On the first dressage day of the KWPN Stallion Show, several breeders gathered in Den Bosch to receive a premium in recognition of their horse’s outstanding achievements. The KWPN stand hosted a festive gathering with drinks and snacks, where numerous Friends of KWPN Breeders had come together to present breeder’s premiums ranging from €750 to €1,000.

Four breeders of remarkable and high-performing dressage horses were honored, along with a breeder of a top-ranked eventing horse. Among the celebrated dressage horses was Glamourdale, who was later crowned Dressage Horse of the Year, with the Rodenburg family receiving recognition. Glamourdale currently holds fourth place in the Horse Telex Dressage Ranking, while the breeders of the Olympic stallion Hermès claimed the seventh spot. The Gijsbers family was awarded a certificate and €1,000 for Hermès’ impressive fourth-place finish in the freestyle at the Paris Olympics last summer.

Illness
Tenth in the ranking is Fame, who won team bronze at the Paris Olympics and placed fourth in the freestyle. Unfortunately, his proud breeders Maja and Gijs Gerritsen couldn’t attend the ceremony due to illness, so their daughters Rianne and Marga accepted the award on their behalf. Rianne shared an emotional story: "Every year, we attend the Stallion Show together, so missing it—especially this recognition—was tough for them. But last summer, the six of us traveled to Paris in a van to watch Fame compete. My mother couldn’t even watch the first half of his test because she was too overwhelmed with emotion. It’s surreal and incredibly special to see a horse you’ve bred perform on such a stage—it’s a dream come true!"

Full sister
Rianne rides Fame’s full sister, Noblesse Oblige, who will soon compete in her third KNHS Championship. “She has the same fiery yet willing character as Fame. But once we enter the arena, she’s 100% with me. She’s an amazing horse to ride.”

Appreciation
Also honored was NMK mare Romantic Secret, bred by Jesper van Heijst. She achieved the highest score in the IBOP Dressage in 2024, an impressive 91. The mare with the highest score in the EPTM, 86, was Real One, bred by Eef and Leonie ten Bosch from Driel. Theo Driessen presented the awards on behalf of the Friends of Breeders of the KWPN. Speaking about Eef and Leonie, he said: "I come from the same area as Leonie and Eef. I used to regularly ride past their stable and saw those beautiful horses in the fields, which certainly contributed to my passion for exceptional horses. I am very happy to be here today, especially to express my appreciation for the breeders. Their knowledge and expertise ensure the creation of outstanding horses that can excel in sport!"

Eventing
Bert Wichers from Dedemsvaart was honored for the achievements of the eventer Izilot DHI. This gelding currently ranks third in the WBFSH Eventing Ranking. Wichers sold him as a three-year-old, and he quickly found his way to England. "At one point, I had 57 horses—definitely too many—but each horse has its own story, and selling them was difficult. So, I started numbering them; the least promising one got number 57, and the best mare was number one. I began selling from the bottom up, and soon the numbers decreased. I wanted to take a completely different approach since I had always managed the horses alongside my work as a veterinarian. My wife was fine with it but always said, ‘I’m not going to feed them, and we shouldn’t go bankrupt over it.’ Other than that, she let me do my thing with the horses, and apparently, it works well because we’ve been together for 50 years!"

Quality
"I had somewhat lost track of Izilot, but then I saw a video of him winning a competition in Pau—what an incredible gallop! If you think I only breed eventers, you’d be mistaken. My focus is primarily on dressage. A few years ago, I bought the now-preferent ster sport mare Melrose at an auction as a foal—a Dream Boy x Totilas x De Niro from the renowned Annabel line! Melrose has since produced three elite daughters, so I am now focusing on quality rather than quantity!"

GJ for KWPN
Photo: Dirk Caremans