Report from the Road – Sonnenberg Farm, Oregon

8/31/2024
Sherwood, OR  USA
Host: Dan & Gina Ruediger
Jury:  Bart Henstra & Stan Creemers
Handler(s): Janko Van de Lageweg
Official Photographer: Mary Cornelius
Editor:  Tracy Geller-Stearns

Greetings from Oregon!  A very good end to the first part of the 2024 KWPN-NA Keuring tour.
Dan and Gina Ruediger are very experienced hosts, and it was a pleasure to again be at this very well run and organized site.
We were presented with very good dressage foals; with 3 foals making up the championship ring.  The Dressage IBOP was well ridden and focused.

The KWPN NA Board of Directors and Office staff would like to extend their sincere gratitude to our expert Jury of Bart Henstra and Stan Creemers for their dedication to our membership on what can be a challenging tour of North America.  We appreciate their willingness to educate our members, as well as share their knowledge and expertise when evaluating our Dutch horses.

Riding Classes:   IBOP, DG Bar & Global Equine Sires Cup classes:
Thank you to our cup class sponsors, DG Bar Breeders and Global Equine Sires

 Primrosa S –  Rider: Michele Bondy  Owner: Gina Ruediger     Photo © Mary Cornelius

Dressage IBOP:

PRIMROSA S Ster, Keur elig (Secret x Juliette d’Rosa S Elite, IBOP (dr), Ssport (dr), D-OC by Ampere, BREEDER/OWNER: SONNENBERG FARM, LLC)
This mare is very well presented. She has an open, light and steady connection and she is very focused and ready. She shows a very nice dressage frame with an uphill tendency.  Her performance is light with small aids,  exactly as we want to see in modern dressage.   The walk is pure, supple and active with a very good overstep and very good reach in her use of the front leg. The trot is very supple and light footed, with good posture.  She is steady and adjustable, and good to the rider’s aid.  Her fantastic canter is very powerful and uphill; moreover, she appears to be very easy to collect, with carrying use of her hind leg and expressive use of her front leg.  A very good IBOP and DG Bar Cup for 4 YO score of 87.5!  With the passing IBOP score she becomes a Keur mare, and with the positive D-OC predicate, she also earns the Elite predicate as well! Big congratulations!

PRIMROSA S, Photo © Mary Cornelius

Studbook Classes:
Thank you to our Keuring Championship Award Sponsor, Iron Spring Farm

Stb/Ster 3 Year Old – Dressage:

REFINE TIME S (Jovian x Fine Time by Furstenball, BREEDER/OWNER: SONNENBERG FARM, LLC)   This mare is a very long legged and well muscled type. She has a lot of front, is long lined with a good wither and shoulder with a long, well shaped croup. Her walk has good length with sufficient power.  Her powerful trot is very long strided with a lot of technique in the front leg and sufficient, active use of the hind leg.  Her canter is also powerful and shows good technique and posture.  Congrats to this new Ster, Keur Eligible mare.

Refine Time S,  Photo © Mary Cornelius

Stb/Ster 4-to-7 Years –  Dressage:

PRIMORA  (Secret x Dimora-SCF Elite, Sport (dr) by Sir Donnerhall, BREEDER/OWNER:  Brooke Voldbaek).  A correctly built dressage type. She has a nice, well developed forehand with well developed withers and a strong topline, yet a somewhat sickle-hocked hindleg.  Her walk has sufficient length, the trot shows good technique and suspension and she has active use of the hind leg in canter.  Congrats to this new Ster, Keur Eligible mare.

Primora with Una Amora,  Photo © Mary Cornelius

Stb/Ster 3 Year Old  – Gelders:

RIVIERA O (Edmundo x Kerona Ster, Keur elig, PROK by Alexandro P,  BREEDER: M.J. VAN BRUGGEN, OWNER: Megan Owen)  An impressive gelders type.  She has strong connections in the topline and is well muscled, with a very well developed wither and shoulder, strong loin connection and flat shaped croup. Her powerful walk shows sufficient length, her trot is also powerful with good reach and knee action and powerful use of the hindleg. Her canter is also longstrided with good power and posture. High score Gelders, Ster and Keur Eligible, congratulations!

Rivera O, Owner Photo

Young Horse Classes:

Foals/Weanlings – Dressage:

UPTOWN GIRL DES (Extreme US x Picobella Dansa D-OC by Le Formidable, BREEDER: Renee and Richard Chong, OWNER: Hailey Hall)  This is a well developed, long lined and well muscled filly with a very good topline and correct lean legs.  She has a long strided and correct walk.  Her trot is very adjustable and also very easy to extend with.  She has very expressive use of the front leg and powerful, active use of the hind leg. This athletic filly can trot in several ways with very good body use and posture.  In canter she is powerful, well balanced and uphill with expressive use of front leg and good posture.  Invited to the championship ring, 1st place, High score  Young Dressage and our new Overall Leader for ALL Dressage foals!  Congratulations.

Uptown Girl, Photo © Mary Cornelius

ULLA ROSA S  (Le Formidable x Juliette d’Rosa S Elite, IBOP (dr), Sport (dr), D-OC by Ampere, BREEDER/OWNER: SONNENBERG FARM, LLC)  An appealing modern dressage type, with a vertical neck,  good shoulder and lean legs.  In trot, she is uphill and carrying.  She shows a lot of leg technique and articulation with very good posture and an expressive front leg, Her canter is active and powerful with good reach and posture, also again we see good expressive use of the front leg.  Invited to the championship ring, 2rd place.

Ulla Rosa S,  Photo © Mary Cornelius

UNA ROSA S  (Le Formidable x Juliette d’Rosa S Elite, IBOP (dr), Sport (dr), D-OC by Ampere, BREEDER/OWNER: SONNENBERG FARM, LLC)  A very elegant and refined modern type with a long vertical neck and long well positioned shoulder.  She is somewhat fine boned.  She shows a very light footed trot with an uphill tendency that is supple with good body use.  Her canter is very well balanced and long strided with easy transitions and very supple and light footed gaits. Invited to the championship ring, 3rd place.

Una Rosa S (shown w/ ET recip)  ,   Photo © Mary Cornelius

ULTRA ELASTIC FF  (Elastic x O Silvita FF Ster, Keur elig by Franklin, BREEDER/OWNER: Ginger Mack)   A modern and  appealing dressage type filly.  She has a good body with long, well developed withers and a well muscled back and loin connection.  She has very good body use in her supple trot, with an adjustable and active well balanced canter.  

ULTRA ELASTIC FF,   Photo © Mary Cornelius  

U B SO GLORIOUS QM  (So Perfect x Evanta III MMW Keur by UB 40 Keur, BREEDER/OWNER:  Tom and Karen Avinelis)  A well developed colt that is long legged with a good forehand and good, long shoulder and withers.  His trot has good technique and posture, with sufficient power.  The canter is long strided with sufficient power.

UB So Glorious QM, Photo © Mary Cornelius  

U JERSEY  (Jersey x Karabel Elite. IBOP (dr), D-OC by Ebony, BREEDER/OWNER:  Lucy Field)  This is a long legged foal with a good athletic body, however his neck could be more muscled.  He shows a  light footed trot with expressive use of the front leg and an easy, light footed canter with good reach and sufficient power.

UNA AMORA  (Governor x Primora by Secret, BREEDER/OWNER:  Brooke Voldbaek)  An  elegant,  well developed filly with a  good topline.  She has a long strided walk, good technique in the trot with sufficient posture and a very well balanced canter with good suspension and posture.

Una Amora, Photo © Mary Cornelius

Foals/Weanlings – Jumper:

UNANIMOUS  (Diacontinus x Ellie Elite, IBOP (sp) by Zacharov, BREEDER/OWNER:  Lauren Ransone)  A modern jumper type with an athletic, well muscled body and  lean correct legs. He has supple, athletic gaits, with a well balanced canter that shows good reach and active use of the hind leg  High score Young Jumper, Congrats!

UNANIMOUS,  Photo © Mary Cornelius

UNFORGETTABLE MATTY WF  (Cohinoor VDL x Peppermint Patty WF by Jardonnay VDL, BREEDER/OWNER: Shelley Campbell)  This filly is well developed and elegant.  She is a  well proportioned jumper type with an athletic body, and easy and well balanced canter that is light footed with easy changes.

UNDER OATH  (For Friendship VDL x Darvinia Ster by Catoki, BREEDER/OWNER: Shannon de Buiser & Bryan Raives)  A colt that is well muscled with a good topline with strong connections.  He has a light footed canter with good reach and sufficient power.

Under Oath, Owner Photo

Foals/Weanlings – Gelders:

UTRECHT G  (Holland PROK, IBOP (tp) x Adessa Keur, Pref by Koss Pref, BREEDER/OWNER: Kanoe & Dyrk Godby)  A powerful, well muscled and very good Gelders type.  This colt has an expressive front, a good topline with strong connections, correct stance of legs yet he is somewhat flat in the croup.  He has a very good trot with power and reach. He displays good knee action in the use of the front leg, and his canter is also powerful with sufficient reach.  High score Gelders, Congrats!

Utrecht G Photo © Mary Cornelius

U R PHARAOH’S PLEASURE QM  (Pharaoh DG IBOP, PROK, D-OC x Gold Pleasure Elite, IBOP (dr) by Wynton Pref, BREEDER/OWNER: Tom and Karen Avinelis)  This colt has a somewhat compact, yet well muscled and correct type.  He has correct movement with good power, posture and technique.

U R PHARAOH’S PLEASURE QM,  Photo © Mary Cornelius

Yearlings – Jumper:  

TIMELESS WF  (Dakar VDL x Satin and Lace by Un Beerenauslese, BREEDER/OWNER: Shelley Campbell)  This is a modern and long lined jumper type.  She is expressive with a good topline and a refined and athletic body.  Her trot is easy and light footed, and the canter is  well strided and powerful with good reach and very good balance.  

First Premiums:

**These remarks are for a snapshot in the lifetime of a horse. Not all first premium or ster horses are mentioned in “The Report from the Road”; only those horses that really stand out to the jury.**

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