More about the Lapis ShA line

This stallion line can be traced back as far as 1816, when Siglavi was imported from the Arabian desert as a breeding sire for Babolna, the Hungarian National Stud.  Nearly 130 years later, an Arabian stallion, directly descended through the stallion line from Siglavi, saved the life of a German cavalry officer. Walther Schmidt-Salzmann made his way home to Germany from Central Russia after the defeated German army was dispersed during WWII, thanks to his faithful grey, Yugoslavian-born Lapis ShA. This horse carried him through enemy lines and the perils of the Russian winter, sometimes having only the straw from cottage roofs to suffice as food. Lapis survived the 6000 km ordeal healthy and sound. Once in the safety of his hometown, Salach, located east of Stuttgart, Schmidt-Salzmann helped the staff of the evacuated Stud Babolna return to their own country. The staff, in gratitude of his support, gave him the choice of a broodmare and he selected the elegant chestnut mare 68 Fenek V of Anglo-Arab lines, born at the National Stud Kisber. Matched with Lapis she produced the mare Amsel, who founded a family in the Trakehner breed in West Germany (today represented for example by the Olympian eventer Larissa *Pg* and the German champion stallion Le Rouge). It was 68 Fenek V's bay colt Burnus by Lapis, born in 1948, who was to become one of the superstars in the Trakehner breed, with his influence reaching into Warmblood breeding worldwide.

Before Burnus made a name for himself as a breeding sire, he proved himself during his four years at the eventing barn of the German Olympic Committee in Warendorf, Germany, where Dr. Reiner Klimke, then a member of the national three-day event team, became his rider.  Klimke and Burnus won at the National Championship level, and a photo in Klimke's book on three-day eventing remembers their partnership. Their association came to an end due to an injury Burnus sustained, while Klimke went on to international success.

Against tough opposition, Burnus was approved by the Trakehner Association in 1956 as a premium stallion. Then breeding director Dr. Fritz Schilke had to bend the rules to make it possible, as he was taken by the performance record, overall quality and charisma of the horse. The Trakehner Studbook recognizes, aside from Trakehners, only Thoroughbreds, Arabs and Anglo-Arabs that pass stringent tests. Burnus, however, carried from his dam's side a small percentage of Hungarian Kisber blood. Schilke described Burnus in his approval report as a beautiful stallion, who perfectly combined the good qualities of Arab and Thoroughbred. Schmidt-Salzmann donated Burnus to the Trakehner Association to help them rebuild the breed after they lost their home province of East Prussia in World War II and Burnus used his chance – he became one of the pillars of the breed, breeding some 420 mares until the time of his death at age 32 in 1980..