By Laura Boelens / KFPS
Photography: Karin Sevink, Rianne Sibma
The second half of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024 highlighted a new group of mares that have achieved the prestigious status of 'Preferent'. Their inclusion in this elite group is the result of the outstanding performance of their offspring, both at home and abroad.
Additionally, the promotions of stallions during the first viewing of the Stallion Show in December, contributed to the points needed for mares to achieve this coveted status.
Superior breeding results
The Koninklijk Friesch Paarden Stamboek (KFPS) recognises superior breeding results with the Preferent status, which honours breeding mares whose offspring contribute to strengthening and maintaining the breed type and quality of the Friesian horse. This coveted status is granted to mares whose four offspring achieve the Ster predicate or higher, at inspections. As we are on the eve of a new judging season, we reflect on the successes of the past year that led to the expansion of the group of Preferent mares. Recognising these new Preferent mares marks a moment of pride for breeders and sets a standard of quality and dedication for which they strive.
Deeper pedigree
Taking a closer look at the recently updated mares’ list, one immediately notices the rich variety in pedigree, both from the lineage of the sires and dams. The 42 newly registered mares show that they are descended from 30 different stallions. On the dam’s sire side, there is even greater diversity, with 33 different stallions having contributed to the gene pool. A slight lead in numbers is for Stendert 447 and Dries 421, who are each represented three times as sire. As damsire, Oege 267 is also listed three times.
Several of the new Preferent mares have already died and therefore received their Preferent status posthumously. A notable phenomenon when evaluating the offspring is that some mares have succeeded in having several offspring within a single year using embryo transfer. This advanced reproduction technique has enabled them to meet the criteria for Preferent status at an accelerated rate... To read the complete article you need to be a subscriber
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