Horse Sport Ireland is delighted to name the 5-Star rated stallion Livello as Aprils Stallion of the Month.Livello was bred by Michael Tolle in Weitewelt, a small, rural village located in the Segeberg district of Schleswig-Holstein, Livello is by Limbus (HOLST), the 1.60m jumping stallion ridden by Bo Kristoffersen for Denmark. His dam, Zocka (HOLST) is by Ahorn Z (HANN) and is the dam of six foals, of which three had performance careers; Chablis T (HOLST) and Godot T (HOLST) who both competed at 1.30m. Her most famous progeny was Livello himself.He stands now in the heart of the Irish midlands in Belmont, Co. Offaly with Andrea Etter of Belmont House Stud.Livello age 27 at Belmont House StudLivello lives with his best friend Bear, who clearly runs the show. A true testament to his characterkind, patient, and gentle with his little pony companion.When I asked his long-time groom Christine from the Holsteiner Verband about Livellos temperament, she smiled and said hes the kind of stallion you could take with you for a pinta real friend.What really gave me confidence in using Livello on our own mares was seeing his former rider, Cameron Hanley, send his own top mares to be covered by him.It was with Cameron Hanley that S.I.E.C Livello, owned by the Sabanci International Equestrian Centre in Turkey, burst onto the international scene. They had their first notable international result when, as only an 8-year-old, the stallion finished second in the Grand Prix at the 2007 CSIO4* show in Copenhagen. This form was continued in 2008 when they recorded Top 10 finishes in the Grand Prix classes at the CSI3* shows in Giubiasco (SUI), Donaueschingen (GER), and Braunschweig (GER).In June 2009 the pairing of Hanley and S.I.E.C Livello made their debut as part of the Irish team in the Nations Cup that finished fifth. Their next outing was again as part of an Irish team in a Nations Cup when they travelled north to Falsterbo, Sweden where they were part of the winning team there. The duo improving on a 5-fault first round to jump an all-important clear in the second round.That result secured the pair their place in the Irish team at the 2009 European Championships in the shadow of Windsor Castle where they finished best of the Irish in individual fourth place, a single time fault in the final agonisingly keeping them away from a bronze medal.From there, the duo won the 1.55m Grand Prix at the CSI4* in Kiel, Germany, and had a Top 10 finish in a 1.50m Jump-Off class at the CSI5*-W in London Olympia in what was the second last show together for Hanley and S.I.E.C Livello.With Cagri Basel in the saddle, S.I.E.C Livello switched to represent Turkey internationally and in 2010, they were part of the team that represented Turkey at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, U.S.A.2012 saw him change nationality once more when he moved to the stable of Swedens Angelica Augustonsson, and he returned to Irish shores to feature on the Swedish team that competed in that years Aga Khan Nations Cup in the RDS Dublin Horse Show where their clear first round contributed to Sweden, France and Ireland being tied for the lead ahead of Round 2. Irish heroics sealed the home victory that day, as Sweden finished in 7th.Livello retired from international competition in 2013 at 14 years of age. His final Grand Prix being the CSIO5* Grand Prix of Falsterbo where Augustsson and Livello achieved a 13th place finish.Livellos first crop of foals were born in 2004, with his first Irish progeny being born in 2008. The performance of his progeny have earned Livello the 5* SJ PP merit with the Irish Sport Horse Studbook to go alongside his own 5* SJ OP merit.From that first crop of Irish-bred Livello foals came Lapuccino 2 (ISH) who was ridden at international level by Co. Mayos Michael G. Duffy. Lapuccino and Duffy have recorded wins at in the Nations Cup at the CSIO3* in Drammen (NOR) in 2020, and won the 1.60m Grand Prix at the CSI4* in Vejer De La Frontera (ESP) in 2021. He recorded Top 10 places in the 1.60m Sport Ireland Classic at the RDS Dublin Horse Show in 2018, as well as the 1.60m Grand Prix classes at the CSI5*GCT/GCL in Hamburg (GER) 2021, Amsterdam (NED) CSI5*-W 2020, Stockholm City (SWE) CSI5*GCT/GCL 2019, Geneva (SUI) CSI5*-RGS 2017, London Excel (GBR) CSI5*-W (2021), Rome, Circo Massimo (ITA) CSI5*GCT/GCL 2021 and La Coruna (ESP) CSI5*-W 2019.Lapuccino 2 (ISH) & Michaewl G. Duffy (IRL) 2021 CSI 5Star GCT RomeAnother of Livellos high performing progeny also includes FTS Killossery Konfusion (ISH), the 2025 Belgian National Champion. The dam of FTS Killossery Konfusion is Killossery Kruisette (ISH)[TIH] by Cruising (ISH)[TIH] who competed at international level in her own right for Capt. David OBrien of the Irish Equitation School. For Belgiums Jos Verlooy, FTS Killossery Konfusion has taken victory in 1.55m Grand Prix classes in the CSI4* and CSI3* shows in Thermal CA (USA) in 2025. The duo also won the 1.50m Grand Prix classes at Maastricht (NED) CSI4* 2023 and Leipzig (GER) CSI3*. He was also 2nd in the 1.60m Grand Prix at the CSI5*-W in Thermal, and 2nd in the CSI4* Liege (BEL) 1.55m Grand Prix in 2025. He was 2nd in a 1.55m Two Round Class in Stuttgart (GER) in 2023. They have also taken Top 10 placings in 1.60m, 1.55m and 1.50m classes at shows across North America and Europe including Monterrey (MEX) CSI5* MLSJ 2024, Rotterdam (NED) CSI5* LLN 2025, Lyon (FRA) CSI5*-W 2021, La Coruna (ESP) CSI5*-W 2021.Killossery Konfusion & Jos Verlooy CSI3 1m50In 2020, Livello had the distinction of siring two progeny that were on the same Nations Cup team for Ireland when they took the third-place spot on the podium at the CSIO3* Nations Cup in Vejer De La Frontera (ESP). Those two horses were Lapuccino 2 (ISH) with Michael G. Duffy and ESI Toulouse (ISH), ridden on the day Livellos very own Cameron Hanley!At stud in Ireland since 2020 and still going strong in 2026, Andrea tells us:Considering his ripe age of 27, its remarkable how modern Livello still feels. He has so much blood, combined with an uphill trot and canter, making him a stallion who consistently improves not only the three paces but also the rideability in his progeny.If we have a mare that is difficult to get in foal, our first choice is still Livellohis fertility is exceptional and consistently reliable.From a relatively small crop of Irish-born 5-year-old progeny, we are excited to have a stallion son of Livello called Mc Spencer B, a horse we think very highly of.The post Stallions in Focus Livello appeared first on .