# KWPN Mare Grading in the UK



## josephinebutter1 (18 February 2008)

Does anyone know anything about this?

If I wanted to have a 4yr old mare graded, what would she have to do and do they need to get graded every year or is it just once?

Thanks!


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## luckilotti (18 February 2008)

OOO - would also be interested in knowing about this as i have just got a new KWPN mare.


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## Wisnette (18 February 2008)

I'm assuming she is a foalbook mare?  To check, have a look on her registration paper at the top right corner where it says 'ingescreven in' - if she is registered in the foalbook, it will say VB.  
	
	
		
		
	


	





If she is a foalbook mare, what she has to do depends whether she is jumper or dressage bred. There are lots of 'levels' of grading but the initial stage that all mares have to go through to be graded is the 'studbook inspection' which is all in hand/loose. 

The first part assesses her conformation.  You will need to stand her up on a hard surface, and they will measure her, check her mouth to make sure she doesn't have a parrot mouth and then assess her conformation traits.  You then walk her away for about 20m and walk her back then trot her away and trot her back.

She'll then move onto the second part where she will be assessed loose in an indoor school.  If she is dressage bred, her walk, trot and canter (all loose) will be marked.  If she is jumper bred, her movement will be assessed and she will have to loose jump down a jumping lane with 3 jumps in it.  The size and distances of the jumps are very specific.  I do have the exact measurements somewhere so if you want to know drop me a pm.

And that's it - if she gets above the minimum requirements for conformation movement/jumping she gets 'upgraded' into the Studbook.

If she is registered in the Reg A rather than VB, she will possibly need X-raying/ endoscoping/ or need a ridden test - it just depends on her sire).

Does that help?


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## arwenplusone (18 February 2008)

Oo - now I am also very interested in this.  Wisnette that was very helpful - thankyou! 

Does anyone know when/where it would be?


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## josephinebutter1 (18 February 2008)

Thanks for that Wisnette - that is v. helpfull!

Do you breed KWPN, or are you just very knowledgable on the subject?

I will have to check her passport - I know both her stallion and mare side are all graded and some of which are Elite, Kur etc.

She has SJ on the stallion side and Dressage on the mare side, but I will prob. do more D with her so prob best get her graded for that.

What does the "Reg A" mean?


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## Wisnette (18 February 2008)

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for that Wisnette - that is v. helpfull!

Do you breed KWPN, or are you just very knowledgable on the subject?

I will have to check her passport - I know both her stallion and mare side are all graded and some of which are Elite, Kur etc.

She has SJ on the stallion side and Dressage on the mare side, but I will prob. do more D with her so prob best get her graded for that.

What does the "Reg A" mean? 

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes I have a few KWPN mares and foals myself and I've helped organise gradings etc for them.

Reg A is just one of the 'books' that the KWPN registers horses in. Foals are registered in 1 of 3 different studbooks - which one depends on the registration/approval status of its dam and sire.

Foalbook (VB) is effectively full papers.
Register A is the next level down
Register B is the bottom level - so this book would be for foals whose dam or sire has unknown breeding, or whose pedigree is known but isn't registered with a studbook recognised by the KWPN, etc.

Then if your mare has passed the studbook inspection, she will be 'upgraded' from say the foalbook into the 'Studbook' (STB) which is the book reserved for approved breeding stock.

The mare and youngstock inspections are usually end of July, beginning of August - there's usually one in the SW (it was at The Hand last year), one in the SE, I think there's going to be one at the Sport Horse Centre near Coventry, one at Myerscough in the NW and possibly one in Scotland.  If you're interested, I'd give the KWPN an email and see if they've got them sorted yet.


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## arwenplusone (18 February 2008)

Thanks Wisnette,  will e-mail them.

Do you happen to know how a mare gets Ster, Keur and prestatie status - is it dependent on how many champions they foal?  thx


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## luckilotti (19 February 2008)

interesting!  thanks for the info, 
i'm being dumb thou and cant find that section in her pedigree/passport.  
i've found a bit that says 'stamboek - KWPN Stamboek'  and also 'Type - RIJPAARD'  

ETA - ok - now found out that the Rijpaard means riding horse lol.


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## Wisnette (20 February 2008)

[ QUOTE ]
interesting!  thanks for the info, 
i'm being dumb thou and cant find that section in her pedigree/passport.   

[/ QUOTE ]

The registration paper is a separate sheet of A4 that shows the extended pedigree and registration details.  It should be folded up and tucked in the plastic pocket in the back of the passport.   Its this sheet that holds all the interesting studbook/registration info - it gets updated when the mare is successfully graded, whereas once the passport is issued, that's it - pretty much the only thing that gets updated in there is the ownership details. Hopefully you can find the registration paper - you can get a replacement but the KWPN will charge you for it!  
	
	
		
		
	


	





The predicates are awarded as follows:

*Ster* - the mare got high marks at the studbook inspection.  Approximately 30% of mares presented at the keuring receive the ster predicate. 

*Keur*  - Ster mares can be presented for further assessment in hand at the keuring where the better ster mares (approximately the top 50%) will be designated as preliminary keur.  These mares then need to do one of the performance options to upgrade from ster to the keur predicate.  To satisfy the performance requirement for keur, they need to achieve minimum marks in one of the following:

1. IBOP (ridden test held at the keuring)
2. EPTM test (five week station performance test for mares - only available in the Netherlands)
3. Sport results

*PROK*  - this is awarded to mares that have passed the KWPN's veterinary examination (includes X rays)

*Elite*  - if a mare successfully achieves the criteria for keur AND she passes the KWPN's veterinary examination, she upgrades from the keur to the elite predicate (i.e. keur +  PROK = elite)

*Sport*  - mares competing successfully over 1.20 or higher or have achieved 60% or above at Advanced Medium can be eligible for this predicate.  

Mares can then also be awarded predicates based on her offspring:

*Preferent*  (often shortened to pref) this signifies that a mare has at least 3 offspring with ster predicates or above.

Prestatie (often shortened to prest) this signifies that the mare has at least 3 offspring with above average competition records

OK?


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## arwenplusone (20 February 2008)

Brilliant - thanks!


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