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 

The final presentation of the spring performance test is scheduled for this coming Saturday. Following today’s official evaluation, two jumper stallions were picked up by their owners. This morning, the jumper stallion selection committee assessed all eight stallions, who jumped a small course under test riders. As was the case last week, the findings were communicated with the owners present, resulting in both Etoulon VDL son Etouruso VDL and Poker de Mariposa TN son Royal-Star M leaving the KWPN center today. This afternoon, the two dressage stallions were evaluated and will continue their training in a calm manner leading up to the final presentation. Information performance test

Would you like to reap the rewards of an investment this season? The KWPN Online Broodmare Auction concludes tonight at 8:00 PM, and bids have already been placed on the 17 pregnant broodmares . Interested parties from countries including Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands have already discovered the collection and made initial bids. The collection features two pregnant showjumping mares and 15 pregnant dressage mares, sired by renowned stallions such as Eldorado van de Zeshoek, Apache, Contango, De Niro and For Romance. Investing in the future A prime example is Prinses Dolly (s.Le Formidable), who traces back on her dam’s side to the two-time UTV champion Dolly. She impressed at the studbook inspection with a strong overall score of 80/85, earning 90 points for her trot, and is in foal to Blue Hors Zackerey. Another standout is Odessa Timeless (s.Desperado), who was crowned champion of the older mares at the 2023 Zuid-Holland Central Keuring. She was bred out of the highly tested (IBOP 89) Pavo Cup finalist Ho Timeless Good R.E. (s.Fürst Romancier), and is in foal to McLaren. The elite mare Hope Full Lady LH (s.Bon Bravour) has already proven her own talent, scoring 80.5 points in the EPTM, including a 9 for her trot. She comes from a damline that has produced multiple Small Tour horses and is in foal to Elastic. Showjumping breeders will appreciate Grandeusa (s.Eldorado van de Zeshoek). This elite mare passed her IBOP with a score of 77 points, including five scores of 8, and combines top sires with strong-producing mares in her pedigree. She is expecting a foal by Mindset ES. Extended by three minutes Experience shows that bidding is particularly intense during the last hour of the auction. The auction will start closing tonight at 8:00 PM, with several mare’s lots ending simultaneously. If a new bid is placed within the last five minutes, the time will be extended by three minutes. Are you not registered as a bidder yet? It’s simple, free and quick to do so. Additionally, you’ll receive updates on all KWPN auctions. More information During the photo and video day, all mares were evaluated by a KWPN inspector and clinically examined by a veterinarian. Therefore, the mares are selected for health and correctness, providing a solid foundation for a promising future. The KWPN inspector is happy to answer any questions you may have about the mares . For any inquiries, please contact Mairin van der Tol at salespromotion@kwpn.nl or call 0341-255511. Photo by LE-Fotografie