KWPN-NA

Stallion Approval

GENERAL INFORMATION

KWPN Foalbook or Register A stallions and those registered with an Erkend studbook are eligible to be presented for studbook approval within their breeding direction. Other stallions that fit within a particular breeding direction are also eligible (e.g., Thoroughbred and Hackney).

Change in Breeding Direction A breeding direction may be changed in consultation with the jury or upon presentation of a sport record.

Pre-Keuring Veterinary Report If a stallion is presented for stallion premium grading at age two or older, or if he is presented for approval, a simple one page evaluation must be filled out by a veterinarian after an examination that includes eyes, mouth, legs and testicles. The form is available on the website and must accompany the entry.

Proof of Identification Owners must be in possession of original registration papers showing name, birth date, color and markings, chip number (if applicable), and a four generation pedigree.

DNA Parentage must be proven and DNA must be on file prior to the keuring presentation.

Height Stallions must be a minimum height of 160cm (approximately 15.3h). The jury will measure stallions at the keuring. Their determination is binding.

Drug Testing Blood will be drawn from all stallion approval candidates for drug testing. No drugs are allowed.

Competition Requirements Stallions aged five or older must be actively participating in recognized competition as a prerequisite for approval presentation.

THE PROCESS

There are several parts to the approval process:

1) Pedigree evaluation

2) Linear scoring: Conformation evaluation, walk and trot on hard surface.

3) Free movement or jumping according to the breeding direction of the stallion.

4) The I.B.O.P. Riding test:

Riding horses

Harness horses

Gelders horses

5) Veterinary requirements: All stallion candidates must successfully complete the veterinary requirements prior to their presentation for approval at age three or older. If one of the evaluations is insufficient the owner may opt for a re-evaluation.
Veterinary requirements consist of:

• General physical and soundness examination.

• Endoscopic examination: Stallions must have normal and well functioning breathing apparatus. The examination must be recorded on a DVD per KWPN instructions, which must be mailed to the KWPN-NA office and will be forwarded to Holland for evaluation.

Acceptable radiograph scores are:
• Navicular Bone	Class 0-1-2
• Sesamoids	Class 0-1-2-3-4
• Pastern arthritis	Class 0-1-2-3
• Bone Spavin	Class 0-1-2
• Osteochrondosis in the knee/hock is not allowed.
The standard will not be met if the score given is higher than above, or if osteochondrosis is present.

• Radiograph evaluation:
All stallions are required to undergo a radiographic examination consisting of 22 views specified by the KWPN. Radiographs may be taken any time after September 1st of a stallion’s two-year-old year. Actual films or CD must be mailed to the KWPN-NA office and will be forwarded to Holland for evaluation. Any surgeries should be disclosed.

• Semen evaluation:
All stallions are required to undergo a semen and breeding soundness evaluation per KWPN specifications. Semen needs to be of good, sufficient or moderate quality. The classification is reached by taking the average of the values of two ejaculates, one hour apart. The semen quality will be published in the stallion’s report. Semen evaluations should be submitted on the Society for Theriogenology form and must be mailed to the KWPN-NA office and will be forwarded to Holland for evaluation.

6) PerformanceTest
To be approved, stallions will have to complete a 21-Day Test. Stallions competing at Grand Prix level will have to complete a 5-day character evaluation. Note: No test other than the KWPN Test will be accepted for stallion approval. The KWPN does not accept results from any 100-Day or 30-Day Test held by any other registries in North America.

Competition Requirements after Approval
A stallion should compete at 4th level for dressage horses, Level 7 or 8 respectively for jumpers or Regular Working Hunter for hunters by age 7 or 8. Competition is desirable but not necessary after completion of the 21-Day Test.

Aangewezen vs. Approved
Aangewezen stallions are those that have successfully completed a keuring presentation, the veterinary requirements and an I.B.O.P.; OR that have successfully completed a keuring presentation, the veterinary requirements and have a Grand Prix sport record. Aangewezen stallions must still complete either the 5-Day-Test or the 21-Day-Test. For further information about Aangewezen stallions see the Approved/ Aangewezen stallion section.

Names
Upon Approval, each KWPN stallion must receive a unique name starting with the appropriate letter. This may mean that the stallion might need to be renamed if a particular name is already used by an Approved stallion. Stallions from other registries will retain their original name and registration number.

Outside Stallions
Outside stallions (those from an Erkend studbook, Thoroughbred, Hackney or Saddlebred) are considered to be ‘improvement sires’ and as such they must offer something to the breeding program that is not readily available. This may include certain desired bloodlines in a particular breeding direction or an impressive sport record. A copy of registration papers, a three-generation pedigree and sport/ racing records must be sent to the KWPN-NA office prior to keuring entry. The information will be sent to the KWPN stallion committee in Holland for a preliminary examination. To become KWPN approved, outside stallions must undergo the same Studbook inspection and requirements as KWPN stallions.

Sport Requirements for Stallions Presented at Age Five and Older

*This is intended as a guideline only, level equivalencies are close but not exact.*
Dressage
Age	Dutch Level	U. S. Level
4 year olds	L	L1
5 year olds	M	L2
6 year olds	Z	L3
6/7 year olds	ZZ light	L4
7/8 year olds	ZZ heavy	Prix St. Georges
9/10 year olds	Grand Prix	Grand Prix
Jumpers and Hunters
Age	Dutch	U.S. Jumper Level	U.S. Hunter Level
4 year olds	B/L	Level 2/3; jumps to 1.10 m (3'6")	Pre Green/First Year Green
5 year olds	M	Level 5; jumps to 1.20 m (4'0")	Second Year Green
6 year olds	Z	Level 6; jumps to 1.30 m (4'3")	Regular Working Hunter
7 year olds	ZZ +	Level 7; jumps 1.35/ 1.40 m (4'6")	Regular Working Hunter
8 and older	Grand Prix	Grand Prix

APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES
Following is the policy for stallion approvals in North America.

Two-year old stallions
This is considered equal to the First round of the stallion selections in Holland. Stallions are to be presented at a KWPN-NA keuring for pre-evaluation on:

Pedigree evaluation
Linear scoring Consisting of a conformation evaluation, plus the walk and trot on a hard surface
Free jumping or free movement according to the breeding direction of the stallion.
Goal To advise owners on: whether to maintain the horse as a stallion; whether he meets the criteria for pre-evaluation; and whether or not to present him next year as a three-year old. The owner is free to present the horse as a three-year old even if the jury gives abnegative opinion.
Veterinary Examinations Any stallion that is successful in the above first round must undergo the required veterinary examinations before being presented in the second round (presentation as a three-year old).
Goal – To advise breeders: in the case a stallion does not meet the KWPN veterinary standards for a breeding stallion before actually presenting the stallion as a three-year-old.

Three-year old stallions
This presentation is considered equal to a combination of the Second and Third Rounds of the stallion selections in Holland.

Prior to keuring:

Pedigree evaluation for horses that did not go through the first round of the selection process. Pedigree must be approved by the KWPN prior to keuring presentation.
Veterinary examinations should be completed and approved prior to keuring entry for stallion approval.

At keuring:

Linear scoring Consisting of a conformation evaluation, plus the walk and trot on a hard surface
Free jumping or free movement according to the breeding direction of the stallion.
Under saddle presentation according to the breeding direction of the stallion. Including:

Upon successful completion of all above criteria (including the veterinary requirements), the stallion will be ‘Aangewezen’, or equal to a stallion selected for the performance test in Holland after the third round (derde bezichtiging) of the stallion selections.

Offspring by an Aangewezen stallion shall receive Register A papers in North America and Register B papers in Holland. Foals on both continents may be upgraded upon approval of the stallion.

Four-year old stallions
The procedure for four-year old stallions is the same as that for three-year olds, except that there is no free movement or free jumping necessary.

Prior to keuring:

Pedigree evaluation for horses that did not go through the first round of the selection process. Pedigree must be approved by the KWPN prior to keuring presentation.
Veterinary examinations should be completed and approved prior to keuring entry for stallion approval.

At keuring:

Linear scoring Consisting of a conformation evaluation, plus the walk and trot on a hard surface
Free jumping or free movement according to the breeding direction of the stallion.
Under saddle presentation according to the breeding direction of the stallion. Including:

Offspring by an Aangewezen stallion shall receive Register A papers in North America and Register B papers in Holland. Foals on both continents may be upgraded upon approval of the stallion.

Stallions five years and older
The procedure is the same as for four-year-olds. However, stallions five-years and older must excel in young horse competitions or in sport at levels commensurate with their age. Sport results must be submitted for approval by the KWPN prior to entry in the keuring.

Prior to keuring:

Pedigree evaluation for horses that did not go through the first round of the selection process. Pedigree must be approved by the KWPN prior to keuring presentation.
Veterinary examinations should be completed and approved prior to keuring entry for stallion approval.

At keuring:

Linear scoring Consisting of a conformation evaluation, plus the walk and trot on a hard surface
Free jumping or free movement according to the breeding direction of the stallion.
Under saddle presentation according to the breeding direction of the stallion. Including:

Offspring by an Aangewezen stallion shall receive Register A papers in North America and Register B papers in Holland. Foals on both continents may be upgraded upon approval of the stallion.

Stallions with a sport record at Grand Prix or equivalent

The following must be approved by the KWPN prior to keuring entry for stallion approval.

Pedigree evaluation
Sport Record evaluation
Veterinary examinations

At the keuring.

Linear scoring Consisting of a conformation evaluation, plus the walk and trot on a hard surface.
Under Saddle Presentation Stallions must be shown ‘freestyle’ under saddle.

At the discretion of the jury, a stallion with a Grand Prix sport record and a number of offspring that are successful in sport does not have to be shown under saddle. Be prepared, check ahead of time! All other requirements (veterinary requirements and subsequent offspring evaluations) must also be met..

Offspring by an Aangewezen stallion shall receive Register A papers in North America and Register B papers in Holland. Foals on both continents may be upgraded upon approval of the stallion.

REQUIREMENTS AFTER BEING AANGEWEZEN
All stallions must meet certain requirements becoming Aangewezen.

Stallions not competing at Grand Prix or equivalent must meet the following requirements:

If presented for approval as a three-year-old, the stallion must be presented under saddle at a keuring to evaluate progress in sport and training the year after he becomes ‘Aangewezen’. The stallion must perform in either the DG Bar Cup or the ISF Cup. At the end of the competition year the stallion’s show record must be submitted.
Either the year after becoming ‘Aangewezen’, or at age five, a stallion must be presented at an independent stallion-testing facility for a 21-Day-Test. The stallion will be trained and ridden by riders/staff of the facility for 21 days. The start and ending of the test will coincide with the start and ending of the KWPN keuring tour. The stallion will be evaluated on the first day of the test and again on the last day to see the progress that was made. On the final day the stallion will be tested by professional riders and be evaluated by a member of the KWPN stallion committee.
After completing the 21-Day-Test, the KWPN stallion committee will decide whether or not to approve the stallion.

Stallions that are competing or have competed at Grand Prix or equivalent must meet the following requirements:

As is the case in Holland, Grand Prix stallions must be presented at an independent stallion-testing facility for a 5-DayTest, evaluation character and temperament. The 5-Day Test will coincide with the 21-Day Test unless special arrangements have been made with the KWPN ahead of time.
After completing the 5-Day Test, the KWPN stallion committee will decide whether or not to approve the stallion.

REQUIREMENTS AFTER BEING APPROVED
Approved stallions should compete at Fourth Level dressage, Level 7 or 8 jumping or Regular Working Hunter by age seven or eight respectively. Competition is desirable but not necessary after completion of the 21-Day Test.

To retain Approved status, a stallion’s offspring must meet certain requirements at three times during his breeding career. If, at those times, a stallion’s offspring do not meet the standards set by the KWPN, the stallion may be disapproved at the following intervals:

A stallion is required to present a minimum of ten* offspring at the dam’s side for foal inspection within two years after approval. Foals may be presented at different locations during the inspection tour, although preference is to see a larger group at a single keuring location.
A stallion is required to present ten* offspring (aged three to five years old) at studbook inspections by the time the oldest offspring are five years old.
Sport results of ten* offspring (five to eleven years old) must be submitted by the time the oldest offspring are eleven years old.

If a stallion does not meet the above requirements, the owner can apply for a one-year extension. An extension will be granted only if the KWPN stallion committee sees potential in the stallion and the owner has an acceptable reason (e.g. veterinary) as to why the stallion did not meet his requirements.

After successfully completing all the previously stated requirements, a stallion will have met all the approval criteria and may be permanently approved.

* Due to the limited number of breedings in North America, the number of offspring from Harness stallions required at the designated intervals is five rather than ten.