Horse enthusiasts, breeders, and equestrian professionals—mark your calendars. On April 5th at 13:00 CET, we invite you to an extraordinary showcase of world-class stallions at our Annual Stallion Show. This annual event is a must-attend for anyone passionate about the best genetics, performance, and breeding. We will present stallions who have and are competing at the top level in our sport, with offspring in the spotlight worldwide, as well as the next generation of sires who are developing to follow in their footsteps. Top 100 Sires ranking WBFSH 6 of the 7 stallions we have featured in the top 100 Sires ranking from WBFSH will be shown live during the show; Zirocco Blue, Arezzo, Baltic, Harley, Carrera and Etoulon. Highest placed stallion, Cardento, will be represented by his relatives in a way we can be very proud of with son Grand Slam VDL recently home in Bears after his World Cup campaign with Brazilian rider Marlon Zanotelli and his half brother, the Cartani son Cartello VDL. Cartello made his name known globally under the saddle from Irishman Darragh Kenny this combination won the 5* GP in Monterray (MEX) last year and took 2nd on of the arguably most prestigious Grand Prix’s there is, Spruce Meadows. The next generation of sires will also be presented including recently approved Rebellion RAG (Harley x Crawford); premium KWPN stallions from 2025 Celtic (Chatinue x Calvaro Z) and Santiago (Eldorado van de Zeshoek x Kashmir van Schuttershof); popular Baltic son Boston, as well as stallion competition dominating trio Sambucci de Muze, Night Life and New Pleasure; and the next generation breaking through on the international scene Mindset (Aganix du Seigneur x Kannan), prolific winner McAllister (Inaico x Emilion) and breakthrough stallion Comthago (Comme Il Faut x Carthago). Newly offered stallion Mattias (Comme Il Faut x Catoki) will be jumping at the show a very interesting stallion showing a lot of quality at international shows already. Not to forget winning machine Stargos (Stakkato Gold x Conthargos) will be again on display. Offspring from the stallions will be showcased giving you the chance to inspect the qualities these sires produce. To guide us through the show, we are delighted to welcome voice of worldwide Showjumping Frederik de Backer and the voice of Dutch Showjumping Bert de Ruiter. Of course with the motto ‘Quality Always Wins’ at the forefront, top quality stallions and top quality commentary would not be complete without top quality riders. We will be joined by Jur Vrieling, Hessel Hoekstra, Alex Gill, Luke Hill, Marcel De Boer, Femke de Laat to name a few. We are lucky enough to expect visitors from all over the world, entry is free for all, so bring your fellow equine enthusiasts to enjoy this spectacular event. Can’t be here with us-the entire show will be broadcasted LIVE by Clip My Horse. We look forward to welcoming you on April 5th. Source: VDL Stud  

Small in stature, but great in deeds. That applies to the Carthago daughter Valerie, who has developed into a highly successful broodmare at the Nijhof family and Wim ten Pas. Mares like Valerie add extra prestige to Team Nijhof’s own breeding program. In addition to producing the 1.55m-classified stallion Diathago, she has also delivered remarkable sons such as the 1.45m-jumping Lamaze TN and Pilothago. Henk Nijhof Sr. once purchased the Hanoverian state premium mare Sera del Castegno (Stakkato) in Germany and bred one foal from her before selling her to esteemed Italian clients. That one foal turned out to be a direct hit with Valerie, and her half-brothers and sisters in Italy also underscore the breeding power of this family. Additionally, top showjumpers such as Karamell M&M (Kannan), with whom Takashi Haase Shibayama competed at the Paris Olympics, and Audrey Coulter’s Grand Prix winner Acorte (Acorado I) comes from Valerie’s direct damline. Strong lineage Valerie is a half-sister to no fewer than seven international showjumpers, including the highest-level classified Maximo del Castegno (Acodetto I) of Roberto Prandi. “Looking back, it is of course very unfortunate that the Stakkato mare only produced one foal for us, especially now that we see how incredibly well Valerie herself breeds. But we have always sold many of our mares,” says Henk Nijhof Jr. Sera del Castegno “Only in the last 10 to 12 years have we focused more on our own breeding, and thanks in part to Valerie, we are really reaping the benefits. We love buying foals and later having success with them, but it is extra special when they come from our own breeding. Valerie’s dam was a beautiful mare of average height. That’s why we chose the powerful sire Carthago for her, and the following year, pregnant with Concorde, we sold her. That Concorde son jumped at 1m45 level in Italy, so the start was immediately promising, and later, Sera del Castegno produced six more international horses there. Like her mother, Valerie is certainly not tall – she barely reaches 1m60 – but the majority of her offspring are of good to excellent size.” Co-owner Wim ten Pas The Nijhof family has co-owned Valerie with Wim ten Pas since she was young, and they are jointly listed as breeders of her offspring. “We have a great collaboration with Wim, and Valerie spent most of her life with him. Only in recent years have we done more embryo transfer, so now she stays with us in the summers. As a young horse, she underwent colic surgery, so we no longer want her to carry foals herself.”  First approved son Valerie was immediately used for breeding. “At that time, it was less common to put mares in sport, and due to her colic surgery, that was not an option anyway. We first bred her to Sandro Boy, resulting in the mare Balade. From her, we bred multiple international 1m30/1m35 horses, but she didn’t pass on her qualities as strongly as her mother.” The following year, she produced the Calvaro Z daughter Crocodile Dundee. She was sold as a promising showjumper to the Czech Republic and was later successful at international 1m45 level with Jan Studnicka and Barbora Tomanova. Before her sport career, Crocodile Dundee produced the Canabis Z son Hickstead TN at Nijhof and Ten Pas, who later competed at 1m40 level and also moved to the Czech Republic. After two offspring by Quidam de Revel, Didam who competes at the 1m40 level under Devin Ryan and the internationally classified 1m30 horse Equidame, Valerie produced her first approved stallion in 2010. This stallion Pilothago is a son of Pilot. Pilothago This stallion began his international career under Zoï Snels, who was then affiliated with Team Nijhof and trained him up to 1m45 level. “Pilothago is a very beautiful stallion, and we first leased him to Westfalia. He jumped well and seemed to be breeding well too. The only thing that stood out was that he was a bit more skittish than Valerie’s other offspring, which must have come from Pilot. Generally, Valerie’s offspring excel with their fantastic jumping style and mentality, and that certainly applies to Pilothago as well. As a three-year-old, he was already highly rated in the stallion test in Neustadt-Dosse and later performed well in sport.” The Westfalian premium stallion was the last approved son of Pilot, and his oldest offspring now compete at international 1m50/1m60 level. Top talents The year after Pilothago, Valerie produced another talented stallion: the Diamant de Semilly son Golden Diamant TN. “Like Pilothago, this stallion, later renamed Diathago, was approved in Westphalia, and we sold him to the Westphalian Verband. He performed well with Marcus Ehning and even won a 1m55 class at the five-star event in Oslo with him. Like Pilothago, Diathago also seemed to be breeding well,” says Henk Nijhof. The oldest offspring of this Valerie son are now 10 years old and compete at 1m45 level. Lamaze TN The third approved son of Valerie is the Grandorado TN son Lamaze TN, born in 2016, who stands at stud at Team Nijhof and is approved by Zangersheide and Hannover, among others. “Lamaze TN was initially in the Czech Republic, where he became champion of the stallion licensing. In 2021, he returned to us and started training with Kars (Bonhof, ed.). We believe he is a stallion for the big sport. At nine years old he jumps 1m45 courses with ease and is known for his power and carefulness, making him a stallion suitable for top-level sport.” High expectations A nice detail is that all three Team Nijhof stable riders each have a talented offspring of Valerie under saddle. The six-year-old Orpheus TN (Poker de Mariposa TN) stood out in the GMB competition under Koen Westendorp, while the five-year-old Purple Rain TN (Pegase van’t Ruytershof) shows enormous potential under Fabiënne Lichtenvoort Cats. “Lamaze, Orpheus, and Purple Rain all train here at the sport stable, and we have very high expectations of them. The youngest two are still too young for international results, but I think they will bring a lot of recognition to Valerie. And Lamaze TN is one of our rising stars; he seems to have everything needed to follow in the footsteps of his father Grandorado.” Technique and mentality The Nijhof family and Wim ten Pas also breed with several daughters of Valerie, such as the E-Star daughter I’m A Star TN and the Canabis Z daughter Joint TN. Through the Youngsters Auction, Valerie’s offspring Matchwinner TN (Kannan) has also found his way to international competitions, with more young talents coming up. “Valerie is one of those mares that shows us how beautiful breeding can be. She consistently produces excellent jumpers. Her offspring have fantastic characters, are easy to ride, and possess great jumping ability and carefulness. Most of her offspring are well-sized and have power,” says Henk. He continued by saying: “They all jump the same way; knees up, head down, and great hind technique. If I could change anything about the past thirty years, I would have invested more in our own broodmares. Valerie proves how much a mare can influence breeding, and we are thrilled to train our own products now.” Special mare Co-owner Wim ten Pas is equally enthusiastic: “She’s not just a great broodmare; she’s also a special horse in terms of personality. She still has a sharp mind and a bright eye, which she passes on. We have high hopes for her line, and this year, we expect foals by Hernandez TN and Casallco from Valerie.” Text: Jenneke Smit Photography: Jacob Melissen

During the final presentation of the jumping and dressage stallions, the two Gelder stallions Raffael K and Royal King were also honored. They recently successfully completed their performance test in driving. Raffael K (Alexandro P out of Madora ster by Heliotroop, f/g G. and G.H. Kamphorst from Zwartebroek) from co-registrants J. van Veluw from Putten and K.J.L. de Groot from Maarssen, and Royal King (King Karim out of Zeronica elite sport-dres PROK by Talos) from breeder Anouk Noordman from Zuidwolde, were approved last year based on their performance under saddle. Their approval was recently finalized after completing their performance test in driving, which both accomplished with great confidence. "We assessed both stallions twice in Ermelo with the carriage, both indoors and outdoors. Both stallions showed great talent, and today we are pleased to announce their scores," said committee chairman Arie Hamoen. "Raffael K performed excellently. He is not the biggest, but he fits well within the Gelder type and stands out with his good willingness to move, effort, and use of the hind legs. For his walk, trot, posture, willingness to move, agility, terrain driving, and suitability for driving work, we were able to give him a 9. Royal King also performed well and can clearly be of value to the Gelder breeding program. Previously, he earned an 8.5 for his dressage talent and an 8 for his jumping talent. For his driving ability, we also gave him an 8.5 for his talent. His attitude even earned a 9 on his score sheet." The full reports for Raffael K and Royal King will be published in the KWPN database as soon as possible. Overview page performance test

The dressage stallion selection committee was able to register both participating stallions with positive reports. Both Sarai L and Pavo Cup champion Nashville SW performed well in the performance test. This year, the spring performance test was open exclusively to stallions aged four and older. As a result, the event did not have a large number of participants, but it has provided two interesting new options for breeders at the beginning of the breeding season. Good rideability and trainability The four-year-old Sarai L (Secret out of For Real L by For Romance, bred by L Horses from Skanderborg) from co-registrants Stal Van de Sande from Liempde made a good impression during the past 21 days. “This is a well-built stallion with an diligent, active walk that becomes more spacious as he relaxes. He has good posture and balance in trot and canter, and the picture is very uphill. Naturally, he has good shoulder freedom and a well-engaged hind leg,” said committee chairman Bart Bax. The seven-year-old Nashville SW (Secret out of Esina elite IBOP-dres sport-dres pref PROK by Jazz, bred by Stal Willig) from Marco te Brake from Eemnes also impressed overall. “This stallion is already further along in his training, and we were able to build on that in this test. He is well-developed and can beautifully alternate between tension and relaxation in movement. His walk is pure, active, and relaxed. His trot has a lot of cadence, and he can easily switch to collection, picking up weight well from the hind leg. Nashville SW is very trainable and canters with great balance, already showing some ability to collect in the canter, and stands out for his constant effort.” Characteristics The full reports of the stallions will be available in the KWPN database as soon as possible. The reports will also include bars indicating the strong points of the stallions at the characteristic level. This addition was made on the advice of the Breeding Council, following a two-year pilot project in which no points were given to stallions in the performance test. This change aims to provide breeders with even more specific information on the strong and weaker points of the stallions. Overview page performance test  

All five jumper stallions presented today successfully completed the spring performance test. As a result, these four- and five-year-old stallions earned the KWPN breeding license. This year, the spring performance test was only open to stallions aged four years or older. As a result, it was not a large-scale event, but it has provided breeders with some exciting new options at the start of the breeding season. Athletic ability In the first group, Reflex vd Watermolen (Mees vd Watermolen out of Lalexta stb-ext D-OC by Connect, bred by Jan Greve) from Kees and Natasja Kleer and Ringo Starr (O'Neill van 't Eigenlo out of Elijanta stb PROK by Numero Uno, bred by Frans van Boxtel) from Egbert Schep presented themselves. “Reflex is a well-developed stallion, who is very easy to ride and jumps over high obstacles with great ease. He has a lot of athletic ability and gives his rider a good feeling,” explained committee chairman Wout-Jan van der Schans. “Ringo Starr is an impressive stallion standing at 1.77m, who despite his size is very light-footed and has a lot of blood. He is honest and cooperative, gallops with great balance, and always jumps with a lot of impulsion, bascule, and excellent leg technique.” Good feel Next, it was the turn of Harley VDL son Rebellion R.A.G. VDL (out of Charistia Z by Crawford, bred by Henk and Sannah Angenent) from Robert Rikkert and the VDL Stud, and the Lambada Shake AG son Rock Me Zsazsa (out of La Zsa Zsa elite sport-spr D-OC by Cornet Obolensky, bred by Gerrit and Karin Huisman) from Jan van Meever. “Rebellion R.A.G. VDL is an athletic, youthful, and attractive stallion who is very easy to ride. He can easily adjust his gallop, has a good attitude, and jumps with great control. He gives his rider a very good feeling. Rock Me Zsazsa is also a well-developed stallion who has progressed well in the performance test. He gallops with impulsion and ease, has excellent front leg technique, and shows a lot of effort when jumping. He is also very quick off the ground and appears to be very careful.” Son of an Olympic mare Finally, the five-year-old Patapsco (Diamant de Semilly out of Tequila by Campbell) earned the KWPN breeding license. This stallion, designated through the stallion competition, is bred by Jan Tops and registered with Black Horses, and is the son of Edwina Tops-Alexander’s Olympic mare Lintea Tequila. “I believe this is the first time we’ve been able to register a son of an Olympic mare,” said committee chairman Wout-Jan van der Schans. “Patapsco is a very modern sport horse with bloodlines. Nothing seems to hold him back, which was evident when jumping. He has a very good attitude, a very functional gallop, and jumps with a lot of impulsion, ease, and lightness.” Characteristics In the KWPN database, the full reports of the stallions will be available shortly. These reports will also highlight the strong points of the stallions at the characteristic level. This addition was made on the advice of the Breeding Council, following a two-year pilot project in which no points were given to stallions in the performance test. This change aims to provide breeders with more specific information about the strong and weaker points of the stallions. At 12:00, the program will continue with the two dressage stallions and the awards ceremony for the previously approved Gelder stallions. Overview page performance test