During the KWPN Stallion Show in Den Bosch, the 'Horse of the Year 2023' will be announced, and you can make sure that your favorite wins this title! A dressage horse and a show jumping horse will be elected as the 'Horse of the Year 2023.' Read more below about the nominated horses!

Three show jumping horses (Highway TN, Illiana, and Leone Jei) have been nominated for the title Horse of the Year 2023. Voting is open until January 2, and the winner will be announced thereafter. Last year, Grandorado TN was honored as the KWPN Horse of the Year in Show Jumping at the KWPN Stallion Show. Who is your favorite for this year?

Highway TN (Eldorado van de Zeshoek x Chellano Z) 
Bred by P. Verdellen Paarden Fok & Opfok from Horst 
The KWPN-approved Highway TN, ridden by Willem Greve, concluded his first international championship this year with a tenth-place finish. Willem Greve was full of praise for Highway TN after the European Championship. "I am extremely proud of Highway TN. This was his first major championship. The way he jumped every day was fantastic; he actually got better every day. That promises a lot of good things. Highway does everything to keep the poles in place." When asked about Highway TN's strengths, Willem Greve doesn't hesitate. "His willingness, he is incredibly careful, and he has more than enough ability." Highway TN and Greve won the Grand Prix of Rotterdam this year and delivered a strong performance in several Longines FEI Nations Cups. This led to the Dutch Olympic Horse Foundation securing him, ensuring that Highway TN remained part of TeamNL until the Olympic Games in Paris. 

Illiana (Cardento x Gentleman) 
Bred by J.A.M. Bocken from Weert 
The only 10-year-old Illiana participated phenomenally in her first international championship this year. She was part of the Swedish team that won gold at the European Championship, and she finished sixth individually, just outside the medals. The Cardento daughter is known for her eagerness and commitment, traits that seem to suit her Swedish rider Henrik von Eckermann. "I am incredibly proud of Illiana; she has jumped so fantastically well and continues to amaze me. She keeps improving herself over and over again. I look forward to the future with her." Illiana's talent comes from a proven dam line. Her mother, Destiny (s.Gentleman), is a daughter of the performance mare Kiovili D (s.Sit This One Out), who, in addition to Destiny, produced two 1.60m horses, both of whom are full siblings to Illiana. 

Leone Jei (Baltic VDL x Corland) 
Bred by G.M. Van Mersbergen from Udenhout 
Proving that not only white horses exist in fairy tales, the powerful jumping grey Leone Jei, owned by Martin Fuchs, has had an explosive start to his career. This has resulted in numerous successes at the highest level and victories in the prestigious and highly rewarded Rolex Grand Prix events at Spruce Meadows and Geneva. It was love at first sight for Martin Fuchs and Leone Jei, who crossed paths five years ago. "He has such a nice character; he always gives his all and loves his work. He is so talented and super sweet. His biggest quality is that he has so much power and so much scope. Plus, he has a very large canter, really a huge canter that he can also collect. He has a lot of blood, and he is never tired. In the ring, I know there is no limit; he can truly win any class. He can jump anything; he is careful and smart." With this, Leone Jei is a serious contender for a good result in Paris next year. 

Vote now!
Vote and let us know which of the nominated horses you are voting for. If you have voted, you have the chance to win two tickets for the KWPN Stallion Show. Please note: you can only vote once; double votes will be filtered out. Voting is open until January 2, 2024.

Link to voting form

Source: KWPN
Photo of Grandorado TN Horse of the Year Jumping 2022: Dirk Caremans