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In just one month, the biggest KWPN auction of the year, the KWPN Select Sale, will take place. On January 30 and February 1, future breeding stallions and sport horses will be auctioned at the Brabanthallen in Den Bosch, with bidding available both live and online for these top talents. For over 20 years, the KWPN Select Sale has been a supplier of top sport horses. In recent years, many horses have reached the highest level, including Island VG, the Olympic horse of rider Kim Emmen.

Island VG (Zirocco Blue VDL x Ezella ster pref prest by Indoctro, bred by J. van Gestel from Hilvarenbeek) was sold as a second round viewing stallion at the KWPN Select Sale in 2016 and shines under the saddle of Kim Emmen. The gelding is owned by Stal Thijssen BV and Eric Berkhof and is stabled with Eric Berkhof, the owner of De Margaretha Hoeve and employer of Olympic rider Kim Emmen.

Praise for Island VG
The eleven-year-old Zirocco Blue VDL gelding Island VG has become a very successful showjumper and has been competing at the highest level under Kim Emmen for quite some time. “Island VG has a great character, he’s sharp and always wants to do his best,” says Kim, praising the KWPN Select Sale reference. At the end of 2024, the pair jumped to a fifth and seventh place in a 1.55m and 1.50m class at the London Horse Show. For Kim Emmen, Island VG is a support for her Olympic horse Imagine. “Island is just an amazing horse to have, especially to save Imagine, so he doesn’t have to do all the classes every time.”

“Many great experiences with him”
Kim Emmen took the reins from Swedish rider Sanna Bergs Olsson in 2021, who had competed with Island VG until he was eight. “I took him over from Sanna Bergs Olsson, and he hadn’t competed much, only some 1.35m courses. From that level, I started riding him. After a while, I took him to the Sunshine Tour in Spain, and we immediately built him up to 1.45m, and we just kept going.” Kim and Island VG now have many great achievements under their belt. One of the highlights was the Dutch Championship in 2023. “I’ve had many great moments with him, like two years ago when we won the silver medal at the Dutch Senior Championship in Deurne. I also have great memories of Aachen, where we finished sixth in the 1.55m North Rhine-Westphalia prize. Those are the most beautiful moments for me and Island so far,” Kim proudly shares.

Looking ahead to the outdoor season
Kim Emmen had a fantastic year. In addition to the good results with Island VG, there were also numerous successes with Imagine. What are Kim’s plans for Island VG? “Island has done a lot lately, so I want to give him some rest over the next few weeks. After that, I might take him to Jumping Amsterdam, but that’s not certain yet. Then we’ll work towards the outdoor season.” The focus will be on securing a spot for the European Championships in Spain this summer. “Leading up to that, Island is very important. Imagine is my first horse, but without a good second horse, it’s much more challenging to get Imagine in the right shape and keep him there. Island deserves this credit,” concludes Kim Emmen.

Visit the KWPN Select Sale
Are you also looking for a top sport horse or a future approved stallion? Visit the KWPN Select Sale on Thursday, January 30, when the showjumpers will be auctioned, followed by the dressage stallions on Saturday, February 1. In addition to live bidding, it’s also possible to place bids online and by phone. If you have any questions about the auction, please contact us at 0341-255511 or by email at selectsale@kwpn.nl. The collection will be online on January 14 at www.kwpn.auction.

Photo CHIO Aachen: Hippo Foto Media
JM for KWPN

€ 135,00 per year

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About the KWPN

The KWPN (Studbook of the Royal Dutch Sport Horse) is a Netherlands-based organization specializing in the breeding of jumpers, dressage horses, harness horses, and Gelder horses.

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