Last week the international breeding umbrella organization, World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH), published the provisional FEI/WBFSH rankings.
The rankings are a comparison of all WBFSH-recognized studbooks, based on the performance of the best horses from each studbook over the past year. Each studbook is allowed one week to respond to the provisional ranking results, after which they become official.
For the eighth consecutive year, the KWPN has been ranked the number one studbook for jumpers; and for the third consecutive year, it has been deemed the leading studbook for dressage horses.
Last year's competition for the honor of world's best studbook was exciting to the very end; and this year again, KWPN dressage horses and jumpers earned the most points by far to easily claim the number one rankings in the WBFSH. KWPN horses are also excelling in eventing, as evidenced by the WBFSH rankings: after finishing 11th last year, the studbook climbed to fifth place this year.
We owe all these achievements to the tireless efforts of the breeders who have made the KWPN studbook what it is today.
KWPN horses also boasted unprecedented individual performances. The top three jumpers and four of the best five dressage horses were all bred under the KWPN flag. The best KWPN horse on the jumper list is the leader, BMC Van Grunsven Simon (Mr. Blue out of Naline ster prest s.Polydox, breeder: M.J. Vermeulen of Altforst). Last year, he excelled under Jeroen Dubbeldam; and this year, he soared to first place in the WBFSH individual jumper ranking. After leading the ranking for three consecutive years, the KWPN's flagship jumper and recognized stallion, Hickstead (Hamlet out of Jomara ster pref prest s.Ekstein, breeder: B. van Schijndel of Maren-Kessel) is now number two. Taloubet Z (Galoubet A out of Krista ster prest sport-jump s.Polydor, breeder: C.T. Klaver of Schoorl) performed outstandingly this year as well.Germany's Christian Ahlmann has a reliable partner in his winning horse, which is ranked number three.
The top three in the FEI/WBFSH individual dressage ranking includes the same horses as last year but in a different order. It is no surprise that this year's undisputed leader is the powerful mover Jerich Parzival (s.Jazz), ridden by Adelinde Cornelissen. The World Cup winner and European Champion, bred by J.M. Beijer-De Klein of Puiflijk, is out of Fidora ster pref prest (s.Ulft). Totilas (Glendale out of Lominka elite pref prest s.Glendale, breeders: Jan and Anna Schuil of Broeksterwoude), who led the ranking last year under Edward Gal, is now in third place. Carl Hester's Uthopia (Metall x Odelia sport-dres s.Inspekteur, breeder: J.J. van Zetten, Sr. of Kesteren), a relative newcomer, is number four in the ranking. The talented stallion, who received KWPN recognition for breeding after excelling in the European Dressage Championships, is among the top three KWPN dressage horses of the past year.
The eventing ranking has a new leader this year. The Selle Français studbook is now number one, followed by the Hanoverian Verband and the Irish Sport Horse Studbook. Last year, the best KWPN eventer was DHI Topper W (Optimaal out of Donna Mail s.I Love You, breeder: B.J.M. Wezenberg out of IJsselmuiden), ridden by Piggy French of theUK. Vira (Jazz out of Option G s.WhinnyJackson), bred by I. van Rossum-Van den Heuvel of Maren-Kessel, is the next KWPN horse on the list.