother Mathieu, they also share a herd of 160 horses with the affix “Mouche”. In addition, administrator of Cheval Normandie, he is, among other things, at the origin of the NEW Tour, these marketing tests organized during the low season for the first time this year with success. He shares with us his main choices of 2021 crosses.
L’Eperon: How are you made your choice of crossings?
Julien Bellet: I make a “long-list” of all the stallions that I have noticed. I am actively looking in young genetics. I then try to analyze my mares well and correct what needs to be done by choosing a complementary stallion. I don’t have to crossbreed to trade! The most important thing for me is to keep the blood. I follow the production of the stallions attentively by looking at the origins of the winning horses of the weekend in France or abroad, whether in the Grand Prix or even the intermediate events. I like to study this because I don’t have time to travel abroad. It’s kind of my way of going (laughs)!
I don’t make a plan in advance and often decide to face the tank when it comes time to inseminate (laughs)! I am convinced that we have to vary: we cannot always go for the same horses, especially since today the Diamant / Kannan cocktail is blocking us a lot. For example, our good mare Alba Mouche is a Diamant de Semilly, SF x Kannan, KWPN x Quidam de Revel, SF x Grand Veneur, SF x Uriel, SF. It’s a great family but a puzzle to cross!
Can we talk about your main crossings for this year?
Alba Mouche SF, ISO 140/2018, stops competing this year. She will not be covered in embryo transfer because I do not have a large herd of carriers and they will be dedicated to my young mares. She will go to Chacoon Blue, Meckl (Chacco-Blue, Meckl x Cartoon, Old) which should bring a lot of gallop and flexibility. Alba is a mare very tight to the model, and lacks a little amplitude but whose all the products jump with a strong back passage and enormous respect like Dayana Mouche, SF, her spectacular daughter of Utrillo VD Heffink , bwp, 3-year-old champion in 2016. I had for a time thought of Pegase van’t Ruytershof, Bwp for her. This is the lineage of Diamanthina, Emerald’s sister, the somewhat “star” family of the moment. As Il Faut, West, his father, produces extremely well, but is not very fertile, that is why Pegase seduced me.
I have a full-sister of Dayana, Idyana Mouche, very modern, whom I met with Chacgrano, Old. The horse looks a lot like his father Chacco-Blue. The mare being a bit of a “princess”, I needed a horse that would go to the bar, very determined and courageous.
Olympe Mouche, SF (Kannan, KWPN x Super de Bourrière, SF) produces very jumping horses with a lot of strength. His first foal Actros had made the Fences sales record, sold to the King of Morocco for € 90,000. Last year Carlina Mouche, SF (L’Arc de Triomphe, Old) in Italy was sold to Eric Louradour who promises her a future in Grand Prix. I have chosen for 2021 Helios from Helby, SF (Cornet Obolensky, bwp x Carthago, holst) which will not bring too much volume, while bringing the chic and the blood that may be lacking in Olympe.
Déesse Mouche, SF (Quartz du Chanu, SF x Elan de la Cour, SF) is a full sister of Claptonn Mouche, SF (Conrad, Holst), finalist at the Lanaken World Championships at 6 and Hindy Mouche, SF (Carpe Diem J&F Champblanc, Holst), both top price in NASH sales at € 60,000 and € 47,000 respectively. She is a mare with a slightly long back and a little weak in the back, but with a lot of blood, modern. I’m going to head to Hardrock Z (Heartreaker, kwpn x Carthago, holst), a horse with a tight back that will give him confidence.
Omega Mouche, SF (Verdi, SF x In Chala A, SF) is a mare who lacks a bit of gallop but with enormous respect for the helm. She needs cold stallions because she is very bloody. I was interested in Gray Sky from Ivraie, SF (Cornet Obolensky x Cook from Midour, AA) which I find impressive on bars with an excellent Anglo family. However, I would prefer a very beautiful mare in the model. But I couldn’t try it with this mare because the Cornet x AA cross would seem too explosive to me.
On the other hand, I think for her of Kouros d’Helby. It may not seem modern at first, but we know that this flow of blood matches well. Its products are jumping. It’s a pedigree that I like: Narcos II x Laudanum, like the very current Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve. As for the horse, it has enjoyed remarkable longevity in competition where it has shown enormous courage in Grand Prix. This might well suit Omega, who was – she – almost too precious.
It is very difficult to associate in a single animal a lot of respect as we seek it today, with horses which go “to the fire”. This is something that I try to look for, because we cannot combine respect + respect + respect otherwise we do not finish the courses or we do not jump high enough! Horses must have this desire to go to the other side.
I will be putting Tower Mouche’s full-sister, SF, ISO 170/2018, winner of the Nations Cup CSIO5 * Rome for the first time in the mating this year. It is called Inédite Mouche, SF (Diamant de Semilly, SF x Bleu Blanc Rouge II, SF). She has the somewhat special gallop of her brother, on the other hand she has more blood than him and jumps very well. I’ll look for some chic. I am thinking of putting it in Canturano, holst (Canturo, Holst), the superb model, for this reason. His production is quite impressive, we see it in all the competitions.
I also have a sister to Tower by Quartz from Chanu, SF, Valeska Mouche, SF. His second filly, Helma Mouche, SF by Candy de Nantuel, SF, is currently with Romain Duguet. She goes very well with Candy because she herself was very stiff but with an exceptional kick in the front, to snap the bib strap. This year, she was inseminated by Armitages Boy, old (Armitage, Old x Feo de Lauzelle, Han) because she is very tight in the back with a low balance, and I was looking for a very flexible horse.
Do you use “house” standards?
I have the impression that I do not know how to “make” a stallion. We produce very good mares and excellent geldings at La Mouche, but we find it difficult to breed males. I don’t think that’s for me (laughs)! It must be said that the competition is extreme. It is a world apart. Every time a stallion goes out to compete you have to be very, very ready and put on a show and I think a lot of horses are broken because of that.
In summary – Julien Bellet’s 2021 stallion choices
Chacoon Blue, Meckl (Chacco-Blue, Meckl)
Chacgrano, Old (Chacco-Blue, Meckl)
Helios d’Helby, SF (Cornet Obolensky, Bwp)
Hardrock Z (Heartreaker, KWPN)
Kouros d’Helby, SF (Narcos II, SF)
Canturana, Holst (softly, Holst)
Armitages Boy, Old (Armitage, Old)
Interview by Emilie Le Guiel
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