Modern reproductive techniques each have their pros and cons. They are still not cheap, but the costs are becoming more manageable, allowing more breeders to make use of them. Is their use ethically justifiable? During the KWPN Stallion Show, a fertility conference for veterinarians took place on Thursday. Early in the afternoon, there was a panel discussion on "Ethics of modern reproductive techniques." Moderator Charlotte Dekker posed several statements, including "OPU/ICSI is a carefully developed technique, which means we are allowed to apply it." After a hesitant start, a lively discussion unfolded between the audience and the five panelists. Patrick Brogan : "I do a lot of OPU/ICSI and rarely encounter problems. One mare died due to sedation, but you must be pragmatic: every injection carries a risk for the horse. Sometimes a mare gets very stressed, and it doesn’t work; in that case, I certainly won’t proceed. I think it’s important that as a veterinarian, you have a lot of experience and know what you're doing. In my opinion, it’s a fantastic tool, but for now, it certainly does not replace traditional breeding." Koos Poppelaars: "On our farm, we’ve tried the full spectrum of reproductive techniques and see OPU/ICSI as a great technique, but it shouldn’t become a runaway commercial activity. We need to make our money with breeding, but we are conscious of the impact and make decisions based on each mare. We’ve had some bad experiences with one mare using this technique, so breeders should not underestimate the effect it can have on the mare." Anthony Claes: "OPU/ICSI offers good opportunities for a mare who, for any reason, can no longer become pregnant on her own. OPU/ICSI can save the breeder a lot of disappointment. Furthermore, treating a mare repeatedly to get her pregnant naturally is usually not a pleasant experience for her. We have been monitoring mares and foals after OPU/ICSI treatment for several years. We perform the procedure at our clinic, and the mares stay with us overnight, so they are much more at ease. The welfare of the horse always comes first! It is important that all procedures are followed carefully, and communication with the owners is key. Even in breeding, doing nothing new means stagnation, and stagnation equals regression." Thibault Frippiat: "In terms of veterinary medicine, we decide what's best for the animal. This ethical aspect is very important. Right now, we’re working with a few veterinarians to develop guidelines for OPU/ICSI to ensure it's done ethically. In the Netherlands, there are still only a handful of centers where OPU/ICSI is actually performed. Banning it, like in Sweden, doesn’t make much sense, because breeders will just go abroad. But it’s very good to establish some rules. It’s the veterinarian’s responsibility to properly inform the breeder, so they can make a well-considered decision." Peter van der Waaij: "It’s good that rules are being established, also for the studbook and registration. Those with bad intentions will go to another studbook. I’m not against OPU/ICSI, but I don’t think it will advance breeding. Especially not if very old or even deceased stallions are used, or if a lot of offspring come from the same mare. It must not become mass production. We must never lose our passion for breeding, and the love for the horse must always come first." Text: Gemma Jansen Image: Dirk Caremans  

The saying "a good showjumper comes from a good showjumper" is proven week in and week out by countless international horses from proven maternal lines. However, an analysis of international sport results and the KWPN database reveals that the majority of horses still come from mares that did not perform at a high level themselves. This underscores the relevance of the small but critical breeder. In the middle of last year, a post by American equestrian enthusiast Reece Miller appeared on social media, where he took the three 5* Grand Prix in Ocala, Wellington, and Miami as a basis for a small study. In the top 10 of these Grand Prix, one horse came from an international 1.50m mother, three horses were bred from mothers who had competed at 1.45m level, one from a 1.40m mother, and the remaining 25 were simply bred from mares without notable sport performances. KWPN Database Of course, this is not a comprehensive study that holds up scientifically, but it does provide an interesting basis for this article. Auctions and stallion selections rightfully focus on and value the performances of the mares themselves, but in practice, it turns out that it is not a requirement to breed good showjumpers. This offers hope for the critical breeder who also wants to breed the top sport horses of the future in these challenging times. At the time of this analysis, the KWPN database contained 15,467 showjumpers with performances at a minimum of 1.40m level. Of these, 2,290 come from mares with the sport predicate, meaning they themselves have performed at least at 1.30m level. This corresponds to a percentage of 14.8%. Interestingly, this percentage hardly differs from the percentage of showjumpers at the highest level. Of the 1,606 showjumpers in the KWPN database registered at 1.60m level, 240 come from a mother with the sport predicate, which is a percentage of 14.9%. Tested mares Of the mothers of these 2,290 international showjumpers, 82 have also earned the EPTM predicate in addition to the sport predicate, and 191 mothers have passed the IBOP in addition to the sport predicate. Of the 2,290 showjumpers at a minimum of 1.40m level, 241 come from mothers who have only passed the EPTM, and 410 from mothers who have only achieved a good result in the IBOP. This leads to 651 (4.2%) showjumpers at 1.40m level or higher whose mothers have passed a breeding test. Of those 651 showjumpers, 273 (1.8%) have a mother who has passed both the breeding test and earned the sport predicate. Thus, the KWPN database tells us that of the 15,467 showjumpers at a minimum of 1.40m level, 2,941 come from mothers with achievements in a breeding test and/or sport at a minimum of 1.30m level. This results in 19%, meaning 81% of the horses are bred from mares without notable performances. Importance of breeding tests Although the percentage of sport horses at a minimum of 1.40m level bred from mares that have passed a breeding test (4.2%) is not particularly high, it is an oversimplification to conclude that a breeding test has little value for breeding. On the contrary, it gives a breeder early insight into the strengths and weaknesses of their mare, tested among many peers and under similar conditions. An article from KWPN Magazine 6 in 2023 showed that mares with the EPTM predicate are more likely to be bred directly than mares who passed the IBOP. The article also notes that 66% of mares that did not pass the IBOP were still shown in sport, and the percentage of mares that then achieved the sport predicate is clearly lower than mares that did pass the IBOP—over 25% versus nearly 38%. From 1.40m, this difference grows even larger, with 6% (non-passing IBOP mares) versus 15% (passing IBOP mares). Therefore, it can be concluded that mares that pass the breeding test perform significantly better in sport than those that don’t, and this supports the assumption that a breeding test is a good indicator. Of the non-passing mares, 3.6% reach the 1.40m level, compared to 8.1% of passing mares. The same applies to their offspring: passing mares more often produce offspring that perform in sport than mares that do not pass the IBOP or EPTM. This proves the value of testing mares under saddle. Judging predicates It is also interesting to look at how many sport horses at the top level were bred from mares with the ster, keur, or elite predicate. These mares have been evaluated based on their conformation and free jumping, which has repeatedly proven to be a good indicator of their natural ability as a showjumper. Of the 15,467 showjumpers from 1.40m level registered in the KWPN database, 6,999 were bred from mares with such a predicate. This corresponds to 45.3%. Of the 15,467 showjumpers from 1.40m level, 4,003 come from mothers registered in the studbook but without a predicate (25.9%), and 1,839 were bred from foal book mares (11.9%), most of whom were not offered for studbook registration. It can be concluded that by far the largest portion of showjumpers at 1.40m level or higher are bred from mares with a predicate. KWPN-registered There are of course caveats regarding the inheritance of sport. The KWPN database is not complete when it comes to sport performances from the (distant) past, due in part to digitalization, and this study focuses only on KWPN-registered horses. However, the trend is clear and aligns well with Reece Miller’s earlier sample. It is interesting to extrapolate this trend to some prominent competitions in Europe. As with Reece Miller’s small study, the available information on the sport achievements of the mothers was sourced from online databases such as KWPN, HorseTelex, and HippoMundo. In recent years, this data has become increasingly accurate, and it appears that on average, 70% of horses come from mares without notable sport achievements. Olympic games In 2024, the Olympic Games were a sporting highlight. Thirty horses qualified for the individual final. In the top 10, one horse came from a mother at 1.30m level (Baloutinue of Laura Kraut, 8th place) and one horse from a mother at 1.45m level (Dallas Vegas Batilly of Ben Maher, 9th place). The KWPN horse Leone Jei (by Baltic VDL), who finished 10th, came from a mother who passed the IBOP at three years old. Of the remaining 20 individual finalists at the Olympics, two came from a mother with performances at 1.60m level (Zineday of Philipp Weishaupt, 12th place and Imagine of Kim Emmen, 23rd place), and three from a mother at 1.30m level. Thus, of the 30 finalists, 23 were bred from mares without sport performances. An interesting detail is that the 17th place finisher, Dexter R-son I Amelusina R51, was bred from a mare who demonstrated her natural ability with 82 points in the EPTM. Prominent 5*-Grand Prix In the Grand Prix of CSI5* Jumping Amsterdam in early 2024, two horses came from mothers at a minimum of 1.30m level. Among them, the fourth-place finisher Luna van het Dennehof of Gilles Thomas, whose mother competed at the highest level. Marc Houtzager finished sixth in this main event with Sterrehof’s Dante, whose mother passed the IBOP as a four-year-old. 80% of the horses in this top 10 were bred from mares without notable sport performances. At the World Cup event of CSI5*-W Gothenburg, the percentage of mothers without sport performances was slightly lower. Four of the ten horses at the top of the rankings were bred from mothers who had jumped at least at 1.30m level. Among them, the winner Hallilea of Lars Kersten, whose mother competed at 1.35m level, and the sixth-place finisher Imagine of Kim Emmen. Indoor season In a competition on the other side of the world, the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Doha, the percentage was 70% for offspring from mares without sport performances. Two of the top ten horses in this test came from a 1.60m mother, including the winner Bonne Amie under Abdel Saïd. The indoor season continued with the Rolex Grand Prix of ‘s-Hertogenbosch, where three of the ten top horses were bred from mothers at a minimum of 1.30m level (70% from non-sport mares). The indoor season was concluded with the World Cup final in Riyadh, where four of the ten horses (60% from non-sport mares) were bred from mothers with sport performances. One of them, Pieter Devos' Casual DV Z (8th place), came from a mother who jumped at the highest level. Narrowing The same pattern can be seen in the 2024 5* Grand Prix of Hamburg (70%), Madrid (80%), Rolex Grand Prix in Rome (70%), Sankt-Gallen (70%), Rolex Grand Prix of Spruce Meadows (70%), and Rotterdam (70%). And while international sport mares have been heavily used for breeding, particularly in Belgium, breeders have made great strides. Recently, HippoMundo listed mares based on the earnings of their offspring. Among the top ten mares on this list, three had performed in the sport. Once again, 70% came from non-sport mares. The fourth-placed Derly Chin de Muze (by For Pleasure) and the tenth-placed Askaria 3 (by Askari) performed at 1.60m level, while the eighth-placed Inathina van ’t Ruytershof (by For Pleasure) performed at 1.40m level. The highest KWPN mare is second, the Corland daughter Dara, who earned nearly 1.4 million euros in prize money thanks solely to her offspring Leone Jei (Martin Fuchs). The numbers game On the same website, HippoMundo, a list of mares with the most offspring was also published. The first nine mares on this list have between 50 and 70 registered offspring, making it unfair to compare their breeding power to mares with only five to ten offspring. Nine of the ten mares at the top of this list are from the Belgian breeding program, with the tenth-placed Fragance de Chalus being French. Two mares come from the lineage of Emerald van ’t Ruytershof, and three from the lineage of Usha van ’t Roosakker, and this narrowing of breeding poses a risk. Commission chairperson Wout-Jan van der Schans argues in the article about the stallion selection committee chairs elsewhere in this magazine that breeding should remain broad. This offers opportunities for the small breeder who may not have mares from the most prominent lines. Relative figures Looking at the ten highest-earning showjumpers according to the HorseTelex ranking, two were bred from mothers who competed in the sport, both at the highest level: the mothers of the fourth-placed Killer Queen VDM and the tenth-placed DSP Chakaria. Thus, 80% of the top earners come from mares that were not shown in the sport. Of course, there are many examples of mares who have performed at the highest level and repeatedly produce good showjumpers. However, it is true that these top sport mares, especially in recent years, have often been used intensively for breeding (whether through embryo transfer or ICSI) and therefore have a higher chance of producing successful offspring compared to mares that have had fewer opportunities in breeding. A current example of a mare that has proven to pass on her own qualities is the Carinjo daughter A.Vaantje R, from whom the son Spindocter ES (by Luidam) was selected for the second inspection this year. She is currently one of the only breeding mares in the Netherlands for the Swedish Breeding Association (Svenska Världssoeld). The fact that her offspring can be used for breeding (by embryo) is an absolute asset, according to the Dutch breeder of horses born. Therefore, as we can see, sport and breeding practices do not need to overlap to achieve successful breeding practices. Text: Jenneke Smit Image: Dirk Caremans

The four-year-old Gelder stallions demonstrated their driving skills for the second time today, and both performed with conviction, making their approval now final. The King Karim son, Royal King, and the Alexandro P son, Raffael K, had already been approved based on their performances under saddle. With two presentations in driving, the approval of these Gelder stallions is now final. "On February 12, the stallions showed their driving performance in the Willem Alexander Hall, and today they were assessed on the outdoor grounds. Both Raffael K and Royal King presented themselves very well on both the sand path and the grass surface," said inspector Luuk Smetsers on behalf of the stallion inspection committee. "The committee is very positive about their driving performance, and the stallions will be expected to return on hand during the final presentation of the current performance test. At that time, the results of the driving performance will also be announced. However, their final approval is already a fact as of today."

Three dressage and eight show jumping stallions were successfully presented and admitted for the performance test today. The final presentation will take place on March 15. The day began with the conformation and pedigree evaluation of the four-year-old Check In son, Ramazzotti, who is voluntarily participating in the performance test. Like the other stallions, he was then presented by his own rider and subsequently assessed by a veterinarian. Of the eight show jumping stallions, seven were born in 2021, including Royal-Star M (s.Poker de Mariposa), who was selected through the saddle presentation in Den Bosch, and Etouruso VDL (s.Etoulon VDL), recently selected through the saddle presentation in Ermelo. Additionally, the five-year-old Patapsco (s.Diamant de Semilly), son of the Olympic mare Lintea Tequila, was successfully admitted. “All stallions have been deemed suitable for testing by the stallion inspection committee and were found to be medically acceptable. Training will take place under the supervision of a committee member every Friday, and an official evaluation will be conducted every Tuesday,” senior inspector Henk Dirksen explained on behalf of the committee. Three dressage stallions Of the four dressage stallions listed on the starting list, three have secured a stall at the KWPN center. Unfortunately, the vaccinations of Magic McKee L (s.Total McLaren) did not meet the required standards. Initially, it seemed that Sarai L (s.Secret) faced a similar issue, but a second check confirmed that everything was in order, allowing him to participate in the saddle presentation. For the seven-year-old Nashville SW (s.Secret), this was the first time he was presented in a saddle presentation by his regular rider, Femke de Laat. Previously, he had been assessed in the stallion competition. Today, Nashville SW, along with Sarai L (s.Secret) and Rishano Fornaio (s.Kjento), has begun the performance test, with the final presentation scheduled for March 15. Overview page performance test JS for KWPN 

Especially for the EPTM exam, he flew in from Spain. During the KWPN Select Sale at the KWPN Stallion Show 2024, he purchased no less than two stallions, and he also wants to remain loyal to the studbook in the future: Teddy Beuzet is a true KWPN enthusiast. Four years ago, the Spanish couple Teddy Beuzet and Alexandra Souto started buying, breeding, training, and selling Lusitanos. Teddy has always had a soft spot for KWPN horses: “I loved show jumping, and when I lived in Dubai, I went to the Longines Global Champions Tour in Doha every year, and I often saw KWPN horses winning there.” When he met his wife, who was more focused on dressage, Teddy noticed that KWPN horses also excelled in dressage. That’s why the duo decided to purchase KWPN horses at the KWPN Stallion Show in 2024. KWPN Select Sale During the KWPN Select Sale at the KWPN Stallion Show 2024, the duo bought two stallions: Red Spirit (Blue Hors Monte Carlo TC out of Missy elite EPTM-dres D-OC by Daily Diamond, breeder E.T. ten Bosch from Driel) and Romano (Kjento out of Ketschuna elite pref IBOP-dres PROK D-OC by Fürst Heinrich, breeder H. Germs from Midwolde). Teddy is full of praise for the KWPN Select Sale: “When you arrive at this auction, everything is done. The problem we have a lot in Portugal and Spain is that you buy a horse but you never know about its health. Here, everything is done. It’s a safe purchase, and we appreciate that immensely.” Prize-winning Romano After the auction, Kjento’s son Romano was sent to Belgium for further training, but things didn’t go as planned, so he was later placed under the saddle of rider Robbin Kleermans. “When he arrived, he was very thin,” says Robbin. “At first, we thought: ‘He’s nice,’ but he just kept getting better.” Romano has competed three times with Robbin and placed every time. They finished second in the Equisport Cup 2025 with an impressive score of 88.7%, fourth at the NAF Dressage Talent Berlicum 2025 with 85.6%, and third at the VWF Prinsenstad Dressage 2024. “This horse loves going to competitions and is incredibly sweet,” Robbin says. Gigantic Red Spirit The chestnut Red Spirit still needs more time to develop, but Teddy also sees potential in him: “We see potential in Red Spirit, and we truly believe he can become a Grand Prix horse.” Rider Robbin adds: “He is very big, so he needs time to develop his body, gain power, and learn to use his legs correctly.” The Spanish horse enthusiast is confident: “We are going to give Robbin all chance to reach the Grand Prix with him.” EPTM test Today was the final evaluation of the EPTM test, and one of Teddy’s mares participated. The horse owner flew in from Spain specifically to attend this exam in Ermelo, and it was not without results. His mare P. Magnificat Lemac (Schwarzgold out of Je Ne Regrette Pas stb by Negro, breeder C.M.L. Merino Lopez from Valdemorillo, Madrid) passed the EPTM exam with 77 points. “I bought her when she was two years old. We were not happy with her development in Spain, so we brought her to Robbin. She is cute, but she wasn’t easy.” Teddy was updated weekly on the EPTM test by the KWPN inspectors. “Every week after the evaluation, they told me she had good rideability, and I was very happy about that.” For the exam, the Schwarzgold daughter even received an 8 for rideability. Future plans The question of their future plans is clearly answered: stallions Romano and Red Spirit will stay for now. “Red Spirit is very big, but we try to breed with him as well. In Portugal, we often cross Lusitanos with warmbloods. We use a Portuguese mare and a warmblood stallion because Portuguese mares are very calm, so this can give great horses. Trying this with Romano or Red Spirit will be great.” There is no doubt that they will continue with KWPN horses. Source: KWPN Photo Teddy Beuzet with P. Magnificat Lemac: KWPN

Today, a saddle presentation was scheduled in Ermelo for all three breeding directions, preceding the performance test. A total of eleven four-year-old stallions were presented. The showjumping stallions opened the day at the KWPN center. Due to his commitments as national coach, Wout-Jan van der Schans was unable to attend this time and was replaced by Arie Hamoen. Selected Of the six showjumping stallions, five had already been selected last year. They were presented under their own riders for the first time, and the committee shared its findings with the owners. One stallion had not been presented before—Etouruso VDL (Etoulon VDL out of Hyrusa H keur IBOP-spr by Baltic VDL, bred by S. Hazenberg from Opende) from VDL Stud. He was selected based on his excellent conformation, pedigree, and performance under saddle. He has already been approved in Oldenburg, and his dam, Hyrusa H, is a full sister to the KWPN-approved stallion Norton VDL and a half-sister to the international 1.60m horse Cat Ninja (s.Zirocco Blue VDL). The six showjumping stallions are expected to return for the performance test intake on February 24. “On that day, we also expect the two older stallions selected in Den Bosch, Patapsco and Royal-Star M,” said senior inspector Henk Dirksen on behalf of the committee. “Additionally, one stallion that was referred last year may participate on a voluntary basis.” Dressage and Gelder horse In addition, three four-year-old dressage stallions were presented under their own riders. For them, this was the second saddle presentation ahead of the performance test. The seven-year-old Nashville W (by Secret) is also expected at the intake. The two Gelder horse stallions, Royal King (s.King Karim) and Raffael K (s.Alexandro P), were both presented in harness and performed well. On the day of the intake, these two already approved stallions will be presented on the outdoor arena. JS for KWPN

Since 1998, the Oregon Trophy has been contested at the KWPN Stallion Show in 's-Hertogenbosch. Three top KWPN stallions went head-to-head in an epic battle, including two debutants. Magnifiek took the lead and won the Oregon Trophy for the third time. In the arena, the judges were Joop van Wessel as chairman, Demi van Nispen, and Johan Holties. The riders already have the necessary experience, but participating in the Oregon Trophy remains a unique event. Title defender Latino (by Dylano) and his rider Mark de Groot did not participate this edition. However, Magnifiek with registered rider Lambertus Huckriede from Enschede did compete. There is practically no title left for him to win; he has already won the Oregon Trophy twice before and can now add a third victory to his name. Oberon and Olympus HS Two six-year-olds presented themselves at this harness horse event. First, there was Olympus HS (by Icellie, bred by Henk Minkema from De Wilgen), registered by Handelshuis Schuttert from Ommen, in the hands of Harry van Middelaar, also an Oregon Trophy winner and a participant last year. This debutant Olympus HS has performed very well and successfully for several years, and this combination also gave it their all. What a lovely horse; this promises a lot for the future. The stallion Oberon (by Icellie, bred by Harrie Tonnaer from Ysselsteyn), registered by Gebr. van Manen from Ede, is also six years old, and the same can be said about his performance. He has an impressive, successful career as well. Oberon participated with rider Robbie van Dijk and felt at home among the harness horse fans at this event. Oberon ran like clockwork—constant and powerful. Results of the Oregon Trophy GJ for KWPN Photo Magnifiek: Paardenkrant-Horses.nl