2022 KWPN-NA Keuring Tour – “Report from the Road”  

August 23-24, 2022

Location: Goshen, Indiana, Elkhart Co. Fairgrounds

Host: Wim Cazemier
Jury: Viggon van Beest & Lammert Tel

The first 2022 KWPN-NA Keuring was held on Tuesday and Wednesday, a Harness horse only Keuring, at Elkhart Co. Fairgrounds in Goshen (IN).  Due to COVID, restrictions, this was the first KWPN-NA Keuring since 2019.

Although the quantity wasn’t big, the quality was good! Combined with the perfect conditions at the location, the nice weather and the great hospitality, this was a very successful Keuring. 

FOALS

A total of six foals (two VB and four Reg. B) competed for the Foal Championships. The overall quality was very impressive and all foals were rewarded with a first premium.  Compared to the fillies in the Netherlands this year, five out of six would be on National level.

The filly Skye Rose C (Melody Acres My-Quest x Jay-Rose Keur IBOP by Plain’s Liberator Keur) bred and owned by Wim Cazemier became champion of the Reg. B fillies. 

Skye Rose C is well developed and fits the desired rectangular harness type very well. She is refined, has a great neck with a vertical position, strong connections, great withers and very long legs with lean quality.

She trots with expression, has an awesome front and shows very good suspension, posture and use of her hind legs. Her front leg could show just a little bit more action.

Second place in this class was Show Time CM (Hightanium x Anna Keur by Manno Pref) owned by Cumberland Mountain EQ. Compared to the champion, she was almost equal but could show a little more power in the use of her hind legs.

Show Time CM and dam, Anna keur by Manno

In third place came Sassy Rox C (Melody Acres My-Quest x Jo Roxanne R.M.A. Elite IBOP by Colonist) owned by Lester A. Graber and Wim Cazemier.

Fourth place was for Stiletto (Hermanus x Fleur Reg. B by Zimone VSH) owned by Martin M. Schmucker.

Stetson (Graaf Kelly x Jonkerina Stb by Jonker), owned by Cumberland Mountain EQ and bred by Justin Bontrager, became champion of the Foalbook foals. Just like Skye Rose C, he is well developed and fits the rectangular harness type very well. He is refined and his very nice neck is positioned vertically. His connections are strong and his leg quality is very lean.

In trot, he showed a lot of front and good use of his front leg combined with a good suspension, posture and good power in his hindquarters.

Second place was Sabrina (Hermanus x Angel Keur IBOP by Jonker), owned by Steven Graber. She is averagely developed, has a nice harness type and a nice head. Her topline is strong and her leg quality is correct and lean. She trots very happily with a nice front, very good balance, good suspension and good front leg action.

THREE-YEAR-OLD mares studbook inspection

Only one three year old Register A mare was presented in this class. Orpha (Intign x Zilka VKeur by Patijn Pref), owned by Amos R.S. Schwartz. She became studbook.

FOUR-YEAR and OLDER mares studbook inspection

Five mares were presented in this class. Two of them became Ster, one was Ster quality and will become Ster if she meets the additional performance and veterinary requirements. Another mare became Studbook and one wasn’t accepted for the Studbook.

The highest scoring mare was the four-year-old Nicki (Hermanus x Harmony by Crescendo HBC), owned by Steven Graber. Nicki has a great rectangular harness type with a lot of expression. Her vertical front is appealing and her shoulder and withers are impressive. Her hindleg is sickle- hocked but she has very lean leg quality. In trot, she shows an impressive front, lots of technique, balance, posture and suspension with good action in her front legs. She bends her joints well en uses her hind legs in a powerful way. She became Ster and was invited for the overall championship at the end of the keuring.

 New Ster mare and overall mare champion: Nicki

Second place was for the five-year-old Mijona (Hermanus x Dijona Ster by Patijn Pref), owned by Martin Schmucker and John Graber. She has a nice, strong, connected, rectangular harness type with refinement and expression. Her head is nice and she has a vertical neck position with good withers and a long shoulder. In trot, she shows a great front and good front leg action. Her suspension and posture are good but her hindleg could be brought further under her body. She was rewarded Ster.

Proud trainers of Mijona, a newly minted Keur mare and Fine Harness Champion

Fleur (Reg. B) (Zimone VSH x Nikita Keur by Renovo Pref) was found to be Ster quality. This twelve-year-old mare is very well preserved and has a nice harness conformation with a nice vertical neck combined with a nice head. She trots in a very appealing way.

Fleur and her Hermanus foal, Stiletto

STER AND KEUR mares in hand

Four quality mares were presented in this class and one was invited for the overall Championship.

The well- known and very well preserved fifteen-year-old Charisma Keur Preferent (Vaandrager HBC x Kind Lady Stb by Fortissimo), owned by Douwe Plantinga from Mount Vernon, Texas, showed that she is still a real impressive harness horse. As a happy athlete and in a convincing way she was invited for the overall Championship.

The beautiful and well preserved Charisma keur pref

Second place was for the very refined Lillian Ster (Vaandrager x Gentana Keur IBOP by Cizandro Pref), owned by Glen Yoder. In conformation and movement she was convincing as always. 

IBOP

Four mares started the Alternative IBOP, which had to be driven twice, and one of them passed it. 

Mijona, as mentioned before in ‘Studbook inspection for mares’, passed her IBOP’s easily. She has a lot of expression and she is willing to perform as a real harness horse. She scored 76 points in her first IBOP and even 81 points in her second IBOP.She became Keur in a very convincing way.

From 2022, horses can gain points for the Sport predicate during the IBOP. Therefore, Mijona was rewarded with sixteen Sport points. Later that day, she earned nine more points in the Fine Harness Cup.

OVERALL CHAMPION in hand

Nicki and Charisma competed for the overall Championship. The youth was chosen over experience this time, so Nicki became the proud winner.

STALLIONS for licensing

Two stallions were linearly scored and invited for the alternative IBOP on the first day, and the regular IBOP on the second day. After evaluation of their conformation, movements and pedigree, both stallions will be Licensed when they meet the veterinary requirements.

Melody Acres My-Quest (Nel-Mar Hummer x Hans Lamoi by Jonker) has an outstanding harness type with a very long vertically positioned neck. His foundation is lean and he is really impressive with a lot stallion presence. In trot, he shows a lot of expression with an outstanding front and great front leg action combined with great suspension and posture.

Melody Acres My-Quest, who will be licensed pending veterinary requirements

Nova Zembla (Idol x Scodessa Keur Pref Sport IBOP by Nando) is a strong stallion and fits the harness type very well with a great neck in a vertical position. His shoulder and withers are well developed and his foundation is lean. Overall, he could have a little more youth. In trot, he always shows he is willing to perform as a happy athlete, in a real harness horse way. His front is very nice with very good front leg action. His balance and suspension are very good. The use of his hindquarters is sufficient. 

Nova Zembla at a previous show. He will also be licensed pending veterinary testing.

DUTCH HARNESS SHOW ASSOCIATION FINE HARNESS CUP – MARES AND STALLIONS

A Fine Harness Cup for each gender was driven on both days. All participants were very enthusiastic and eager to win. Sport predicate points could be won for qualified horses as well, so that made for even more competition.

On the first day, five mares were competing. Dijona Ster (Patijn Pref x Jidono Keur Pref by Renovo pref), owned by Enos E.R. Schwartz, won with a nice front and good action. Jay-Rose keur finished second.

On the second day, six mares were competing and Mijona, as freshly appointed Keur mare, won her class in a very fancy way. It seemed like she would never quit trotting in the right way! Just like on the first day, Jay-Rose keur won second place. 

The quantity in the Fine Harness Cups for stallions wasn’t large, but the quality was impressive. It was a great reunion with two KWPN Approved stallions, and they were loudly applauded by the excited audience in and around the arena.

Both days, Hiro-T (Cizandro Pref x Darona Ster by Manno Pref), owned by Hiro-T Partnership, was the winner. Delviro HBC (Vulcano x Kelvira Keur Pref Sport by Waterman Pref), owned by Stephen Zook became second.

Hiro-T is a real showhorse and his front is really outstanding. It’s almost impossible to have a better neck position than he showed! He also impressed us with his great suspension, front leg and hind leg action.

Hiro T is back in the KWPN-NA show ring!

Delviro HBC is always willing to perform and showed himself in a great way. He still knows how to present himself as a real harness horse.  

Delviro HBC showed that age is just a number and continued to awe his crowd

Thank you to our sponsor of the Fine Harness cup, the Dutch Harness Show Association and the generous donation of the blankets as well as Wim Cazemier Equine Center for  the beautiful halters for each champion.

We also want to give a big congratulations to all owners and especially to Martin M. Schmucker who was named Harness Horseman of the Year. A well deserved award for a big contributor to the breed in North America!