Today, Thursday September 1st, the first witness hearings took place in the case Handsome O. The given testimonies were all favourable for KSS.

Handsome O, the champion of the dressage stallions of the 2015 KWPN Stallion Show, was sold to the Norwegian Kristin Andresen of Katrinelund Stallion Station in the KWPN Select Sale (KSS). Ten days later, the stallion was delivered in Denmark by seller Jan Brouwer. Some time after the delivery, Andresen announced that Handsome O was injured and for that reason was unable to make his appearance at the Stallion Show in Denmark. Following the news of Handsome O being injured, the KSS has, in agreement with all parties involved (buyer and seller), requested specialists of the University of Utrecht to carry out an independent and extensive examination in Denmark. The outcome of this research, evidenced that at time of the auction (Saturday the 7th of February 2015) Handsome O did not suffer any veterinary problems. Later, during the examination in Denmark, he did. However, buyer Kirstin Andresen requested the court to hear witnesses.

At the Court Noord-Nederland, five witnesses were heard, all called upon by Kristin Andresen. During all of today’s witness statements it became apparant that Handsome O was healthy during the 2015 KWPN Select Sale and at the time of the auction did not suffer from stringhalt. Dr. Inge Wijnberg, lecturer at the Department of Equine Sciences – Internal medicine at the Veterinary Medicine Faculty in Utrecht, also stated that there is no scientific evidence that stringhalt is a genetic disease. She also stated that stringhalt cannot be concealed in any veterinary manner and that it cannot be ruled out that a trauma on-site after the delivery in Denmark has caused this condition in Handsome O. Monday the hearing of testimonies will be resumed, again with witnesses called upon buy Andresen. The board of the KWPN Select Sale looks forward to these witness hearings with confidence and expects that this will establish that the KSS and in KSS involved individuals are above reproach. Afterwards Jan Brouwer and the KSS may call upon additional witnesses to give evidence. After hearing all the witnesses, the choice is upon Andresen whether she wants to proceed.