By Chris Gould/CWHBA
Photography: CanSport; John Appleman; Mirrabook Farms
Many people are not aware that 2019 is the 20th anniversary of the stallion performance testing (SPT) system in Canada. The first CWHBA-run SPT was held at Olds College in Alberta in 2000, as a 30-day test based on the, then new, 30-day German test. Subsequent tests were reduced to a short-test format based on the Swedish system, however, the scoring categories and indexing system adapted from Germany has remained the same.
This is remarkable longevity when considering that several tests have come and gone in North America during the same period, and in Europe there seems to be a constant cycle of adjustments being made. It has also stood the test of time, providing Canadian stallion owners with a cost-effective and fair way to achieve approval status for both imported and home-bred prospects. The breeding record of CWHBA-tested stallions is impressive, accounting for a high percentage of the foals registered every year. Nevertheless change is in the wind in Canada as well. ..
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