By Eva-Maria Broomer
At a time when we are seeing the increased globalization of sport horse breeding, with breeders choosing the best international stallions and mare lines, it is perhaps not surprising that many of the larger sport horse studbooks are extending their operations across international borders and boundaries.
The British-based Anglo European Studbook (AES) is no exception, and is facing an increasing demand for stallion and mare inspections and foal registrations in other European countries. To that end, 2019 was the second year in which the studbook held special stallion inspections in Belgium. The aim of the gradings was to inspect previously AES registered or licensed stallions for their potential for an upgrade to full ‘approved’ status.
The studbook’s stallion grading system recognises four levels. The initial ‘registered’ or ‘licensed’ status is reserved for very young stallions who are yet to prove themselves under saddle and/or through the quality of their offspring. At those levels, stallion owners must adhere to strict limitations in the number and type of mares those stallions can cover for full studbook papers. These restrictions are removed with the award of ‘approved’ status, which can be obtained through competition results, further inspections and/or the proven quality of offspring. The highest award of ‘elite’ status is only awarded to those stallions who are exceptionally successful at international Grand Prix level.
Studbook director Kees van den Oetelaar explains: “We are a modern studbook with a strong focus on providing a service to breeding and the sport. I am very proud of our stallion grading system, which is designed with the needs of the young horses and the riders in mind. We want to achieve a way of harmony and cooperation between breeding and the sport, and are very interested in observing all our young stallions during the important early years of transition and development.”
The AES upgrading inspections for Belgian stallions took place last month (December 2019) in Hulsterlo and Opglabbeek, when a total of 13 young stallions achieved the approved status, as a further result of which they can now participate in the Pavo Stallion Competition in Belgium... To read the complete article you need to be a subscriber
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