About Kondos Appaloosa Stud

For George Contos, spots are his passion. While watching a Western movie when he was five years old, he fell in love with the Appaloosa horses and since then held a fascination with the colour and freckles. He purchased a 700 acre farm on the border of Lesotho with the Free State, near Clocolan, in South Africa. Here the band of approximately 100 ( This number varies depending on sales and new births) mares and foals interact as a herd and learn horse skills the natural way.

The horses are in no way wild. A team inspects the horses twice a day. At night a watchman is nearby, especially at the time of foaling. Foals are handled from birth and receive a halter the day after birth. Each horse is known by name and their association with humans is a wonderful experience. These horses have a friendly nature and this is their defining characteristic, which together with their all round versatility and sporting ability, makes them ideal for children and adults whether it is for novice or top competition for all types of riding. Apart from temperament, the horses are bred for colour and conformation and the stud gives a 95% colour production. This means the horses have spots and are not of a single solid colour.

Successes

The success of the stud is evident in the large number of awards - and not just in the Appaloosa classes. Here are some of them:

• Awarded " Top Breeder South African Appaloosa Nationals 2009".
• Kondos Quality Street, South Africa's National Champion in 2003, was also the best female of All Breeds at the South African 2006 Horse of the Year Show. She has also won the South African Appaloosa Horse Breeders Societie's prestigious "Appaloosa Of The Year" award.
• In the last 7 years he has bred six South African National Champions, two South African National Pony Champions and five Supreme Youngstock Champions at the Appaloosa Nationals
• He also has several Supreme and Reserve Show Champions
• Kondos Eagle’s Vision a South African Appaloosa Nationals Supreme Ridden Champion and the Supreme Champion Male at the South African Horse of the Year Show in 2010 was also acclaimed by Sally Chamberlain, an international judge and chair of the British Appaloosa Horse Club, as the “horse of the future”.
• Other kondos bred South African National Champions are also Kondos Comanche (2005); Kondos Total Eclipse (2006 and 2008); Kondos Beba ( Pony - 2008); Kondos Andraki (Pony - 2009) and Kondos Moonbeat (2007 and 2009).
• Kondos Ayori Mou - Supreme Champion Male junior at South African Horse of the Year Show 2010.
• Kondos Ahileas- Supreme Champion Male Junior and overall Supreme Champion Male South African Autumn Gold Cup 2010.
• Kondos Costaras - Supreme Champion Working Horse Of All Breeds South African Autumn Gold Cup 2008, 2009 and 2010. Winner of the 2004 South African Derby Working Horse Championship and winner of the Complete Horse 2009 South African Derby. Winner of the Working Riding Horse and Show Hunter classes at the South African Horse of the Year Show 2010.
• Kondos Papaflessas- Victor Ludorum Fourways Spring Festival 2008. Winner Open Showjumping Soweto Classic 2009 and Winner SANEF Schools South African National Championships 2009
• A film crew of National Geographic shot footage of his horses that they could not obtain after spending two months in the United States. For two days the herd was followed and their spirit captured on film. The grace, beauty and wildness of the horses were spellbinding and their multicoloured coats captivated the camera crew.

Future goals

The stud will continue to strive for the best possible Appaloosa horse – with the most desirable colour, conformation and temperament and with more definite sporting ability. George is developing his breeding along three lines. He is breeding a 16hh-plus Appaloosa for show jumping and dressage, a +-15hh Appaloosa for Western, endurance and pleasure riding and pony Appaloosas to satisfy demand for Appaloosas amongst young children.

About George Contos

George Contos	Alexandra, Constantinos, Maria, George Jnr and George Snr

George Contos’ parents were missionaries from Greece and he was born in Zimbabwe. George is a succesful businessman in the Vaal Triangle and has a wide variety of animals - all with spots! He somehow manages to run his three businesses still finding time to enjoy his hobby which is the breeding of these magnificent animals and attending to the needs of his stud. George's wife Maria and children Alexandra, Constantinos and George junior have always been very supportive of George and his horses. He attended school in Greece and completed his first degree ( Bachelor of Science - BSc., double majoring in zoology and archaeology ) with honours from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. He then received a Master of Science in agriculture (MSc Agric) specializing in Animal nutrition (majoring in Poultry Science) from the University of Natal. While studying for his MSc he attended night classes at the Technicon in Pietermaritzburg where he also completed a course in marketing and management. He initially bred warmbloods and gleaned much of his knowledge from his experiences with Brandenburg Stud. At that time he bred Kondos Costaras ( a Sabastian foal) who while owned and produced by Tarryn - Ann Combrinck won the 2004 South African Derby working horse championship. In addition, again at the SA Derby, he was for two consecutive years ( 2003 – 2004) second in the complete horse championship, which includes six different events covering all the disciplines. After many other wins in various South African arenas he was again, while owned and ridden by Catherine Macfarlane, the winner of the complete horse 2009 South African Derby. At the South African Horse of the Year Show in 2010 he was the winner of the Working Riding and Show Hunter classes. Another one of George’s warmblood babies, Kondos Papaflessas ( a Land Earl foal), is also fast coming up the ranks in the showjumping world, consistently winning major competitions in South Africa. He is pipped to be one of South Africa’s showjumping greats and is, while ridden by TJ Gander and under the ownership of Sharon Lipa, according to many, headed for international A grade Status. George is currently the Public Relations Officer for the Appaloosa Horse Breeder’s Society of South Africa.