The Lack of KWPN Stallions in North America, cont.

If you're new to my blog or haven't read all of the entries, scroll down a bit and find the earlier post about the lack of KWPN stallions for US and Canadian breeders.

Rather than rehash my impassioned speech, I want to pick up where I left off in the post: It's time for another collaborative effort to bring new stallions to North America. I know that Carol and I aren't willing to afford the time or expense we incurred with DBNA or WBNA, but I also can't stand by and do nothing. North American breeders need stallion options. Our breeding programs are suffering because of the lack of genetic diversity, our studbook is suffering because we're not producing more horses or attracting new members, and our pocketbooks are suffering because we have to shell out way too much mula for not only frozen semen with no guarantee, but also the breeding and shipping costs that are an unavoidable side effect of using frozen semen.

In the past, for our personal program and for DBNA and WBNA, we leased already approved stallions. This is still an option, but it's not as easy it seems. One, you have to find a stallion that is a quality producer but not breeding that much in Holland or Germany; two, you have to be able to afford this stallion (one stallion I inquired about in the past six months came with a price tag 60,000 Euro/year, even though he had bred fewer than a dozen mares last year); three, you need to find a retired stallion or a deal with a good rider to compete the stallion. So, finding an already approved stallion is possible, but not as easy as I've made it look in the past.

A more longterm and affordable approach, from my perspective, is to buy promising colts and take them through the approval process. Is this a gamble? By all means. That's why a group purchase of 10 or more people makes it more palatable--the risk gets split 10 or more ways. Have I got all the details worked out? No. Do I have a first colt in mind? Yes.

I saw this colt on my recent trip to Holland. He has a number of things in his favor as a potential stallion: he's from a first crop of a newly approved stallion who did not breed that many mares; he's out of one of the top marelines in Holland; he's a gorgeous type with excellent conformation; he has no Jazz, Ferro, or Flemmingh. I can get him for 10,000 Euro, but the breeder wants a 25,000 Euro bonus if the colt eventually becomes approved. This is a common practice among the top breeders who regularly have foals from their programs approved. The cost of boarding this colt for two years averages 150 Euro/month or less. The prep for the stallion approvals is approximately 500 Euro/month. The colt will have to go through the xrays, semen analysis, etc. I don't know how much all of that costs. So, you can do the math. totaled, it's not an insignificant investment, but month-to-month, it's minimal, especially in a group of 10 or more. Four or five people I've told about this colt are already interested in participating. If you want to know more about him, drop me an email.

What I'd love to see happen eventually is that we buy a colt every year, maybe two. With the right kind of selection, the odds of getting a horse approved can be shifted in our favor. It's still a long shot, but it's an action plan for alleviating our reliance on frozen semen.

Keuring Post Mortem

Alas, another keuring season has come and gone. We faired well:

Eliscia SSF (UB-40 x Pass the Glass xx) was represented for ster. She redeemed herself from last year's fiasco, and not only went ster and keur eligible, she also garnered the high point dressage horse award for the keuring. Her scores were high enough to place her third in the country of all ster mares, but, since she was presented last year, she doesn't go into the rankings. Nonetheless, she did finish in the Top Five for the DG Bar Cup. This also makes her dam, LaLiscia, a preferent mare. I have raised the price on this mare and am not anxious to sell her.

D'Orites SSF (Donatelli x Jazz) completed a super IBOP; therefore, fulfilling her requirements to become a keur mare. She also placed in the KWPN Top Five for IBOPs. Hard to complain about having a new D-line x Jazz cross keur mare in our breeding program. She is no longer for sale.

Cervantes SSF (Donatelli x Jazz) was presented by his owner, Kim Scudder, in the geldings' class. He, like his full sister, was a hit with the jury. Receiving super comments, "Georgie" is now a ster gelding. Better yet...

Orchis (Jazz x Roemer) is a new preferent mare!!! Hopefully, her prestatie predicate is right around the corner, as well!

Ignazio SSF (Don Tango B x Vincent) was first premium and first in his class, and top young dressage horse. Pretty interesting pedigree...Don Tango B x Vincent x El Corona x Lector x Doruto...there are a number of top horses produced by the boys in this pedigree. What to do, what to do? He's currently for sale.

Felicites SSF (Rousseau x Jazz) didn't have her best day. As a three-year-old undersaddle, she got was too stressed out. The jury was impressed with her, nonetheless, and excited to see her presented for ster. By the time we got to free movement, however, she was too tired to care much about he whole experience. She had moments of absolute brilliance, but also moments of tiredness. I think the jury was as surprised as I that she didn't make ster. Oh, well. She is branded and in the studbook. Next year, she'll be a keur-eligible mare. I'm so impressed by this mare's talent under saddle that I really want her with a professional, and am willing to negotiate a deal for the right person.

Princess and I did, indeed, ride an IBOP. I think our final score was a 72. Not bad for my first time. She only received a 6 for her walk, which was totally my fault. The mare has an incredible walk, but I just didn't get it together enough to make it happen. We'll just have to earn her keur status through sport! We're still shooting for PSG by the end of next year.

So, we had a good day: Two new preferent mares, a new keur mare, a new keur-eligible mare, high point adult dressage horse, first premium and high point young dressage horse, a new ster gelding, and three horses in the Top Five for the USA and Canada. Not bad.