IN big news for Irish breeders, Solid Gold Z and Asca Z will stand at Castlefield Breeding Farm for the 2026 breeding season, in partnership with Zangersheide. This means that Irish breeders will have access to fresh semen seven days a week from two proven 1.60m stallions.

Asca Z (Askari x Carthago) earned victories during his career at Spruce Meadows, Basel and Mechelen, and is the sire of nine horses jumping at 1.60m level. He is also the sire of Phillip Dutton’s five-star event horse Z, as well as many other CCI2* and CCI3* level event horses. He has sired 14 approved stallions to date, among them Ciaran Kennedy’s Amadeo Van Het Vossenhof Z and Greg Broderick’s RDS four-year-old winner Abba Van De Vrombautshoeve Z.

Solid Gold Z (Stakkato Gold x Calvin Z) meanwhile is a Zangersheide legend, and is well known to Irish breeders as the sire of both ESI Rocky and ESI Ali. Castlefield Breeding Farm have already used Solid Gold Z on their mares and supported his progeny, among them Silvester Van’t Ameldonk Z, whom they sold on to the US and who is currently competing at 1.50m level.

During his ridden career with Germany’s Christian Ahlmann, Solid Gold Z competed all over the world and won Grands Prix in Brussels, Abu Dhabi and Opglabbeek, as well as being crowned seven-year-old World Champion at Lanaken in 2018.

“Solid Gold Z’s offspring possess many of his world-class attributes, modern types with plenty of blood, athleticism and scope, perfect for today’s market,” Ger O’Neill of Castlefield said.