Report from the Road – Varenna Equestrian Center (Alberta)

9/12/2023
Parkland County, AB  CANADA
Host:  Antonia Allegro and/or Ellicia Edgar
KWPN Jury members: Bart Henstra & Stan Creemers
Editors: Tracy Geller-Stearns

Our final stop on the 2023 KWPN-NA Keuring tour takes us back to Canada.  Today we are at the Varenna Equestrian Center, which is a great facility.  This event was very well set up and we felt a very good way to end the keuring  This site had quite a few jumping horses, with several participating in the riding classes.  This event was very well set up and we felt a very good way to end the keuring tour.

©Rylee Smolarchuk Photo

The jury also popped in a quick  visit to Calgary.  What a treat to watch the Spruce Meadows Grand Prix, AND to have the first and second placed horses from the KWPN studbook!  GO DUTCH!

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

IBOP – Jumper

NAVIGATOR VF (Messenger VF x J’Dekada by Lagrain, BREEDER/OWNER: VALLEYFIELD FARM)  Navigator VF is athletic and focused.  He has a well strided, powerful and adjustable canter. He shows a powerful and upward take off with good use of his wither and shoulders. He shows good bascule and opening of the haunches and has athletic scope. Navigator seems to be a future horse for the big arena’s.   He is also the winner of the 5-8yr old GES Cup today.  Congratulations!

Navigator VF ©Rylee Smolarchuk Photo

OPHELIA VF ster keur elig (Contefino x NEC Plus Ultra MGC de Leuze by Darco, BREEDER/OWNER: VALLEYFIELD FARM)  She is eager, and has a powerful, quick takeoff She is very quick in the reflexes and seems really careful with good a overview for jumping. She jumps up with her wither and shoulder, and always has good technique in the hindleg , with athletic scope.

Ophelia VF ster keur elig ©Rylee Smolarchuk Photo

O’HARRISON VF (Casallco x Clementine RS by Catoki, BREEDER/OWNER: VALLEYFIELD FARM)  This is a very scopey gelding. He is always up in the hip and opening well in his haunches. He has a long strided canter with good balance.  He needs more time to collect to make the distances easier for him, which would result in a more fluent ride, but he also seems to be a future horse for big arena’s.

ORION VF (Quidam Blue x NEC Plus Ultra MGC de Leuze by Darco, BREEDER/OWNER: VALLEYFIELD FARM)   This is a quick and scopy horse, he easily stretches forward on the oxer,  however he could sometimes be more collected on the last strides for the fence, for a more upward take off.

NORTH STAR VDH D-OC (Balou du Rouet x Fair Katie ster IBOP (sp) sport (sp) by Zirocco Blue VDL keur, BREEDER/OWNER: BRIAN & KATHLEEN VANDER HELM) He is very careful, with quick reflexes and a powerful take off.  He could be more consistent and softer in the connection to the bridle which would make him easier in the rideablity.

DGB Cup for 7/8-Year-Olds:

KOLTRANE sport (dr) (Wynton keur x Zavile D-OC by Gribaldi pref, BREEDER: JENNIFER ZAUEL, OWNER: SUZANNE LE GARS)  1st place DG Bar cup, 7/8 year old.  He is very rideable, with a correct connection and posture He  has three light footed gaits with sufficient power.

©Rylee Smolarchuk Photo

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

Stb/Ster 3 Year Old – Jumper:

PENELOPE VF (Messenger VF x Bini-Balou ster sport (sp) by Balou du Rouet, BREEDER/OWNER: VALLEYFIELD FARM)  High score adult Jumper.  She is long lined, well proportioned with quick reflexes and very good use of body.  Shows a lot of bascule, she lifts up in the withers and shoulder with good opening haunches.  She is very focused and careful.  Congratulations for this new ster, keur eligible mare!

Penelope VF ©Rylee Smolarchuk Photo

PHILINE VF (Messenger VF x Fun Times ster by Toulon,  BREEDER/OWNER: VALLEYFIELD FARM)  A well developed and powerful mare.  She has lots of power in canter and her take off.  She is scopey with good technique, however she is somewhat distracted today. Congratulations for this new ster, keur eligible mare!

PERSUASION SSM (Cornet Obolensky x Geneva P PROK by Chin Chin, BREEDER/OWNER: MAILE DE GOEIJ)  A modern type and  correctly built.  She is very careful and jumps quickly and upward, with good technique.  She could stretch more forward on the oxer and be more consistent. Congrats for this new ster mare!

©Rylee Smolarchuk Photo

Stb/Ster  4-7 Years old – Jumper:

BP LADY MARIEBEL (Halifax Van Het Kluizebos x Mariebel Van D’Abijhoeve by Berlin, BREEDER: Greg Broderick, IRE, OWNER: VALLEYFIELD FARM) A longlined mare, she has a well muscled neck and good shoulder.  Congratulations on this new ster, keur eligible mare.

Young Horse Classes

Foals/Weanlings – Jumper:

TAKE THAT VF UE (Nickelson VDL x Whisper by Indoctro, BREEDER: VALLEYFIELD FARM, OWNERS: VALLEYFIELD FARM, CATHERINE CHALACK) High score young Jumpers. A  good jumper type.  He is well proportioned and well muscled with a well shaped neck, good withers, shoulder and a long croup, with correct, lean legs. A light Footed mover as well as in trot as in canter; athletic with good reach and balance.

©Rylee Smolarchuk Photo

Take That VF ©Rylee Smolarchuk Photo

TIAMO VF (Messenger VF x BP One by Luidam, BREEDER/OWNER: VALLEYFIELD FARM)  A longlined, well muscled filly foal with a good withers, shoulder and topline. She is somewhat heavy boned.  She has a well balanced and powerful canter, with good reach and powerful use of the hind leg.

TOURMALINA VF (Comme Il Faut x Angelina 317 by Cheetano, BREEDER/OWNER: VALLEYFIELD FARM) An expressive jumper type with a good topline and correct legs.  Shows a  lightfooted canter, which is adjustable and athletic in the canter with sufficient power.  

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.**

Take That VF, Navigator VF, Ophelia VF and Penelope VF ©Rylee Smolarchuk Photo

Take That VF ©Rylee Smolarchuk Photo