Nashville SW Wins First Part of Pavo Cup Final, Nanny Mc Phee Holds the Lead
This morning, the Saturday of the KWPN Championships kicked off with the first part of the final of the Pavo Cup for six-year-old horses. With 89.4 points, Secret’s son Nashville SW, ridden by Femke de Laat, led this segment. This brings him very close in the interim standings to Nanny Mc Phee (by Vitalis), who is currently in the lead.
The points from the first part of this Pavo Cup final are added to the scores from the semi-final. There, Nashville SW (Secret out of Esina elite pref IBOP-dres sport-dres PROK by Jazz, bred by Stal Willig VOF from Abcoude) had to settle for third place, but today the 2022 Pavo Cup winner stepped up his game. The stallion received a 9.2 for canter from judges Bart Bax and Jens Meyer, along with 9s for trot, harmony, and overall impression. "This horse moves in a pure four-beat walk with good overstep, although he could reach a fraction more towards the hand. The trot is compact with lots of impulsion, good use of the foreleg, and strong extensions. In the canter, we also see a lot of power, impulsion, and adjustability."
Semi-final Winner
Nationale mare Nanny Mc Phee (Vitalis out of Funfun EB elite sport-dres IBOP-dres PROK by Sorento, bred by Stal Ribbels B.V. from Eibergen) won the semi-final under Judith Ribbels and added a second place in today’s first final segment. The mare scored 88.6 points with 9s for trot, canter, and overall impression. "This horse walks actively and spaciously. In the extended walk, she also showed good activity and range, though she could remain a fraction more through the body in the collected walk. The trot is light-footed with good technique, an upward tendency, and good use of the foreleg. In canter, this mare shows good jump and impulsion."
Powerful Ilegro
Inclusive’s son Ilegro (out of Jalegrofleur ster pref PROK by Negro, bred by Van Olst Horses from Den Hout and Joop Hanse from Burgh-Haamstede) placed second in the semi-final but was a bit tense today. With 84.8 points and a fifth place in this segment, the half-brother of Nalegro manages to maintain his top-three position in the interim standings. "Certainly a good dressage horse, which had a bit of tension today and could have shown slightly more body use. The walk has a good four-beat. In trot, this stallion is characterized by much power, impulsion, good balance, and good use of the hind leg. The canter also has much power, impulsion, and good jump."
This afternoon, the Pavo Cup final for six-year-old horses continues with the second segment. These three horses will be ridden by Jessica Lynn Thomas starting at 1:45 PM.
Result
Overview Page KWPN Championships
MvE for KWPN
Photo: DigiShots
26 July 2024 | 19:51
Raspoetin-K van Kattenheye is the New National Mare Queen
The Fynch Hatton daughter Raspoetin-K van Kattenheye can call herself the national mare champion of 2024. With full conviction, this Belgian-bred Brabant Central Inspection champion led a strong class.
Judges Floor Dröge, Marian Dorresteijn, and Wim Versteeg invited ten very impressive mares to the final. This queen's class was a beautiful ending to the National Mare Championships.
Belgian Touch
Raspoetin-K van Kattenheye (Fynch Hatton out of Daylight de Hus by Don Juan de Hus, bred by Tony and Mieke Raman of Star Stables Kattenheye) owned by Miludka Swinkels from Helmond came, saw, and conquered. This well-formed chestnut mare had already won the title in Brabant and could now convince the jury once again. “A chic mare with a beautiful body, strong connections, and lots of charisma. She has three very good basic gaits, moves well through the body, and consistently from the hindquarters,” Floor explained. The mare trained by Jeroen Witte had already become a crowd favorite. The North Holland champion Ratilinda Taonga (Blue Hors Zack out of Atilinda M elite IBOP-dressage sport-dressage pref prest D-OC by Negro) bred by Stal 104 also convinced round after round. This full sister of Jameson RS2 once again put the breeding program of Willeke Bos in the spotlight with her second place. “This is an impressive mare with a strong model and uphill movement. She combines strength with body use and good leg technique.” The Gelderland champion Robijn VDA (Vitalis out of Herrera elite IBOP-dressage PROK D-OC by Fürstenball) owned by Leo and Raymond van der Aalst from Eersel finished in third place. “A mare that excels with her highly functional way of moving.”
Two from Stal 104
The first five mares were placed, and the remaining mares were explained in catalog order. In fourth place was the Kjento daughter Rose-Bel Taonga (out of Darabel elite IBOP-dressage sport-dressage pref prest PROK by Westpoint) owned by Stal 104. “This mare has proven her functionality not only in hand but also in the IBOP. She is an impressive mare with a good hind leg, good posture, and good balance in movement.” Finally, the Las Vegas daughter Rose Universe (out of Miss Universe elite IBOP-dressage PROK D-OC by Franklin, bred by Robbie and Chantal van Dijk from Odiliapeel) owned by Lens and Berna Nekeman-Alteveer from Hasselt. From the same mother, an Extreme U.S. foal placed fourth in the national championship. “This mare seems to get better and better each round. She moves with expressive front leg use and good mechanics, and she steps well through the body.”
Result
Overview Page KWPN Championships
JS for KWPN / Photo DigiShots
26 July 2024 | 19:38
Utah Beach crowned champion of dressage foals
From various groups of colt and filly foals in the direction of dressage, twelve exceptionally good foals were selected for the final. Five of these were placed, with the very complete Utah Beach being ranked first.
The jury, consisting of Bart Bax, Sjoerd Plaisier, and Luuk Smetsers, assessed the foals. Luuk Smetsers provided a clear explanation of the foals and began with the remark: “Foals change weekly. One day they perform better than another. Today, however, we have seen the crème de la crème. Complete foals with athletic ability, good posture, and excellent movement. We have placed the top five foals; the remaining seven share sixth place.”
Champion
The number one is Utah Beach, a foal that continually stands out. The son of L’Avenir is built uphill and possesses a lot of presence, remarkable musculature, and a well-formed front. He stepped actively, and his trot was uphill and over the back from the first step. Additionally, he showed beautiful foreleg use. In canter, he demonstrated both thrust and light-footedness. Utah Beach was bred from the elite mare Jinola (by Dream Boy) by the Knoops family in Wellerlooi and is registered with Saskia Poels in Heusden.
Reserve champion
Reserve champion was Ugo (Obsession Taonga out of Il Fiore elite sport by Furst Romancier) from breeder/registrant J. Woudsma from Barchem. “A sturdy and correctly built foal with good body length and a strongly muscled topline. He stepped well through the body and with ample space. In trot, he showed a lot of joint flexion and maintained his rhythm and pace without speed. In canter, he exhibited a lot of balance and really pushed off the ground,” said Luuk Smetsers.
Third place
The third place was for Unino (by Bon Courage). He was bred and registered by M.G. Kolner from Pesse, with co-registrant J.A. Bloem from the same place. The mother of this elegant foal is Kagranta (by Uphill). Unino was described as a foal with strong body connections. He stepped with ample space and body use. In trot, he showed a lot of schwung and joint flexion, and his balance was evident in canter.
Ultra Extreme
Ultra Extreme, a son of Extreme U.S. out of elite mare Miss Universe (by Franklin), bred and registered by Quality Stables in Oud Gastel, was placed fourth. A very appealing and well-developed foal with a beautiful wither and shoulder, a correct topline, and matching foundation. In walk, he showed activity and space. His light-footedness and suppleness stood out in trot, and he transitioned very easily in canter.
Mare foal
The fifth place in this strong group was for the only filly in this inspection collection: Ulanita (Obsession Taonga out of elite mare Lenita by Ferguson). She was bred by the Van Wessel family in Zwartebroek, who later also presented the best show jumping foal. Luuk said about Ulanita: “A generously developed and strongly built foal with a well-formed forehand. She walked in an excellent manner, showed strong use of the hind leg in trot, and we saw that power return in canter as well."
Results
Read all about the National Foal Inspection in the upcoming issue of the KWPN Magazine.
Overview page KWPN Championships
GJ for KWPN
Photo of Utah Beach by Digishots
No reproduction without source citation
26 July 2024 | 19:15
Very complete Umberto W chosen as National Foal champion
The top ten show jumping foals returned for the final, where the Mees van de Watermolen son, Umberto W, bred by Joop van Wessel, claimed the championship title.
For the first time, the foals were presented with their mothers in freedom in the indoor arena, which certainly benefited the judging process. The foals could be evaluated calmly, and ten foals returned for the final.
Light-footed champion
The Mees van de Watermolen son, Umberto W (out of Iwinita elite EPTM-spr PROK by Namelus R) owned by Joop van Wessel, had catalog number 1 and also finished as number one in the national foal championship for the Virbac Foal Trophy. "This is a long-lined, very athletic colt with an appealing front. He has shown himself very well both times. His canter is very light-footed, with a lot of scope and good ability to adjust," said jury chairman Marcel Beukers. Previously, this athletic foal was already chosen as champion at the foal inspection in Terschuur. Umberto W's main competition came from the second-placed Unlimited Sunshine (Conthalou out of Elianne ster EPTM-spr by Zapatero VDL) bred by V.J. van den Hoven from Achterveld. "This is a very appealing foal that canters with a lot of balance and power." Third place went to the Eldorado van de Zeshoek daughter, U-Gumo Eldorado MP (out of Gumo Twirre elite EPTM-spr sport-spr PROK by Numero Uno) bred by Maarten Pieterse. "This is also an appealing foal with a good model. He has a light-footed canter with a lot of ease and balance."
Strong leading group
Fourth place went to the HH Conrad de Hus daughter, Unirieta P (out of Funny-Morieta elite IBOP-spr PROK by Up to Date) bred by Peter Pluyter from Erm, previously crowned 'Princess of Zweeloo' earlier this summer. "A very appealing foal that certainly showed convincingly in the first round." She just edged out the young Hardrock Z colt, Us Harry O'Hesseln (out of Arischa O'Hesseln elite sport-dres sport-dres pref D-OC by Tenerife VDL) bred by M. Kienecker from Oosterhesselen. "A young, well-developed foal with a very good canter. He has a lot of suppleness and balance in movement," said Marcel Beukers. The remaining foals in the final were commented on but not placed.
Result
Read all about the National Foal Inspection in the upcoming issue of the KWPN Magazine.
Overview page KWPN Championships
JS for KWPN / Photo DigiShots
26 July 2024 | 18:49
Athletic Artuna E Z (by Aganix du Seigneur) Convincingly Wins NMK Title
Breeder Popke van Eik came specifically to Ermelo for the event and was far from disappointed. The Aganix du Seigneur daughter Artuna E Z, the Friesian CK champion, dominated the national championship.
The jumper mares free jumped in the Willem-Alexander hall this morning, and the thirteen most complete mares were invited to the final on the main field. The jury team, consisting of Henk Dirksen, Stan Creemers, and guest judge René Poels, faced the difficult task of ranking the top five mares.
Athletic Ability
As the Friesian Central Inspection champion, Artuna E Z (Aganix du Seigneur out of G.Fortuna E ster by Emilion, breeder Popke van Eik from Bakkeveen) already had a strong record. Purchased as a foal by VDL Stud, she was awarded ster in Harich with 85/90 and impressed again in Ermelo. “This long-lined mare has a strong body, a very good canter, and she convinced with her athletic ability over the jumps. She uses her body extremely well,” praised Henk Dirksen. The reserve champion also comes from Bears. This equally genetically interesting mare is the Cardento daughter Robinetta Angel VDL (out of the Grand Prix mare Blue Angel by Luidam), from VDL Stud’s own breeding. “A very appealing mare that moves very well and showed excellent performance in free jumping. She is strongly built and impressed with her technique and athletic ability.” The top three was completed by the Utrecht CK champion. This Belgian-registered mare with a Dutch dam line, Venezia Optima (Ermitage Kalone out of Exquise du Pachis by Vagabond de la Pomme, breeder Optimus Agro) from Egbert Schep, comes from a 1.60m mare and showed her natural talent. “This mare possibly had the best canter of the day and jumps with a lot of body use and again, athletic ability.”
Complete Mares
In fourth place was the Dorian Grey TN daughter Roxette TN (out of Kabisha TN by Cicero Z, co-breeder Willem Zwartjens from Wijhe) from breeder Team Nijhof. “This mare stands out with her light-footed canter, consistently jumps well with her body upwards, and jumps with good technique and power.” The Grandorado TN daughter Razzle Dazzle (out of Kamille elite IBOP-spr sport-spr pref PROK by Comme Il Faut) from breeders Alexandra van der Peijl and Scarlett Wieberdink followed in fifth place. “This mare started very well in free jumping and impressed on the oxer with her excellent technique, body use, and jump finish.”
Read all about the National Mare Show in the upcoming issue of the KWPN Magazine.
Result
Overview page KWPN Championships
JS for KWPN
Photo: DigiShots
26 July 2024 | 17:59
Breeder of the Year Jumping - Bosch brothers
This year, the Arnold Kootstra Trophy was awarded to the Breeder of the Year in the Jumping category: the Bosch Brothers from Luttenberg. Breeding is a family affair, and several family members were present at the ceremony.
Two of the family's breeding products participated in the Grand Prix at CHIO Rotterdam: Incredible (by Clinton) and Garant (by Warrant). The brothers have significantly contributed to global breeding and have put The Netherlands on the map multiple times with their breeding products.
Together with the Nijhof family, the Bosch family has co-owned several stallions for many years. This began with stallions like Cocktail, Concorde, Wolfgang, Aram, and Heartbreaker. In recent years, stallions like Clinton, Warrant, Florencio, Zacharov, and Aerobic have joined the lineup. The family's breeding program features an impressive number of prestatie and preferente mares, ensuring success. A remarkably large number of show jumpers from this stable compete at a high level abroad.
Overview page KWPN Championships
GJ for KWPN
Photo: Digishots
26 July 2024 | 17:36
Albert van Dijk and Tineke Huizing Honored as Breeders of the Year Dressage
It was a wonderful day for Bijkershof Dressage in Donderen. Owner Albert van Dijk was honored as Breeder of the Year Dressage at the KWPN Championships.
Nearly 30 years ago, Albert and his wife, the now unfortunately deceased Tineke Huizing, started Bijkershof Dressage. Two mare lines, the Nosa line (Mare Line 95, breeding family 709) and the Bottie line (Mare Line 52, breeding family 29), have led to multiple successes in both inspections and sports arenas.
One notable horse bred at Bijkershof Dressage is Imhotep. This son of Everdale has performed very impressively in recent years and was set to represent England at the Paris Olympics. Unfortunately, his rider Charlotte Dujardin became embroiled in controversy, and Imhotep will not compete. Nonetheless, this gelding remains a powerful and high-quality horse that any breeder would be proud of.
Other horses bred by Albert and Tineke include:
Cynosa (Tuschinski out of Spinosa ster pref prest by Havidoff), Grand Prix Dressage
Elite mare Hadinosa (San Amour out of Spinosa ster pref prest by Havidoff), reserve champion CK Drenthe and also to NMK
Elite mare Jinosa (Everdale out of Wladinosa elite IBOP-dres PROK by Rousseau), champion of CK Drenthe and to NMK
KWPN-approved King de Niro (De Niro out of Grandinosa elite pref IBOP-dres PROK by Ampere)
Elite mare Uni d'Ottie (Sandro Hit out of Jottie stb pref PROK by Wisconsin), champion of CK Drenthe and also to NMK
Elite mare Engel d'Ottie (Vivaldi out of Wilde d'Ottie ster IBOP-dres PROK by Sunny Boy), champion Overijssel 4-7 year old elite/keur mares, Pavo Cup Final as four- and five-year-old, 4th place Subli Cup as five-year-old
Elite mare Hello d'Ottie (Jazz out of Unie d'Ottie by Sandro Hit), champion CK Drenthe and also NMK
Floor Droge praised the accomplishments of Albert and Tineke. The presentation included several successful breeding products. During the victory lap, there was enthusiastic applause. Being successful in breeding remains the ultimate dream for most breeders.
Overview page KWPN Championships
GJ for KWPN
Photo: Digishots
26 July 2024 | 15:22
Rofa Dodessa van Heemstate Unquestionable Queen of the Three-Year-Old Gelder Mares
The six best three-year-old mares from the National Day of the Gelder Horse competed once again today at the National Mare Championships. After an incredibly strong finale, Rofa Dodessa van Heemstate proved unbeatable and was crowned champion.
According to Marloes, “A long-lined mare with excellent leg technique and a lot of front. Her balance and self-carriage were consistently impressive.” Rofa Dodessa van Heemstate is a daughter of Cennin out of elite sport mare Dodessa (by Upperville). The last mentioned was the National Champion of the three-year-old Gelder mares in 2011. The champion was bred by Wemke Staatsen from Emmer Compascuum and has been registered with Cees Hermeling from Driel for a few weeks. “I am very happy with how it turned out. The plan is to give her some rest now and then train her both under saddle and in harness. I will do this together with my instructor. Eventually, I would also like to breed a foal from her!”
The number one from the National Day of the Gelder horse, Reggae-Mirna, remains consistently noble and charming with good connections, but today she could have shown a bit more self-carriage. Reggae Mirna is out of Urana Mirna (elite prest sport by Cabochon). She was bred and is registered with the Postma-van der Wal family in Wijtgaard.
In second place was Rapunzel, a daughter of Hermès out of Ledine by Hertog Jan. A well-developed, beautifully modeled, and tall mare with a lot of charisma and an easy way of moving. She was bred and registered by Stal Krol from Handel.
Result
Overview page KWPN Championships
GJ for KWPN
Photo Rofa Dodessa van Heemstate: Theo Janssen