Ten German State Studs have mutually signed and sent an open letter to the breeding department of the German Equestrian Federation (FN) about the reformation of the Stallion Performance Testing (HLP). The State Studs want no breeding rights for 3-year old stallions until they successfully passed a summer or autumn performance testing.
The FN is currently developing a new proposal to improve the selection of breeding stallions and its ideas have been openly discussed in the press and already caused quite some controversy. With an open letter, the German State Studs aim to show their unified opinion on the improvement of the testing.
The Open Letter reveals that the State Studs do not entirely agree with the FN's proposal about the testing. The FN's proposed new format includes a short testing of the 3-year old stallions in April, approval based on the HLP scores and the allowed breeding of the stallions which passed that short testing in the middle of April.
The State Studs propose the following testing concept: The 3-year old stallions should be tested for at least 10 days in the summer or autumn at one of either three or four testing stations in Germany. The HLP testing committee should be the same at all stations. At the end of all testings, the 25% lowest scoring stallions should not be allowed to breed.
The State Studs agrees that 4 and 5-year old stallions should compete in selected competitions under their own rider as well as guest judge riders. They also agree with a specialised 50-day testing for 4 to 6-year old stallions at the levels A to M. The same testing commitee should assess the stallions at all testing stations. Again 25% of the weakest performing stallions should be refused from breeding. Approval via the Bundeschampionate qualifiers should be kept.
All breed societies should agree to the reformation with no exception.
"We are aware that this proposal will not be agreeable to all stallion owners," the state studs wrote in the open letter. " The loss of the first breeding season could be economically too big a sacrifice at first sight. However, we are convinced that in the long term all will be able to profit economically from a better selection system, than the short-term marketing of untested stallions."
The signees conclude with a statement that it is up to the horsemanship and competence of the stallions owners if they show their youngsters in public. Misbehaviour of individual riders who produce bad pictures with young horses should not lead to new regulations or the criticizing of all of them.
The open latter was signed by:
Brandenburgisches Haupt- und Landgestüt Neustadt (Dosse), Dr. Jürgen Müller
Niedersächsisches Landgestüt Celle, Dr. Axel Brockmann
Nordrhein-Westfälisches Landgestüt Warendorf, Susanne Schmitt-Rimkus
Landgestüt Sachsen-Anhalt/ Prussendorf, Siegmund Hintsche
Sächsische Gestütsverwaltung – Landgestüt Moritzburg/ Hauptgestüt Graditz, Dr. Matthias Görbert
Landgestüt Dillenburg (Hessen), Florian Solle
Landgestüt Zweibrücken (Rheinland-Pfalz), Alexander Kölsch
Haupt- und Landgestüt Marbach (Baden-Württemberg), Dr. Astrid von Velsen-Zerweck
Haupt- und Landgestüt Schwaiganger (Bayern), Dr. Eberhard Senckenberg
Landgestüt Redefin (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern), Antje Kerber
Photo © LL-foto
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