By Valentino (Now or Never M X Belisar) out of the Dutch mare Valentina by Dublin (Ulft x Lucky Boy), Vera Cruz received a Premium Award from the Oldenburg Verband at his foal inspection. He has impressive versatile bloodlines for both dressage and jumping with fluid, elastic gaits. Cruz should mature around 16.2 hh.

Cruz’s dam, Valentina, produces versatile offspring with very good movement and a lovely jump. She is by the imported Dutch stallion, DUBLIN and out of a super producing Thoroughbred mare, Island Song, who continues to pass on excellent legs and very good movement through her daughters. Dublin was winner of the 1988 Dutch stallion Performance test in Ermelo, Holland. He carries the versatile blood of Ulft (sire of Olympic Ferro) and Lucky Boy ( sire of many International jumpers). Lucky Boy is also found in the pedigree of many of North America’s top hunters. Dublin sired 2 approved Dutch stallions including Iron Spring Farms’ dressage sensation, Juventus. He left behind in Holland, national Dutch champions, many ster mares, as well as many competition horses in both dressage and jumping.

Cruz’s sire, VALENTINO earned a spectacular 9.6 for jumping ability and 9’s for temperament and willingness at the 2005 Stallion Performance Test in Adelheidsdorf. Valentino was the Champion of the jumper division of the test, and was the Reserve Champion overall. Valentino is not just an impressive jumper, he is also an outstanding sire. Out of his first foal crop in 2007, several of his offspring were admitted to the 2007 Hanoverian Spring Auction as Elite foals, and two of them went on to become licensed stallions a couple of years later. His son out of a Stakkato mare was honored as a Premium stallion and sold for 100,000 Euro. As of 2012, he has produced 3 licensed sons, 17 States Premium Mares/Candidates, and 32 foals and 7 horses in the Hanoverian auctions.
Valentino is sired by the Dutch bred Now or Never M who is sired by the legendary Nations Cup victor, Voltaire. Now or Never M's damline is equally as impressive. He is out of the mare, Imke (Nimmerdor) who is a full sister to the international jumper, Glennwood Springs ridden by John Popely. Imke's sire, Nimmerdor was named the “Stallion of the Century” by the KWPN, and her damsire, Maykel is the sire of the international jumpers Felix ridden by Jos Lanskink and Cavalier ridden by Franke Sloothaak.
Valentino's damsire, Belisar, is most likely responsible for Valentino's wonderful gaits. Belisar was Champion of the 1986 KWPN Performance Test in Ermelo with top scores, and since then he has become widely known as a top sire of sport horses in the Netherlands. He passes on his abilities and holds a dressage index of nearly 150. One finds Belisar in the damline of top stallions such as Blue Hors Zack.