Tag Archives: keuring

Florida’s Belgian Warmblood Inspection to Be Held at Jacksonville Equestrian Center

Photo courtesy Belgian Warmblood North American Division.

Jacksonville, FL (July 5, 2017) — This July, the Jacksonville Equestrian Center will welcome the area’s newest batch of superior Belgian Warmblood horses as the southernmost stop on the Belgian Warmblood North American Division’s Keuring Inspection Tour. Set to take place at the prestigious Jacksonville, Florida facility on Tuesday, July 25, 2017, the event will give owners and breeders the opportunity to register their youngsters and certify mares and stallions, demonstrating that they meet strict guidelines for conformation, performance, and breeding standards within the registry.

The event will be the sixth stop in the fifteen-city breed inspection tour, which is conducted by the Belgian Warmblood Breeding Association’s North American Division. Noted Belgian Warmblood judge, Boudewijn Schepers, will be judging the keuring tour for the eighth consecutive year, and will be joined by Belgian Warmblood North American Division’s Board Chair, Kelly Gordon, at the Jacksonville event. The event will include breed inspections and registration for mares aged 3-6, mares aged 7+, colts, fillies, yearlings, 2-year-olds, and stallions.

Belgian Warmblood North American Division’s executive director, Chris Sallee, is excited to host the event at the Jacksonville facility this year. Sallee stated: “After doing some research, we knew it was the obvious choice for our keuring event in Florida. The facility is unbeatable – it has all the amenities you could ever ask for when hosting an event like this. The spacious indoor arena also allows for us to host free jumping classes, which is perfect.”

Sallee went on to explain how breeders and owners alike will benefit from attending this year’s keuring event: “Our judge, Boudewijn, is very helpful to our breeders in offering individualized breeding advice for each mare, and is helpful in securing semen for our breeders in Europe that is not offered in the U.S. He also helps to keep our breeders up to date on the latest breeding trends, and up and coming young stallions to utilize.”

The keuring, or breed inspection, is set to begin early in the morning, when inspectors will obtain DNA samples from mares and foals, as well as take note of their markings. DNA is obtained to create permanent DNA markers for each foal, as well as for parent verification. Next, owners will formally present each horse in front of a panel of judges in the facility’s indoor 123,000 square foot coliseum. Mares will be shown in hand with a bridle, while foals will be stood up for an evaluation of conformation, and then shown at liberty without their halters, and with their dams. Yearlings will be shown in halter or bridle, and 2-year-olds and stallions will be shown in bridle.

During the keuring, judges will watch each horse carefully, making a thorough assessment of soundness, movement, and conformation, evaluating their potential to perform at the highest levels of international sport. At the end of the presentations, mares and stallions may advance to the Belgian Warmblood North American Division’s studbook registry, while “premiums” are given to the youngest horses and “predicates” can be given to all horses.

Attendees are highly encouraged to have their foals micro chipped prior to the keuring to ensure that their microchip numbers accompany their registration to Belgium, as well as their lifetime US Equestrian registration. Micro chipping will also be available at the event for a $30 fee. Free jumping will be set up for stallion inspections, and will be available to other horses as well. Attendees will have the opportunity to work with expert free jumping instructor and judge Boudewijn Schepers to learn and practice the correct way to school horses to jump for a $75 fee.

The Jacksonville Equestrian Center looks forward to welcoming the area’s newest group of Belgian Warmbloods and their owners to its world-class facility. Known for its extensive amenities and convenient location, the Jacksonville Equestrian Center’s 80-acre facility includes two outdoor 36,000 square foot show rings, four permanent barns, 422 stalls, 78 full hook up RV spaces, indoor and outdoor vendor spaces, and an Olympic sized swimming pool.

The facility hosts a wide range of popular family-friendly events throughout the year, including horse shows, recreational events, car shows, family fun days, dog agility trials, and equestrian events for every breed and riding discipline. For nature lovers, the property also features miles of hiking and riding trails as well as a picnic pavilion.

You can find out more about the Belgian Warmblood North American Division’s breeding standards and procedures at www.belgianwarmblood.com. Attendees can also take advantage of a special discounted rate at the nearby Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Hotel, the official hotel of the Jacksonville Equestrian Center. Those interested in booking a room for the event can do so at the following link: Book your group rate for Belgian Warmblood Inspection.

The Jacksonville Equestrian Center is easily accessible from major highways in Jacksonville, Florida, and is located just minutes away from popular beaches and the downtown Jacksonville area. For more information about the Jacksonville Equestrian Center, and to find out about other upcoming events at the facility, visit www.jaxequestriancenter.com or call (904)-255-4215.

Jacksonville Equestrian Center
Debbie Stegner (904)-255-4215
dstegner@coj.net
13611 Normandy Blvd.
Jacksonville, FL 32221

Top KWPN-NA Breeders Share Their Secrets for Presenting Horses at Keurings

Breeder’s Achievement Awards Sponsored by Rabobank Will Recognize Success

Sutherlin, OR — Breeders devote their lives, energy and hopes to producing world-class sport horses that will compete at the top levels of dressage, eventing, jumping and driving. One of the best tools available to help breeders in their quest is the keuring, or inspection, of breeding stock. The 2010 KWPN of North America (Royal Dutch Warmblood Studbook) keurings will take place at 11 locations throughout North America and offer breeders the opportunity to have their bloodstock evaluated, as well as see the results of other breeding programs. The outcome of keurings can increase the value of horses and also provide excellent marketing opportunities. So how can you successfully prepare your horses to receive the best marks from the jury? Several top KWPN-NA breeders share their secrets for making the most of the keuring experience.

“My favorite things about the keurings are seeing the other breeders’ foals and offspring produced by different stallion and mare combinations,” says Julie Ballard Haralson, owner of Haralson Farm in Newnan, Georgia. “You see a lot of pictures and videos on the Internet, but it is not the same as seeing them in real life. This helps me a lot with future breeding decisions.” Julie has produced numerous first premium foals. She has foals by Indoctro and UB40 that will be joining her herd this year. “I look forward to the comments from the jury and their future breeding advice,” she continues. “Good, bad or ugly I treasure these comments to help me make better decisions in the future.”

Continue reading Top KWPN-NA Breeders Share Their Secrets for Presenting Horses at Keurings