The German Interessengemeinschaft Fjordpferd (IGF) celebrates its 40. Anniversary with a National Breed show
Almost a hundred mares from all over Germany were shown on August 9th in Grünberg (Hessen). The team of judges consisted of three German breeding officials and the well known international judge of all pony breeds Susan Hellum from Norway.
The show was organized by the IGF together with the local breeder´s society "Verband der Pony- und Pferdezüchter Hessen" and the German Federation National.
A lot of effort for the organization had gone into this great event, and a lot of enthusiasm and commitment for the breed was shown by the exhibitors who hauled their mares over hundreds of kilometers in order to present them to the judges and spectators from Germany, but also Norway, Switzerland, France, Denmark, Austria.
The show opened on Friday evening with foals presented with their dams, judged on a ring of fillies and a ring of colts. The overall winner was a filly bred after the original Norwegian stallion Stedjeblakken out of a mare by the original Norwegian stallion Solbjor Borken! Breeder is Monika Knebel.
The main show day Saturday started with the "Zukunftspreis", a futurity for fillies organized by the IGF. The breeder of a filly has the opportunity to pay a certain amount of money for every year of the filly´s life into an account until she is three. Then there is a show for all participating fillies and the money is paid back following set percentages for the fillies placed 1st to 10th. This gives the German breeders the opportunity to compete with their three- year-olds on a national level, whereas the standard procedure is that the registration takes place only in the local breeder´s association.
The mares are presented in hand and also running free, which gives the judges a good overall view of these young horses.
This year the Zukunftspreis was won by HERMINE- Präm. H. Harkon- Bundespräm. H. Mosby. Breeder and owner is Josef Borsbach.
The German federal system of roughly one breeder´s association per state makes it hard to compare premiums and titles because each association tends to have its own system of premiums. This makes the big jubilee shows organized by the IGF so unique. They give the breeders the opportunity to compete on a nationwide level. In 2014 the breeders came from ten different associations, which made the show a true National Event.
The German Federation National (FN) for years has been awarding a National Premium (Bundesprämie) for performance tested breeding stallions, awarded on special nationwide shows (Bundesprämienschauen). Four times these shows have been organized by the IGF, twice on the Equitana in Essen. Since 2014 now the FN awards a similar premium for performance tested brood mares. On this year´s show out of 34 performance tested mares , 12 mares got the new title " FN Bundesprämienstute". The existence of this title will probably help to motivate breeders to have their mares performance tested, which again, if it is done in the right way, may help to maintain the very important feature "good disposition" (character) in the breed.
The judges commented very positively on the good overall quality of the exhibited mares and emphasized the fact that breed type has been preserved in a good way over the last years.
Looking at the pedigrees of the exhibited mares one finds a good mixture with 54 different sires. Looking into the next generation one finds another 31 sires. Obviously there are related stallions involved, but one also finds infusions of "new blood", stallions and also some mares that have been introduced into the German Fjord population by enthusiastic breeders . These horses stand at service for all of us which has been and still is very important for the breed. Together with our old German bloodlines there is enough genetic potential to keep the breed going for o lot of more generations!
Susanne Petersen
CLICK HERE to view the results of the National Breeding Show
Stallion show 2015 : Saturday 14th March in the Bloso Center, Woumen (Diksmuide), Belgium
A brand new breeding plan will be applied on the edition 2015 of the Belgian stallion expertise, with new regulations and tests for the licensing of breeding stallions.
The new Breeding Plan was adopted by the board at Norsk hestesenter on the 24th og april this year.
This replaces the former breeding plan from 2003.