By Jenneke Smit / KWPN
Photography: © Dirk Caremans
The stallion selection committee invited 28 showjumping stallions to participate in the performance test after the second viewing. Four well-rounded stallions advanced to the championship round, where the Mattias son Schnaps was crowned champion.
This new generation is distinguished by its jumping quality, light-footed canter, and strong performance genes, promising great things for the future.
Two older stallions and 26 three-year-old showjumpers will now have the chance to prove themselves under saddle in the performance test. For the first time, only four-year-old and older stallions are eligible for the spring test, while the three-year-olds can participate in the fall.
A modern champion
In the Knegt-powered championship round, four large-framed, modern sport stallions were presented alongside their breeders and registered owners. Schnaps (Mattias - Dolaris ster IBOP-spr prest x Cantos), bred by Hans de Roover and owned by Reinie Tewis and HBC Stal, proved to be the most complete stallion in Den Bosch. “We have selected four stallions that impressed us with their conformation, pedigree, and jumping performances,” said Wout-Jan van der Schans, chairman of the stallion selection committee. “The champion is a very modern showjumper. His sire is making an impact under Jur Vrieling, and this youthful, blood-type stallion has shown consistency in both of his rounds. He jumps with great technique, light-footedness, and excellent vision.”
Reinie Tewis discovered Schnaps’ talent last autumn. “Jan Schep had a few stallions he was considering for the selection, so I went to see them. This grey immediately caught my eye, especially because he strongly resembles his sire, Mattias. I struck a good deal with Jan Schep and became a co-owner. Schnaps is a joy to work with; he’s straightforward, naturally well-balanced, and has never knocked a rail. He is a complete horse, and the higher the jumps, the better he performs. We had high hopes for both the first viewing and Den Bosch, and he didn’t disappoint.”
Having previously had a champion stallion with Cosun, Reinie sees similar potential in Schnaps. “Cosun remains the only champion stallion to have competed at the highest level, and I hope Schnaps will be the second. This month, we’ll have his semen tested and then send him to Jurjan Bloem for saddle training. That way, I’ll have a better understanding of his potential, especially since there’s no spring test for three-year-olds this year. But I need to be patient; he’s still growing significantly in height, and I want to give him every opportunity to succeed in the fall test. Schnaps is a king of a stallion, and I’m incredibly proud of him.” In total, five stallions trained by Reinie and his partner Sonja Vlaar were selected.
Reserve champion
The reserve champion title went to the powerful and well-rounded Santiago (Eldorado van de Zeshoek - Erina ster pref prest PROK x Kashmir van Schuttershof), bred by Henstra & Henstra from Drogeham and owned by VDL Stud. VDL had two stallions in the premium round. This well-developed stallion had already shown exceptional jumping ability in Ermelo and confirmed his natural talent again in Den Bosch. During the evaluation of Santiago, selection committee member Bart Henstra was replaced by Arie Hamoen due to his direct involvement as the breeder. Santiago’s dam Erina is a half-sister to the international 1m55/1m60 jumpers Nerina (Amaretto I), ridden by Jur Vrieling, and Drachten (Berlin), ridden by Jan-Philipp Weichert. This makes Santiago closely related to top performers such as Hello Senator, Gweedore vd Groote Kamps Z, and Jack, all of whom share his granddam.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE IN THE ONLINE EDITION OF BREEDING NEWSns bred from Small Tour mares, and this is one of them. Scaramouche is a youthful stallion with an impressive appearance. He moves with an uphill tendency, adjusts his strides with ease, and has great looseness in his movement. His canter has good elevation and power.” Scaramouche’s dam, Linskymorijke, scored 84.5 points in the IBOP as a young horse and performed well in young horse championships. His granddam, Evymorijke, competed at ZZ-Zwaar level and is known as the dam of the KWPN-approved stallion Jones (Negro), who scored 83.5 points in his IBOP test. This is also the direct damline of the renowned international Grand Prix dressage horse Madorijke (Contango), ridden by Madeleine Witte-Vrees and Rien van der Schaft. [/s2If]
