In one week the WBFSH World Championship for International Young Breeders powered by Horses2Fly commences in Ermelo. From 7 till 9 July, over 140 young breeders battle for the individual medals in three disciplines and the overall studbook honours. Judges Tiernan Gill and Marian Dorresteijn give a last piece of advice to the participants. 

On Friday, the first horses enter the arena. The day starts with judging the horses’ free movement and free jumping and after the lunch the competition continues with assessing the conformation of the horses. In these two disciplines the jury is comprised of Matthias Werner (Germany), Bart Henstra (Netherlands) and Tiernan Gill (Ireland). The Irishman explains why he loves to contribute to this world championship: “I am showing horses for 30 years now and when I started there was nobody there to help young people to explain the correct way of showing and judging a horse. So when I got involved with the young breeders I thought this was a fantastic way to help young interested people on how to do the job correctly. I am delighted to give a little knowledge back to these young people and to help them to get off to the correct start.” Tiernan Gill is eagerly looking forward to the championship in Ermelo: “My advice to the participants is to enjoy the experience, make new friends and contacts and to the best you can in the competition. It is important to keep an open mind and learn from others. I am looking forward to meeting you all soon!”

Discreetness and control

On Saturday all participants are to present a horse in hand in a specifically for this purpose designed ring. This time, the judges are Bart Henstra and Marian Dorresteijn (Netherlands), Stefaan de Smet (Belgium) and Laura Vodskov Juul from Denmark. Marian Dorresteijn lifts a corner of the veil with regards to the in-hand-presentation: “Presenting a horse at the World Championships is technically different from what we are used to at the KWPN Inspections. However, the essence remains the same; you try to present a horse in such a manner it can be best assessed by a jury. I will keep an eye out for discreetness and control. The horses must be handled well and be presented in an optimal manner. This means they must be positioned in the correct stance and the walk and trot must be presented in a manner that allows the horse to move independently, unhindered, and relaxed. The handler must have overview and support the horse in the task that is required.”

Program

The program of the WBFSH World Championship for International Young Breeders powered by Horses2Fly has been published. Thursday morning July 7^th, all competitors arrive in Ermelo. In the afternoon they are first served with a theory test, which covers feeding, stable management, horse anatomy, breeding, international sport and veterinary matters. The other disciplines are judging free jumping and free movement (Friday morning), assessment of a horse’s conformation (Friday afternoon) and in-hand presentation (Saturday). In the last three disciplines the competitors can obtain individual medals and the overall team results count towards the battle of the studbooks. All participants are divided over two age categories: Juniors (15-19 years) and Seniors (20-25 years) and every studbook may send one Junior and one Senior team that consist of a maximum of four people. Saturday night the championship is concluded by the prize giving ceremony and a party. On Sunday everyone leaves for Friesland, where they are offered a view behind the scenes of an authentic Dutch breeding station: VDL Stud. 

More information about the WBFSH World Championship for International Young Breeders powered by Horses2Fly can be found here. 

Photo: JongKWPN