He was still competing and winning in his twenties and he retired sound. In his lineage it is Black Toney 4x5 that has the greatest genetic weight, further reinforced with the presence of his sister Prudery in the 5th. Black Toney's grandsire Commando is a Domino conduit and he carries 5 lines of the root jump line of Lexington RH. Black Toney (pictured below) is out of a Ben Brush mare made more powerful by two lines of Broomstick, a Ben Brush son, the whole group pulled forward yet again by the 3/4 siblings Halcyon/Shady Lady4x4. Ben Brush brings in 2 more lines of Lexington RH, making 7 lines in 7 generations.
This is a very American pedigree because the second power is via the Fair Play family both of which are out of mares carrying Rock Sand--a winning combination. Not only is Man O' War well recognized as a jump line, but Pari-Mutual is also, who makes several appearances in Birdsall's Hunters and Jumpers of North America as a sire of jumpers. The line is made stronger with Fair Play's 1/2 sister Pyramid in the 5th.
Other jump genetics arrive via Tadcaster 17 lines and Hermit 22 lines, a significant Newminster presence.
Idle Dice is a BlackToney/Fair Play genetic bomb therefore considering his astonishing career we can seek these lines for soundness, resiliency and talent.
When show jumping champion Idle Dice was 24 years old, the large, bay gelding by Hay Hook appeared as dapper and energetic as during the pique of his competitive years.
His official retirement ceremony in September 1986 marked the end of a 20-year career in which Idle Dice earned $400,000 (approximately triple that amount today) and won more than 200 events. Thirty-one of those were Grand Prix competitions, three of which he won at age 21 in the last year he showed.
"He won everything that was possible to win," Leonard King, president of the American Grand Prix Association, told the Philadelphia Inquirer prior to his retirement. "The combination of Rodney Jenkins and Idle Dice was unbeatable. It's going to be a very emotional moment when they walk into that ring."
King credited Idle Dice with helping Grand Prix jumping, a European style of competition that was imported to the U.S. in 1969, rise to prominence in the U.S.
Sired by Hayhook and foaled in Oklahoma in 1962, Idle Dice was initially tried as a racehorse, but failed to find the winner’s circle in low-level claiming races on the Pennsylvania circuit. He was then campaigned as a hunter by Bernie Traurig before being purchased by notable owner and future Show Jumping Hall of Famer Harry R. Gill for $12,500 in the mid 1960s.
Idle Dice was ridden by many throughout his illustrious career, but his greatest accomplishments were with Rodney Jenkins.
“Dice was a wonderful horse, but I was like 20 years old when I rode him, he was much smarter than I was, and I was a little in awe of him,” Jenkins said in a ShowJumpingHallofFame.net video. “I didn’t appreciate how good he was. The horse was so sensitive to everything; he was very smart.”
Among Idle Dice's 31 Grand Prix victories were three American Gold Cup titles and the American Invitational. He was also the only horse to win the President's Cup at the Washington International Horse Show twice, was named the 1977 Grand Prix Horse of the Year and represented the USET for five years, including competing at the World Championships in Europe in 1974. He became one of the first inductees into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame in 1987.
Idle Dice spent his retirement days at Gill’s Pennsylvania farm, where he was visited by fans from all over the country.
Rodney Jenkins and the legendary Idle Dice won the American Gold Cup three years in a row during the early 70's. Jenkins holds the record for five career Gold Cup wins - won over $400,000 in his show jumping career,
Idle Dice, 1962, Thoroughbred
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He was still competing and winning in his twenties and he retired sound. In his lineage it is Black Toney 4x5 that has the greatest genetic weight, further reinforced with the presence of his sister Prudery in the 5th. Black Toney's grandsire Commando is a Domino conduit and he carries 5 lines of the root jump line of Lexington RH. Black Toney (pictured below) is out of a Ben Brush mare made more powerful by two lines of Broomstick, a Ben Brush son, the whole group pulled forward yet again by the 3/4 siblings Halcyon/Shady Lady4x4. Ben Brush brings in 2 more lines of Lexington RH, making 7 lines in 7 generations.
This is a very American pedigree because the second power is via the Fair Play family both of which are out of mares carrying Rock Sand--a winning combination. Not only is Man O' War well recognized as a jump line, but Pari-Mutual is also, who makes several appearances in Birdsall's Hunters and Jumpers of North America as a sire of jumpers. The line is made stronger with Fair Play's 1/2 sister Pyramid in the 5th.
Other jump genetics arrive via Tadcaster 17 lines and Hermit 22 lines, a significant Newminster presence.
Idle Dice is a BlackToney/Fair Play genetic bomb therefore considering his astonishing career we can seek these lines for soundness, resiliency and talent.
When show jumping champion Idle Dice was 24 years old, the large, bay gelding by Hay Hook appeared as dapper and energetic as during the pique of his competitive years.
His official retirement ceremony in September 1986 marked the end of a 20-year career in which Idle Dice earned $400,000 (approximately triple that amount today) and won more than 200 events. Thirty-one of those were Grand Prix competitions, three of which he won at age 21 in the last year he showed.
"He won everything that was possible to win," Leonard King, president of the American Grand Prix Association, told the Philadelphia Inquirer prior to his retirement. "The combination of Rodney Jenkins and Idle Dice was unbeatable. It's going to be a very emotional moment when they walk into that ring."
King credited Idle Dice with helping Grand Prix jumping, a European style of competition that was imported to the U.S. in 1969, rise to prominence in the U.S.
Sired by Hayhook and foaled in Oklahoma in 1962, Idle Dice was initially tried as a racehorse, but failed to find the winner’s circle in low-level claiming races on the Pennsylvania circuit. He was then campaigned as a hunter by Bernie Traurig before being purchased by notable owner and future Show Jumping Hall of Famer Harry R. Gill for $12,500 in the mid 1960s.
Idle Dice was ridden by many throughout his illustrious career, but his greatest accomplishments were with Rodney Jenkins.
“Dice was a wonderful horse, but I was like 20 years old when I rode him, he was much smarter than I was, and I was a little in awe of him,” Jenkins said in a ShowJumpingHallofFame.net video. “I didn’t appreciate how good he was. The horse was so sensitive to everything; he was very smart.”
Among Idle Dice's 31 Grand Prix victories were three American Gold Cup titles and the American Invitational. He was also the only horse to win the President's Cup at the Washington International Horse Show twice, was named the 1977 Grand Prix Horse of the Year and represented the USET for five years, including competing at the World Championships in Europe in 1974. He became one of the first inductees into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame in 1987.
Idle Dice spent his retirement days at Gill’s Pennsylvania farm, where he was visited by fans from all over the country.
Rodney Jenkins and the legendary Idle Dice won the American Gold Cup three years in a row during the early 70's. Jenkins holds the record for five career Gold Cup wins - won over $400,000 in his show jumping career,
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