The KWPN NA will host its first meeting geared especially toward the Dutch Harness Horse. The meeting will take place on February 15 and 16, 2013, at Windy Knoll Farms in Ohio, because of the growing interest for the Dutch Harness Horse in the USA and the desire to develop the breed here in North America .

During this meeting stallions will be presented for pre-evaluation and licensing. There will also be clinics and lectures conducted by Mr. Henk Rootveld and Mr. René van der Kuil representing the KWPN in Holland as well Lana Sneddon, member of the KWPN-NA jury. Lectures and clinics will be given on selecting a stallion for your mare and how to use the linear scoring to help you do so. Shakota Powell with information on KWPN registration options and possibilities. On top all this we have Wim Cazemier to do a clinic on how to present and prepare your horse for the keuring, the IBOP test and fine harness classes.

The KWPN-NA looks forward to this event and is thankful to the ADHHA registry for organizing inspections for the Dutch Harness Horse where the KWPN-NA was invited to be part of the event.

Therefore we would like to extend an invitation to all ADHHA members to join us for this meeting and look forward to meeting you and together produce a top Dutch Harness Horse.

Henk Rootveld has been the Chairman of the Harness Horse Stallion Committee since 2004. After graduation from the Higher Agricultural School, Mr. Rootveld ran a stallion station for eleven years. He then made a career in journalism, ultimately starting the Paardenkrant (Horse Journal), which he sold in 2003.

Mr. Rootveld has bred horses and ponies his whole life. He raised and trained approved stallions Rentheer, Senaat, Tusveld and Vulcaan. He also competed the stallions Iregon, Navigator and Senaat. Mr. Rootveld also judges harness competitions.

Wim Cazemier is a breeder, rider and stallion manager. Mr. Cazemier runs a successful stallion station with stallions of all types: jumping, dressage and harness stallions. He also has a successful training stable, with both riding horses and harness horses. He was the 2010 KWPN Breeder of the Year (the youngest ever). He bred, owned and trained the approved stallion Colonist.

René van der Kuil as the KWPN Harness Horse inspector from 1998 through 2002, and resumed that position in 2010. He is the head of the Harness Horse jury in North America.

From 2002 – 2007, Mr. v/d Kuil was the head of the KWPN Public Relations & Events Department as well as the KWPN Assistant Director. In 2008, Mr. van der Kuil left the KWPN and started René van der Kuil Communication and Organization. Today he still maintains his own business besides his part time job as inspector of harness horses for the KWPN and advisor to the harness stallion committee.

Lana Sneddon has been involved with horses since childhood. She has trained and shown hunters, eventing and dressage horses. She has been breeding KWPN horses since 1987, producing multiple First Premium and Top Ten horses.

Lana was originally appointed to the KWPN keuring training program in 2001, and since then has judged multiple harness horse keurings with Mr. van der Kuil .

Shakota Powell is the KWPNNA registrar, a position she has held for the last five years. She has also represented the KWPN at the World Cup and World Equestrian Games. Shakota breeds, trains and rides Quarter Horses, runs barrels and heads the local flag team at rodeos.

Meeting Program Friday Welcome to the Meeting Introduction KWPN/KWPN-NA History of the KWPN Keuring system of the KWPN and the theory of linear scoring Linear Scoring in practice First Round of the stallion inspection (in-hand) Video presentation of approved stallions and National Harness Horse Day Saturday Training Clinic on Longeing Registration and keuring possibilities of the KWPN-NA Second Round of the stallion inspection (the driving IBOP) Training Clinic on Driving Presentation of new ‘Licensed Stallions’ Closing of the Meeting