A breeder’s dream is to create a line of healthy, strong and high quality horses, capable of excelling in competitions or to be appreciated for their physical characteristics and temperament. Besides the professional aspects, there is an emotional dimension linked to the love for these animals. The dream can also include the desire to transmit this passion to future generations. The story we tell is proof of this.
Who said that in horse racing there is no generational change? Sofia Ricci, 24, Florentine on her father’s side and German on her mother’s, is the exception that proves the rule. Owner, together with her family, of the oldest working trotting horse breeding centre in Italy, located in the Veneto region of Boara Pisani, she is an expression of the z generation that loves to make sacrifices by dedicating itself to a passion that is lost in the mists of time, thanks to the Aggio family, a branch of her father Daniele’s kinship, who inherited the breeding centre from his uncle who had no children.
Sofia, you are a citizen of the world. You were born in Kenya, your dad closed the jewellery shop on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence and moved to Africa. But the fascination of horses eventually brought you back to Italy.
Yes, it is a passion that I have in my genealogy. Seeing the foals in the paddock leads me to dream that one of them may one day become a champion. This I believe is the adventure that stimulates every breeder. Studying bloodlines is a fixation of mine.
How do you make crosses: with intuition or with studies?
My uncle Gianfranco had a very developed intuition, while I like to study percentages, statistics and of course genealogies. In crossbreeding you try to improve the characteristics of one parent and limit the defects of the other.
And how does the mating take place?
In trotting, especially for genetic improvement and controlled selection, artificial mating is widespread. The semen, in this case, is collected and stored. We send it to a laboratory at the University of Parma. At the gallop, only natural mating is legalised.
Have you ever been to the auctions?
Yes, in September 2024 I went to the ITS Auctions for the first time with two foals that were sold: Iuppiter and Intrigo Lunare. I am very satisfied. Italy has a very good breeding quality. I am confident in the relaunch. The Directorate General of the Ministry is working very hard.
What is the crossbreed you are most proud of?
First of all, I want to tell you that as a policy we want to focus more on quality than on numbers. We want our horses to be well looked after and cared for. Nutrition, vet and so on. We currently have seven mares. The champion Clarissa is the one who turned our breeding around.
The mare who was proclaimed mare of the year in Italy and soon in Sweden?
Yes, she is my pride. Clarissa, sired by Nikelia, the broodmare is the last daughter of Lunar Eclipse, an outstanding champion of the 1980s and 1990s and the last daughter of Lemon Dra before he was kidnapped. We cross her with a fresh seed from Exploit caf. She is born early on a very cold night. Once tamed she debuted at Walter Zanetti’s and then went to Alessandro Gocciadoro. She has won a lot, both here and in France and Sweden. The double award is the first time it has been awarded to a native. On 21 February I will be in Stockholm to receive the award.
Do you have a favourite horse?
His name is Orestes. He has participated in group races, but is also enjoying success as a stallion. He is the father of Calenita, the mare who died of colic, a champion who set a world record in small track.
What emotions do horses arouse in you?
Joy, disappointment and a lot of fatigue. But if it goes well there is nothing else like it. The victory is twofold because you have made magical crosses in the true sense of the word. The process is long but along the way there is room for dreams.
How do you regard the competition?
A stimulus to always do better.
Dreaming costs nothing. What would you like to conquer?
We have won a lot, but the Derby and the Lottery would be a great aspiration of mine.
Do you have to have good collaborators to do this job? Horses must always be looked after.
Special thanks go to Antonio Barbaro, the director of both the breeding and training centre. He has been our trainer and trusted collaborator for over ten years. A security for me due to his great dedication and professionalism that have allowed us to grow together in this beautiful journey.
Is there a romantic aspect to all this?
At night I suddenly wake up with an image in my head of a horse I have seen running. And immediately a possible crossbreeding with a broodmare of mine comes to mind. To create a rare and extraordinary specimen is a primary ambition, but also the culmination of years of dedication, selection and care. To have the horse that perfectly embodies the qualities that a breeder can look for even in a lifetime is the hope.
And the tradition continues…
