During the KWPN Stallion Show in Den Bosch, the 'Horse of the Year 2024' will be announced, and you can help your favorite win this prestigious title! Both a dressage horse and a jumping horse will be crowned as 'Horse of the Year 2024.' Read more below about the nominated dressage horses. Three dressage horses—Glamourdale, Hermès, and Indian Rock—are nominated for the title Horse of the Year Dressage 2024. Voting is open until December 31, and the winner will be announced afterward. Last year, Glamourdale was crowned Horse of the Year Dressage during the KWPN Stallion Show. Who is your favorite this year? Glamourdale (Lord Leatherdale x Negro) Bred by J.W. Rodenburg, Ouderkerk aan den IJssel The KWPN stallion Glamourdale has built an impressive career with exceptional achievements, including two bronze medals at the Olympic Games of Paris. Named KWPN Horse of the Year in both 2020 and 2023, he is once again nominated for this prestigious title. The 2014 KWPN Stallion Show champion won the World Championships for Young Dressage Horses in 2018 as a seven-year-old. In 2022, Glamourdale and his regular rider Charlotte Fry claimed two World Championship titles in the Grand Prix Special and the freestyle to music. In 2023, they won team gold and individual silver at the European Championships in Riesenbeck, with an extraordinary score of 92.38%. This year, Glamourdale continued his success, winning Olympic bronze and triumphing at CHIO Aachen with a score exceeding 80%. Hermès (Easy Game x Flemmingh) Bred by G. Gijsbers, Loosbroek Hermès and Dinja van Liere delivered outstanding performances at this year’s Olympics, with their freestyle to music scoring an impressive 88.43%, narrowly missing the bronze medal by half a percent. The Easy Game son showed great promise early in his career with Dinja van Liere, winning bronze at the 2016 World Championships for Young Dressage Horses and topping the Anemone Horse Trucks Stallion Competition in Den Bosch. In 2021, he won CHIO Aachen with 78.02% in the Grand Prix and placed second in the Grand Prix Freestyle with 86.74%. The same year, he was named Dressage Horse of the Year. In 2022, he placed third at his first World Cup event in Herning with 84.36%. In 2024, Hermès and Dinja continued to shine, winning the freestyle at CHIO Rotterdam with a score of 87.83% and delivering a beautiful Olympic performance. Indian Rock (Apache x Vivaldi) Bred by J. de Bruijn, Schelluinen Indian Rock also competed at the Olympics, finishing fourth with the Dutch team. His individual freestyle to music earned a score of 81.75%. The Apache son’s career began with success, being crowned champion at the 2016 KWPN Stallion Show and winning his international Prix St. Georges debut in 2021 with 73.92%. In 2022, he won his first international Grand Prix with 74.26% and also claimed victory in the small final of the Big Tour with 75.21% at the Dutch Championships in Ermelo. This year, Indian Rock impressed again, winning the World Cup event in Neumünster with a score of 81.56%. Cast your vote Vote now and tell us which of the nominated horses deserves your support. By voting, you also have the chance to win two tickets to the KWPN Stallion Show! Please note: You can only vote once, and duplicate votes will be filtered out. Voting is open until December 31, 2024. Go to the voting form Source: KWPN Photo of Glamourdale: Dirk Caremans

The final presentation for the dressage stallions went entirely according to plan, with all nine presented stallions successfully registered, including World Champion Red Viper. On behalf of the stallion selection committee, chairman Bart Bax provided detailed comments on each stallion’s presentation. Highlights and areas for further development were addressed. Comprehensive reports will be made available in the KWPN Database. Potential and confidence As with the jumper stallions, the voluntary participation route also proved successful for the dressage stallions. Two three-year-olds stood out: the powerfully moving Radetzky H (by Lennox U.S.), co-owned by Hilde Smits and Sjoerd van Leeuwen, and the supple Secret USB (by Secret), owned by Stal Brouwer and Joop van Uytert. The latter ownership duo also celebrated the registration of Rome USB (by Vaderland), known for his uphill and talented movement. Convincing Still owned by their breeders, the approved stallions Ritmo de la Noche (by Ferguson), bred by Rom Vermunt and Harald and Jeanette Bruinier, demonstrated good balance, while Roebel (by Romanov Blue Hors), bred by Marijke Miltenburg and co-registered by Egbert Schep, impressed with his work ethic and exceptional walk. Other highlights included Ribèry VDT (by Don Juan de Hus), bred by Louis and Gabriëlle Röst, and Royal Dynamic (by Dynamic Dream), owned by Chris von Martels, both praised for their ability to effortlessly transition between tension and relaxation, along with their willingness to work. The three-year-old Ready to Venture (by Jameson RS2) was also registered, noted for his diligence and fluid movement. Finally, World Champion Red Viper (by Romanov Blue Hors) left a lasting impression on both the audience and the selection committee. The five-year-old, bred by Coen Kerbert, stands out with his size, strong conformation, and three convincing basic gaits. Performance test fall 2024 JS for KWPN Photo Red Viper: JM

As the only participant in the Gelder breeding direction, expectations were high for Royal King—and the son of King Karim fully delivered during the 28-day performance test. Bred by Anouk Noordman, Royal King (King Karim out of the Grand Prix dressage mare Zeronica elite sport-dres PROK by Talos) successfully completed the fall performance test. During today’s final presentation, he performed both outdoors and indoors under saddle and even showcased a few jumps with his rider. In the Gelder breeding direction, stallions in the performance test are still awarded scores, and this three-year-old excelled with 9s for his canter, outside riding, and rideability. “Royal King is a youthful stallion with a clear Gelder type and has demonstrated a balanced, consistent performance,” explained committee chair Marloes van der Velden. “He has a strong work ethic, gallops with excellent use of his body, shows eagerness and aptitude in jumping, and impressed outdoors with his focus, outstanding attitude, and dependable character.” Royal King’s outstanding performance positions him as a valuable asset for the Gelder breeding program. The complete report will be published in the KWPN Database. Performance test fall 2024 JS for KWPN / Photo JM

The first part of the final presentation of the fall performance test has been successfully completed. All nine presented jumper stallions were registered and received positive evaluations. As in the spring, the stallion selection committee did not assign scores but provided a detailed explanation for each stallion. It quickly became evident that this is a strong new group of stallions. Talented group Seven three-year-olds and two four-year-olds successfully participated in the 21-day performance test. "All of these stallions have shown good progress over the past three weeks and appeared at the final presentation fresh and in good condition," explained committee chairman Wout-Jan van der Schans. The committee also includes Eric van der Vleuten, who could not attend today due to sporting commitments in Madrid, and Bart Henstra. Notably, several international riders/owners (as breeders and/or registrants) were able to step forward. Suus Kuyten, for instance, saw her talented Rendez-Vous du Chateau (sired by All Star) and Rolex (sired by Chacco Bay) approved. The Diamant de Semilly son Regulus D originates from the breeding program of rider Floortje Deckers, and Roelof Bril stepped forward as the breeder/registrant of the Mumbai van de Moerhoeve son Rich and Royal. The influence of Chacco-Blue is striking within this new group. Among others, he sired the promising sons Rising Blue, closely related to Olympic champion Explosion W, and Cognac van het Gebergte, both of whom were approved. Another standout talent is R. Elfhaban van Beek, a son of Elfra van Beek, who is still owned by his passionate Belgian breeder Guido Herrijgers. Complete four-year-olds The four-year-olds Pacorro TN (sired by Grandorado TN) and Pachino ES (sired by La Costa ES) also made a positive impression during the final presentation. Breeders now have nine interesting new options for the upcoming breeding season. Full reports will be available as soon as possible in the KWPN Database. Performance test fall 2024 JS for KWPN Photo Rolex: JM

Today marks the final presentation of the fall performance test. At the KWPN Center in Ermelo, one Gelder horse, nine dressage, and nine jumper stallions will showcase their final presentation to the public. The entire event will be streamed live on KWPN.tv , but you are also warmly invited to attend in person. The performance test concludes today, starting at 9:00 AM with the final presentation of the jumper stallions. They will be presented in groups of two or three. At 12:05 PM, the Gelder horse will be evaluated for both jumping and dressage. Following the presentation, the stallion will be shown on the outdoor grounds. The results and awards ceremony will then take place indoors. At 1:00 PM, the dressage stallions will begin their final presentation, with each stallion assessed individually. After each group, a ceremony will be held. Audience You are warmly invited to come and admire the stallions in person. Can’t make it? The final presentation will also be streamed live via KWPN.tv . Schedule final presentation Performance test fall 2024 Source: KWPN Photo: KWPN

The second round of the Anemone Horse Trucks Stallion Competition Dressage and the KWPN Gelder Horse Stallion Competition will take place on Friday, December 6, in the Willem-Alexander arena in Ermelo. The start list is now available in the schedule. Last week, the first round of the stallion competition was held in Kronenberg, and next Friday marks the second round for both the dressage and Gelder horses at the KWPN Center in Ermelo. These competitions provide a unique opportunity for breeders and enthusiasts to see young approved KWPN stallions in action. The competitions consist of three rounds, ending in the final during the KWPN Stallion Show at the Brabanthallen in Den Bosch. Start list The Anemone Horse Trucks Stallion Competition begins at 4:30 PM on December 6 with a driven trial by the Gelder stallion Odeer (Atze out of Zeronica, elite sport-dressage PROK by Talos, bred by A.V. Noordman from Zuidwolde). This will be followed by three dressage tests featuring Gelder horses. At 5:35 PM, the Z/ZZ-L/LT class for dressage horses begins, followed by the M class at 7:05 PM and the L class at 8:40 PM. Don’t want to miss out? Would you like to see these young stallions in action? You are warmly invited to attend. Admission and parking are free. Unable to make it to Ermelo? All competition rounds will also be broadcast live via KWPN.tv or the livestream on KWPN.org . Dressage start list Stallion Competition 2024/2025 Source: KWPN Photo Merlot VDL (s.Bordeaux): by Dirk Caremans

This Saturday, November 30, the final presentation of the fall performance test will take place at the KWPN Center in Ermelo. One Gelder, nine dressage, and nine jumper stallions will be showed to the public during their final presentation. The conclusion of the performance test begins at 9:00 AM with the final presentation of the jumper stallions, presented in groups of two or three horses. At 12:05 PM, the Gelder stallion will be assessed for both jumping and dressage. Following his final presentation, the stallion will be shown in the outdoor arena, with the results and ceremony held indoors afterward. At 1:00 PM, the final presentation of the dressage stallions will begin. These stallions will be evaluated individually. After each group, a ceremony for the stallions will take place. Audience You are warmly invited to come and admire the stallions. Can’t attend in person? The final presentation will also be streamed live via  KWPN.tv . Schedule final presentation  Fall Performance Research 2024 Source: KWPN Photo: KWPN