Dominique van’t Hof winner judging competition nr IV

This time Dominique van’t Hof was the only one who had the same outcome as the jury. Of the almost 50 registrations, more than half of those who put the first horse (Horse B) in front. The horses C, A and D have been put in a different order by the participants. The correct order horse 1, then horse 2 etc. with the best argumentation gives the following result of the judging competition IV:

Stand after four judging competitions

Fourth Judging competition KFPS

This time a group of four third-premium mares, aged three. The group of third-premium mares are in fact representative of the average Friesian horse of this moment. Eligibility for a third premium requires an average score for breeding type, conformation, legwork, walk and trot between 6.5 and 7. Mares with a third premium are often a diverse group with different qualities. Characteristically, these mares often score below average on some aspects and cannot sufficiently compensate that with scores for the other aspects. It must be kept in mind that the scores for walk and trot count double. This is also of influence for the ranking in this judging competition.

The group of third-premium mares represent the better part of KFPS Studbook mares.

Line-up: B   C  D   A

Horse B: Three-part mare with slightly downward build that also lacks a bit of breed expression. This is mainly due to the heavy head/neck connection and the short horizontal neck. In conformation this mare lacks the connection between back and loins, which results in a fairly sunken top line, especially considering the age of just three.

Legwork: Forelegs slightly standing under. Quality of legwork is good. Other than that correct.

Walk: The mare displays a regular walk with long strides. She should show a bit more bend in the hock. But other than that a functional walk.

Trot: She trots with good use of the hind leg and satisfactory bend and activity. The mare must develop a more uphill outline in trot. But she demonstrated a very useful trot considering her use of the hind leg and activity.

Horse C: A longlined modern mare with good length of the foreleg and uphill conformation. The mare has lots of breed expression, partly also because of her long neck with good rise in front. She does however, slightly push away the under neck. She has a sufficiently closed topline but needs to develop more muscling. Croup lacks a bit of length.

Legwork: The mare is a little back-in-the-knee and standing under in the foreleg. The mare has puffy fetlocks (especially the near hind). Especially in relation to the age of just three this is not representative of sustainability. The mare is small-angled in the hind leg.

Walk: The walk lacks regularity. The walk is short/long. The near hind leg is placed away from the body. Movement technique of the foreleg is slightly toeing out.

Trot: The mare trots with satisfactory scope, activity and rise in front, but should move with more use of the body. She needs to develop more forward stride of the hind legs. This mare must develop more forward reach in the foreleg.

Horse D: An early-matured, three-part mare with a short foreleg that should have a more uphill build. Because of the horizontal, somewhat short neck the mare also lacks breed expression. The mare has a three-part build and lacks the connection in the topline, particularly in the loin section. The mare has a fairly high and sloping croup.

Legwork. Generous feet, correct legwork. Forelegs slightly standing under.

Walk: The mare has a very scopy and regular walk, with satisfactory activity from the hind leg. The foreleg is placed far forward. The mare shows very good use of the body. Good-quality walk. Movement technique forelegs is correct.

Trot: In trot the mare moves without a closed outline, falling apart. She needs to develop better use of the body and rise in the front, as well as more activity from the hind leg. In trot the mare has too much slope in the pasterns.

Horse A: A horse with a slightly forward build but satisfactory breed expression. The face is a little longish but shows satisfactory expression. Conformation of the neck should be more vertical and have more length. The horse has a downward build and should have more length in the foreleg. Shoulder conformation is sloping with satisfactory length. Topline shows satisfactory connection between back and loins, strength of topline is satisfactory. This horse has a build with good proportions.

Legwork: Generous feet and dry quality of the legwork is satisfactory. The hind leg is straight. The foreleg is strongly toeing-in.

Walk: In walk this mare must develop more use of the body. She demonstrates little shoulder freedom. Length of stride in movement is often irregular. In other words, the walk should demonstrate more tact. The walk is narrow in the foreleg.

Trot: The mare trots on the forehand, so does not rise in the withers in trot. She also displays little use of the back in trot and therefore lacks suppleness. The hind leg has satisfactory bend in the hock but has a pushing quality. In trot the mare moves without engagement from the hind leg.

Explanation line-up

B: The horse slightly lacks breed expression. Should have a more closed topline. But the mare upgrades herself in movement thanks to a functional and useful walk and trot. Since scores for walk and trot count double this mare is lined up in first place.

1. Mare with more breed expression and a more longlined and uphill build than horse B. But considering the lesser quality in legwork and the limited walk, placed under B.

D: Mare that lacks breeding type, but especially lacks connections in the topline. Upgrades herself with her good walk. So hence, not in last place. This horse has a clearly longer stride with more use of the body than horse A.

A: This mare slightly lacks breed expression but has a more correct topline than horse C. But she lacks use of the body in walk and trot which results in short and stiff movement.

Thanks to the judges Corrie Terpsta & Harrie Draaijer