Pernod RS2, High Scorer of the 2023 KWPN Spring Stallion Performance Testing

Breeding

KWPN

Pernod RS2, aka Prisco RS2, became the high scoring stallion of the 2023 KWPN spring Stallion Performance Testing which concluded on 21 April 2023.

Drop Outs

Nine colts began the performance testing on 20 March 2023 but only five were able to complete the whole process. The four drop-outs were premium stallions Perle (by Kjento x Tuschinski) and L’Avenir (Le Formidable x Sir Donnerhall I), and the licensed Pride (by Secret x Apache) and Pina Colada M (Governor x Dayano).

Drama

There was quite a bit of drama in the lead-up to the final "examination" of the stallions with two staff members getting severely injured. Horses.nl reported that rider Nikki Reimers factured a vertebra falling off a young stallion during the "photo shoot" and groom Michelle Lavaleije sustained a double fracture of her shin bone and fibula getting kicked by a stallion.

According to Horses.nl, the KWPN society downplayed the severity of the injuries of both. Rider Reimers told Horses.nl that the stallion she fell off "hadn't been trained properly for two weeks because the committee wanted to let him pass the testing." The stallion had been seen by the chiropractor and vet on several occasions and couldn't be trained adequately. He was very fresh when Reimers rode him for the photo shoot.

Pernod RS2 - Prisco RS2

The high scorer of the testing was the grey Pernod RS2 (by Torveslettens Sylvester out of Iveniz Texel (by Negro x Krack C). Bred and owned by RS2 Dressage, the stallion scored a total of 85.5 points with 9 for walk, 8 for trot, 9 for canter, 8 for suppleness, 8.5 for self carriage, rideability and potential for dressage.

"This uphill moving stallion moves with a lot of front leg technicaue and has three good to very good basic gaits," said the KWPN Stallion Licensing Committee, consisting of Bert Rutten, Johan Hamminga, and Wouter Plaizier. "When relaxed he walks very well and always with ground cover, acticity and clear in rhythm. In tot he is well in balance in the turns and the image is always naturally uphill. His canter is uphill, with a lot of cadence and nicely into the contact."

He was originally named Prisco RS2, but the committee unfortunately changed his name to Pernod RS2 instead of respecting the original choice of the breeder.

Five Passed

The five stallions that passed are:

Pernod RS2 (by Torveslettens Sylvester x Negro) - 85.5 points
Pantheon LE (by Hermes x San Remo) - 84.5 points
Pitch Perfect (by Le Formidable x Vivaldi) - 81.50 points
Purple rain (by Desperado x Negro) - 80 points
Pontiac VDT (by Total US x Ferro) - 79 points

Complete report here.