The impressive Escamillo son, Extreme U.S., already won the Pavo Cup last summer and did not disappoint in the first Anemone Horse Trucks Stallion Competition Dressage. Under Renate van Uytert – van Vliet, the stallion led a strong field, and with an absolute top score of 89.2 points, he claimed victory in the L class.

Breeders eagerly anticipating the latest crop in this Anemone Horse Trucks Stallion Competition Dressage were not disappointed tonight. Of the nine participating stallions, an impressive seven scored over 80 points. Extreme U.S. (Escamillo out of Viva Contana PS by Vivaldi, breeder Gestüt Lewitz from Steinfeld) set the tone as the first competitor and held on to win. He received 9s for walk, trot, and overall impression. Patricia Wolters, who judged the competition with Marian Dorresteijn, expressed enthusiasm, stating, 'This horse has a lot of talent as a dressage horse. He has a beautiful silhouette, is impressive, and has a good attitude. The walk displays good rhythm, activity, scope, and looseness. In trot, we saw a lot of rhythm, impulsion, leg technique, and front. Sometimes, the nose could stay out just a fraction more for even higher scores. The canter has a good jump, a lot of impulsion, and great balance.'

Strong walk
Robin Heiden presented the Vivaldi son, One Million (out of Joyrider elite IBOP-dres PROK by Apache, breeders M.H.J. Gotink from Warnsveld and Joop van Uytert from Heerewaarden), in this class. The stallion, with an excellent walk, secured second place with 87.2 points. Patricia Wolters commented, 'The walk is active, beautifully from the shoulder, and with a lot of scope. The trot of this stallion has good rhythm and a lot of front leg technique; he could develop a bit more strength. We saw this also in the canter, where he has a good jump and moves nicely with the withers up, displaying a lot of scope and leg technique. This horse was presented very nicely with a beautiful contact. If he gains strength, he can become even more beautiful in connection.'

Upward-oriented
Obsession Taonga Lara van Nek's debut in the Stallion Competition earned her a third-place finish. She presented Obsession Taonga (Vitalis out of Jatilinda elite pref IBOP-dres sport-dres PROK by All At Once, breeder Stal 104 from Wijdewormer). This stallion scored 86.2 points with a 9 for trot. Patricia Wolters remarked, 'A very elegant dressage horse with a beautiful silhouette and a good attitude. The walk is active and pure with a good overstep. He could show a bit more freedom from the shoulder. The trot is characterized by a lot of front, activity, good rhythm, and good use of the hind leg. He trots with a lot of suspension, and the image is consistently uphill. The canter is very functional with good use of the hind leg; he could grip a bit more with the front leg.'

Overview Stallion Competition

MvE for KWPN
Photo: Paardenkrant-Horses.nl/Melanie Brevink