Following the jumper stallions, it was time for the final exam of the dressage stallions. The 21-day-test yielded an interesting group of nine approved stallions, among them two sons of Painted Black.  Scoring 87,5 points, it was the four-year-old Desperados-son Nashville Star (out of Ezrasijgje ster by Westpoint, bred by L. Martens and daughters) of Reesink Horses that took top honours. “This is a chic, appealing stallion that possesses three solid basic gaits, including an excellent walk. He moves in a light-footed manner and is remarkable skilled in regulating his stride”, explains Bert Rutten. He was tasked with the assessment of these stallions, together with Johan Hamminga and Marian Dorresteijn. For the walk, Nashville Star obtained a 9.5. Out of nine approved dressage stallions, eight noted an 80+ score, underling the overall quality. Nalegro (s.Painted Black, bred by Joop Hanse, owned by co-breeder Gertjan vam Olst) that comes out of the full sister of Olympic champion Valegro also convinced the jury of his abilities and was awarded 85 points. He received a 9 for his canter. One stallion could not be presented today but was nevertheless accepted as a breeding stallion. It concerned Just Wimphof-offspring Network (out of Keyveniz Texel stb-ext pref D-OC by Negro) of breeders Daan Staller and Danique Broekema. This morning the stallion turned out to have an elevated body temperature, forcing him to be absent. However, the stallion selection committee had acquired enough information over the past few weeks to make an assessment.  Read more about the newly approved stallions in the next edition of the KWPN Magazine.  Photo Nashville Star : Jacob Melissen 

All 16 participating jumper stallions were just awarded the KWPN breeding license in Ermelo. Apardi-offspring Napardi was the top scorer with 84,5 points. For the breeders, this means a lot more talent to choose from the coming season. Out of the 16 newly approved stallions, ten scored 80 points or higher. Leader of the pack was Napardi (Apardi out of Zahn aster sport-spr prest by Cornet Obolensky, bred by Bart Bles and Levent Dutkun) of the De Radstake and Robert Puck. “This a well-developed stallion that is easy to work with and jumps with an atheletic use of its body, good reflexes and abundant scope”, commented Cor Loeffen, who assessed the stallions together with Wout-Jan van der Schans and – for the last time – Henk van den Broek. For scope Napardi received an eye-popping 9.  The five-year-old Defender VDS Z (Dominator out of Atureusa S keur sport-spr by Padinus, bred by Daphne van der Schaar) of Herman Verhagen and premium stallion Nouri W VDL (Cohinoor VDL out of Cuba Libre W Z elite IBOP-spr D-OC by Carrera VDL, bred by K.J. van Weperen) of VDL Stud both obtained a solid total of 83.5 points. Half a point behind them we find the six-year-old vice-champion of the Blom Cup: Lambrusco (Entertainer out of Total Touch stb-ext pref prest by Lux) of breeder Pieter Keunen and Stal Hendrix. In total, VDL Stud saw five of their stallions being admitted to the studbook.  At 13.45hrs the final exam of the performance test continues with the dressage stallions and of course this can also be followed live and free of charge via KWPN.tv . Photo Napardi – Jacob Melissen

The KWPN Select Sale is the showpiece of all KWPN auctions. This year, an excellent collection will be auctioned during the KWPN Stallion Show again. An online edition with promising dressage and showjumping horses presented to you on a silver platter. What more do you want? Every year the KWPN Select Sale proves itself by presenting approved stallions and remarkable sport horses. Olympic stallions like GLOCK’s Dream Boy (s.Vivaldi) and Blue Hors Zack (s.Rousseau) were sold during the KWPN Select Sale. This also applies to Vivaldi son Turfhorst Jersey. This approved stallion was the top seller of the 2017 edition, and last year he won the small final for 7-years-old at the World Breeding Championships for Young Horses with his rider Kimberly Pap. Dinja van Liere rides a KSS-stallion as well. With Zonik-son Mauro Turfhorst she turned heads during the Pavo Cup and Anemone Horse Trucks Stallion competition for dressage horses. Online Auction On Monday February 7 th the stallions will be auctioned via KWPN’s auction platform: kwpn.auction . Because of the current measures due to COVID-19 it is not possible for the KWPN Select Sale to take place during the KWPN Stallion Show. Additionally, in January a very successful online stallion auction took place via kwpn.auction. According to Wim Versteeg this is definitely not a disadvantage: “The big advantage is that we will have two extra days to promote the talented dressage stallions and even four extra days for the promising showjumping stallions. Besides that, we can now promote the stallions that received a premium title and get selected a little extra.” A lot of quality The collection stands out through horses that have a lot of quality themselves but are genetically interesting as well. The showjumping stallions frequently come from dams who already brought multiple international showjumpers. Additionally, the half-brothers of stallions Lord Romantic (s.Don Schufro), Improver DVT (s.Apache) and My Toto VDT (s.GLOCK’s Toto Jr.), the top seller of 2020, will be auctioned. Second Inspection In total, the KWPN Select Sale selection committee included eight dressage stallions and seventeen showjumping stallions in the collection of their upcoming KWPN Select Sale. All stallions who qualify for the KWPN Select Sale are invited to the second-round viewing and will present themselves at the KWPN Stallion Show for selection or a possible premium title. More information The collection is available online , obviously with extensive information about the stallions, pictures, a video and veterinarian reports. Would you like more information about the stallions? Please contact Wim Versteeg via 06 54 20 18 00 or send an email to salespromotion@kwpn.nl . Photo Olympus VDT: Digishots

Immediately at the start of the year, StuDutch Auctions sets the bar high. From January 21 to 24, a severely selected collection of 12 implanted and 4 frozen embryos will be for sale during our online auction . This genetically high-ranked collection represents the sires Chacco Blue (8x), Untouched (2x), Kashmir van Schuttershof, Emerald, Comme Il Faut, Cardento, Baloubet du Rouet and Carthago. These super stars of show jumping breeding come together with famous dam lines like Van ‘t Roosakker (3x), Narcotique de Muze II/Qerly Chin (2x), Fragance de Chalus and of Olympic champion Explosion W, Quickly de Kreisker, Pershing/Plot Blue, Carrera VDL, and the aforementioned Emerald van ‘t Ruytershof. For more information, please go directly to the collection. [https://studutch.auction/en/collection/13] Chacco Blue To make the best jumping genes available, this auction focuses among others on the undisputed number 1 jumping stallion in the world. The much sought-after blood of Chacco Blue has been combined with selected mares out of fantastic dam lines and is available through several embryos. Of course, an embryo out of the direct dam line of his most successful offspring Explosion W should not be missing. His genes are represented in the Chacco Blue embryo out of Harina (by Nabab Rêve), a niece of Ben Maher’s Olympic champion. But Chacco Blue’s influence doesn’t stop there. What about his other pregnancies, such as out of a daughter of Sea Coast Ferly (1.60m, Narcotique de Muze line), out of a daughter of Tinkoucha Hero Z (1.55m, Van ‘t Roosakker line), out of the direct line of Hello M’Lady (1.60m, Scott Brash), out of the dam line of the great Quickly de Kreisker and directly out of the line of Mylord Carthago’s full sister. A frozen embryo by Chacco Blue out of the famous Narcotique de Muze/Qerly Chin dam line completes this summary. Striking performance lines Other big names in the current 5* jumping sport sired the other embryos. We are proud to present the full brother or sister to the highly rated Grand Prix breeding stallion Carrera VDL (1.60m, Jur Vrieling). The expectations of the other implanted embryos are no less. Take for example the unique offspring of Kashmir van Schuttershof out of the direct dam line of Diamanthina/Emerald van ‘t Ruytershof. The same Emerald is the sire of the embryo out of the striking performance line of former world top jumper City Banking (1.60m, Beat Mändli). Not to be missed is the embryo by Comme Il Faut out of the dam line of Plot Blue (both stallions ridden by Marcus Ehning). Here we see former World Equestrian Games participant Pershing (1.60m, Lesley McNaught) directly in the pedigree. Untouched and Carthago Z In addition to the aforementioned Chacco Blue embryo, our January collection contains three other frozen embryos. Two are by Untouched (1.60m, Ben Maher/Nick Skelton), who passed away much too soon. This former Grand Prix stallion whose granddam is the golden Olympic mare Classic Touch has a rapidly increasing number of international horses among his small offspring. Untouched has been combined here with a strong branch of the famous Van 't Roosakker line and also with a daughter of the 1.60m mare Degina (Michel Robert). Last but not least, there is the exclusive embryo by Carthago Z! The famous grey stallion has been brought together with the direct line of Usha van 't Roosakker. On studutch.auction you can find all information about the above-mentioned special collection of in total 16 genetic top embryos! Register ​ Collection Source: StuDutch Photo Explosion W: Dirk Caremans

This week’s subject: Free movement and free jumping WHEN : In the first- and second round viewing. WHY : In free jumping and free movement, the respective selection committees evaluate a stallion’s way of going. Dressage stallions are also evaluated on their body position, and jumpers are evaluated on the canter and free jumping. A stallion can only pass on traits which he inherently possesses. For this reason, the selection committees focus on a stallion’s self-carriage, movement and body use. They want to see supple, easy and correct movement with a self-carriage. For a dressage horse, the ability to carry itself is essential in all three gaits, while a jumper mainly needs to carry itself well in the canter. The entire training of horses is aimed at exercising the body in order to achieve optimum results in the sport. Naturally balanced movement is therefor also necessary. In a dressage horse, good self-carriage and a hind leg which steps properly under the mass are important traits. Furthermore, the way a stallion moves on the long side of the arena, as well as his ability to shorten and lengthen is strides, provide important information about his ability to carry himself. With jumpers the movement in the figure-eight track which they must show prior to the free jumping evaluation, reveals whether a stallion can change leads easily and keep his balance in the turns. People often think that the jump over the last oxer in a triple combination is the deciding factor; however, the first two jumps demonstrate how well a stallion can assess distances and if he can also use his body correctly over a lower obstacle.   Next week this article series will be continued. We will take a closer look into Dam-lines and the horse’s height.  

Martijn Schilt of Dressage Stable ‘t Achterland was the winner of the suspenseful bidding duel for first-round viewing stallion Onyx (s.Taminiau) in the KWPN Online Stallion Auction. The pitch-black stallion is closely related to world champion Kjento.  Martijn tells: “Onyx arrived in our stables last Saturday and he is very well-mannered. I expected an all-out stallion to enter our stables, but he calmly watches his surroundings. We have done some light work on the lunge with him already and it seems very promising.” The dressage rider was searching for a new young talent as a successor for his older dressage horses. “I told my girlfriend; I’m going to keep an eye on the KWPN auction. Perhaps there is a match for us among the collection.” Character and movement The collection of the KWPN Online Stallion Auction consisted of quality first-round viewing stallions. “I had made a list of three horses that appealed to me, and we got him. I was immediately drawn to his light-footed manner of moving and sweet face. Character is very important to me. Even if they can move very well, they still must be willing to do the work for you. The bidding itself was quite a tense process. The four of us were sitting behind the laptop at home and then we agreed, this is our final offer. But then someone exclaimed: one more time! We had the highest bid and he was ours!” Sport The dam of Onyx is Gabriana V.O.D. ster PROK (s.Uphill, bred by J. van Os of Sprang-Capelle), she is the half-sister of the 2021 world champion Kjento (s.Negro) and the KWPN stallion Mowgli V.O.D. (s.Desperado) as well as two National Mare Championships champions Heliana V.O.D. (s.Davino V.O.D.) and Niana V.O.D. (s.Desperado). “The damline of Onyx is fantastic. It’s filled with sport performance and mares with predicates, I find that important. I will saddle break him myself soon and then hopefully participate in a few young horse competitions”, concludes Martijn. Photo Onyx: Anniek de Wit

On Friday, the last interim evaluation took place for the dressage and jumper stallions. The stallion selection committee has shared its findings with the owners of the stallions. In consultation with the owners, a few stallions left the performance test. Jumper stallions “The jumper stallions had their last assessment today under the watchful eye of the stallion selection committee. Two stallions were referred to the spring test in consultation with the owners. We hope the stallions show their capabilities well this Tuesday. The jumper stallions are due for the exam in the morning, the dressage stallions in the afternoon,” says KWPN-inspector Henk Dirksen. Dressage stallions “We have had a good last evaluation. The dressage stallions show good progress. In consultation with the owners, it was decided to terminate the performance test for one stallion and one stallion is referred to the spring test for a veterinarian reason. We are confidently looking forward to the final exam in which nine stallions will participate,” comments KWPN-inspector Floor Dröge. Performance test terminated Dressage stallions Nachtwacht in ’t Veld (Incognito x Everdale) Referred to the spring performance test for veterinarian reason Dressage stallions Next Level (Jarville x Prestige VDL) Referred to the spring performance test Jumper stallions Nirvana V&V (Farfan M x Fuego du Prelet) Nashville (Gullit HBC x Biscayo) The final presentation on Tuesday January 18 will be broadcasted live via KWPN.tv . The schedule and order of go is published on Monday January 17. More information about the participating stallions can be found in the mediaguide .