*ORTELLO (TB)

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*ORTELLO (TB)

Postby [email protected] » Mon Oct 09, 2006 8:15 am

There seems to be only one reference to the importation of *ORTELLO to the US. That would be in ASB XX page 1277. He, as well as a good number of other Thoroughbreds, is listed under the heading of "IMPORTED HORSES (Imported in 1946-47-48-49) Which do not appear in this Volume or Volume XIX”.

Referring to volumn XX, page 1277....it reads: "*ORTELLO, ch. h. 1926 (died 1947), by *Teddy - Hollbeck by Gorgos".

Was he imported late in 1945, to late to get into Vol XIX? Was he imported between 1942 & 1945, and omitted by error? Was he imported in 1946 and died in 1947 and the Jockey Club (American Stud Book) found no reason to put him in the regular section of imported horses, because he did not sire any registered Thoroughbreds in the US. The last scenario sounds more plausible to me, since he left no US bred Thoroughbred foals.

How to find out the year he was imported and by whom?

Thanks, Pat

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Postby [email protected] » Mon Oct 09, 2006 8:38 am

I forgot to add...*ORTELLO had to be in Italy in 1945, as he does have 1946 Italian bred foals.

It could be that he was imported to the US after the breeding season in Italy, late in 1945...and possibly did not arrive in the US until early (January?) 1946.

Pat

Pedigree Ann
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Postby Pedigree Ann » Sat Feb 17, 2007 11:57 am

Ortello, like Athanasius and Nordlicht from Germany, was 'war booty', taken from owners in losing countries, just as the Germans confiscated some top French stock after occupying France. The Army wasn't really interested in breeding racehorses with them as much as cavalry mounts (the Remount Service was still in operation even though WWII have proven beyond a doubt that mechanized forces were the future).
There is no such thing as too much Teddy.

Bettina
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Newa

Postby Bettina » Thu Feb 22, 2007 1:52 am

Hallo,

sometime ago someone asked at the forum of ‘Pedquery’ about the Italian sire Ortello, whether he has any offspring in the U.S after his Importation.

Following information is from the last year in Australia published book “Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World” by Jennifer Churchill/Andrew Reichard & Byron Rogers and it includes Ortello. Following text is an excerpt from the article about him:

.. In October 1946, Italy’s champion racehorse and sire, at age 20, was loaded onto a steamer at Genoa, bound for New Orleans, and thence to Bill Stremmels Glen Cove stud in Vallejo, California.

He had been purchased by two thoroughbred breeding neophytes, Roger Eastman and Major Richard Hamilton and it was through the latter’s contacts in the occupying British Army in Italy that the deal was consummated that August.

Hailed in some quarters as the best stallion ever to be imported into California, he was already booked three years in advance at a fee of $ 1500 per mare. In the early spring of 1947, he covered thirteen of the best mares such California breeders, as Louis B. Mayer and John Hertz could provide. However, on April 7 he died of a heart attack, ending his brief tenure in his new home.

The essay was written by Patricia Erigero, she contributes to the website TBHeritage. If you want or need more information about Ortello and his offspring, try to contact the CTBA (California Thoroughbred Breeders Association, P.O. Box 60018, Arcadia CA 91066-6018, U.S., or www.ctba.com). It’s very likely, they can check their archives for you.

Best regards from Germany, Bettina