December 21, 2005 – Stratford, Ontario – For the second year in a row, Canada’s W. Charlot Farms has been named the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Hunter Breeder of the Year.

Owned by Augustin and Christine Walch, W. Charlot Farms first took the national title in 2004 after accumulating 7,673 points awarded for performance in the USEF rankings. This year, W. Charlot Farms was the runaway winner with 18,999 points, placing the Canadian breeding operation more than 13,000 points ahead of its closest competition. In addition, W. Charlot Farms’ flagship stallion, Rio Grande, placed second behind the late Voltaire in the USEF Leading Hunter Sire rankings with 20,510 points, making Rio Grande the most successful living stallion.

“We focus on breeding horses that are athletic, good-looking, have three good gaits and, overall, have a great mind and a good attitude towards their work,” said Augustin Walch of the secret to his success. “We have a saying in German that means when you are really focused and dedicated, the luck will follow.”

Walch left his native Germany in 1980, bringing with him approximately 15 horses and establishing W. Charlot Farms in Stratford, ON, a small theatre town south of Toronto. While he first stepped into the limelight as the owner of Rio Grande, a Hannoverian stallion by Raphael that competed at the 1996 World Cup Final and qualified for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games under Eric Lamaze, Walch soon became known for his breeding program as well. While the majority of success to date has been produced by Rio Grande’s offspring, W. Charlot Farms also stands five other stallions, all with top European bloodlines, including Viva Voltaire by Voltaire, Futurist by For Pleasure, Esprit d’Amour by Espri, Cabardino by Carpaccio and Rio’s Ricardo by Rio Grande.

“We have enjoyed great success with Rio Grande, but now there are other horses competing and earning points that are sired by our other stallions,” said Walch, who celebrated the 25th anniversary of W. Charlot Farms in 2005. “It is really a matter of math – the more horses we produce that are competitive, the more points we will accumulate. We are fortunate that many of the horses we breed find skilled owners, riders and trainers who are able to successfully develop their potential.”

In 2005, a total of nine horses allowed W. Charlot Farms to retain its Leading Hunter Breeder title for the second consecutive year. Six of the nine were sired by Rio Grande including the Canadian Sport Horse gelding, Rio Renoir, who dominated throughout the 2005 season to gain an impressive total of 6,034 points in the First Year Green Working Hunter division; Rio Bravo gained 2,974 points in the Junior divisions, and Rave earned 2,413 points, also in the Junior divisions.

Of those not sired by Rio Grande, Allegiance by Skorpio earned 3,668 points; Rio’s Tasha by Rio Bronco earned points in the Children’s Hunter division and Toblerone by Pour Gagne competed in the Adult Amateur divisions.

Nine offspring helped Rio Grande to finish as the runner-up in the Leading Hunter Sire category including Due North with a total of 7,030 points and Rio Renoir with a total of 6,034. Purchased as a three-year-old at the Verden auction in Germany, Rio Grande was retired to stud in 2001 following a long and successful grand prix show jumping career. He is an approved stallion by the Hannoverian, American Hannoverian Society, International Horse Sport Registry, Oldenburg, Canadian Warmblood Horse Breeders Association, and the Canadian Sport Horse Association.

Walch will be presented with the 2005 Hunter Breeder of the Year Award when the USEF Annual Meeting is held January 11-15 in Cincinnati, OH.

With a herd of 150 horses, including 40 broodmares and approximately 30 foals born each year, W. Charlot Farms breeds specifically for the horse sport market. In addition to hunter prospects, W. Charlot Farms is also a leading producer of show jumping horses and, for the past three years, has bred the Four-Year-Old Ontario Champion in the Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series. For more information on W. Charlot Farms, please visit www.charlotfarm.com or call tel: (519) 271-5322.