This year, the jury team of the National Mare Championships features two guest judges. Dr. André Hahn is a guest judge in the dressage championship, Tim van Tricht joins the KWPN jury team of the jumper mares. 

“For the first time ever, we have invited guest judges to the National Mare Championships”, tells Ralph van Venrooij, head of Breeding Affairs. “We are doing this as part of knowledge sharing and cooperation with other studbooks. We are excited that André Hahn of Oldenburg and Tim van Tricht of BWP will join us in the arena to assess the Dutch mares. We look forward to their input and hearing their opinions on the state of affairs in Dutch breeding.”

Dr. André Hahn

Dr. André Hahn’s involvement in the Oldenburg studbook began back in 2008. From 2013 to 2015, he was employed by the Trakehner studbook as deputy breeding director. In 2015, Hahhn returned to Oldenburg, where he assumes the role of deputy breeding director. Hahn evaluates the dressage mares in the National Mare Championship together with Marian Dorresteijn and Floor Dröge. 

Hahn expects modern mares

“I expect it will be a wonderful day in Ermelo, with many interested spectators along the inspection ring and the best conditions to assess the mares”, begins André Hahn enthusiastically. “Knowing Dutch breeding, I get to see modern and genetically interesting mares; top quality horses that are extra in type and movement. For me, it is essential that the mare has a solid foundation with good feet, a strong back with good connection and a very good hind leg. In movement, I like to see an uphill tendency and elasticity. I personally like a certain degree of youthfulness in a mare, however the quality of the movements and the talent as a dressage horse should always be clearly visible, regardless of the development at that particular point in time. The champion will undoubtedly have that X factor. The number one should instantly capture your eye because she has got something extra.”

Tim van tricht

Tim van Tricht originally started out as a farrier and joined the BWP stallion jury panel as an intern five years ago, after which he became a member of the BWP stallion selection committee. Together with his wife Jill Smits, he runs Tiji Stables in Belgium, where top sport horses such as Garfield de Tiji des Tempeliers (1.60m with Jérôme Guery), Faustino de Tiji (1.60m with Kristen van der Veen) and Hallo Guv’nor (1.60m with Laura Kraut and Scott Brash) were bred. In 2017, he was awarded the BWP Young Breeder Award, a year later Tim and his wife Jill were announced breeder of the year in Flemish Brabant. In Ermelo, Van Tricht joins Wim Versteeg and Wout Jan van der Schans in the jumper arena.

Visit the KWPN Championships

Sport and breeding come together during the KWPN Championships. The annual event in Ermelo is a highlight for many breeders and Dutch sport horse enthusiasts. This year, the event is kicked off with the semi-finals of the Pavo Cup on Thursday, August 10. Following tradition, the Friday is reserved for the breeders’ day, which includes finals of the National Mare and Foal Championship and the announcement of the Breeders of the Year.  Saturday, August 12, Ermelo hosts the Pavo Cup finals whereas the National Harness Horse Day takes place in Lunteren. The KWPN Championship for Young Jumper Horses is held in Exloo from the 14th until the 17^th of August. The KWPN Championships can be watched live on KWPN.nl or KWPN.tv.