DANCING SHUFFLE - 2yo Stakeswinner
and why her dam is named DONATIO
2yo DANCING SHUFLLE (Big Shuffle-Donatio) became a Stakeswinner at Hannover on Sunday and there is a nice story behind her.
Philipp Stauffenberg remembers:
Back in 1993 I visited the "Spaetlese" at this time an autumn sale held in Cologne. I was particularly interested in a filly from the 1st crop of Breeder's Cup winner ROYAL ACADEMY and her 3rd dam being a sister to the mighty NORTHERN DANCER. This was something, you rarely could find at a German sale. However the filly was withdrawn, so I inquired with the breeder Albert Steigenberger. He told me the filly had broken her pelvis and had to be locked in her box, but he still wanted to sell her. The prize would be subject to offer. However I joked and offered him 1DM, the German currency at the time and what is now about 50cts. To my surprise he shaked hands and now I owned her. At that time I was managing Karlshof stud and so I inquired with the owner Bruno Faust what it would cost me to keep a yearling there. So he wanted to know the story behind my query and after I told it to him, he insisted to own that filly. So I past her on for the 1DM I had paid and named her DONATIO (latin).
After she was allowed to leave her box, we started to walk and longe her and she coped well with the exercise. So we decided to put her into training, but not to loose time if that did not work, to cover her by MASTER WILLIE as well. She went in foal with one jump and trained in a way that it was risked to run her. However she managed to be placed once from three outings and was then retired. She produced 9 winners from 12 foals and DANCING SHUFFLE being the best so far. Currently the mare is owned by Gestut Rheinberg, who have done best with her, producing DANCING SHUFFLE to BIG SHUFFLE and national stakeswinner DANCING DYNAMITE to AUENADLER, a son of BIG SHUFFLE.