CHANGES IN STORE Adding to the discussion is news that the Germans are changing the rules for 2011, doing away with the smaller testing sites (for reasons of economics), the current index system, as well as the training director’s scores. All scores will now be given in intervals by the same visiting judges, and the final index computation will be based on expected breeding values (stallion is compared to his relatives, not to the other stallions participating in his testing). What will this mean for the North American test? “Our test will mirror what is going on in Germany,”
Barbara explains. “But we don’t know yet exactly what those changes will be. What I do know is there will be pros and cons. The same judges will be scoring stallions here as in Germany. They may come fresh from judging test sites with really top Sandro Hit sons, for example, then see one here who is nice in his company, but not compared to what the judge has just seen in Germany, and this could affect the scores. And it may be cost-prohibitive to fly in the judges for the interval checks and scoring every ten days. So we will have to see. But regardless, the North American 70-day test will go on.”
OPINIONS GALORE Kathy St. Martin and Jos Mottershead of Avalon Equine in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, have sent five stallions through testings. Most recently their German Riding Pony stallion Belafonte D’Avalon completed the 2010 pony test, while Colorado Skodstrup earned the honor of being the first Knabstrupper stallion to complete a 70-day or a 100-day test—and not only finish, but earn 3rd place in dressage and 5th place overall. “We are big advocates of the testing,” Kathy explains.
“We’ve been on both ends of the test. Our stallion Manhattan won the jumping portion of his 100-day test. And we’ve had the dubious honor of one of our stallions earning one of the lowest scores ever received at a 100-day test—Waterford placed 19th out of 19 with a score of 61 at the 2004 test at Paxton Farm. He is now a gelding.” “What really makes you appreciate the value of this
test is when you have a stallion injured,” Kathy continues. “Manhattan was competing at Level 8 and ready to debut at Grand Prix when he caught a shoe in a no-climb fence. Right there, his career was over. Thankfully he had passed his 100-day test and had his permanent license.” “We sent our boys to the test this time with the
philosophy that we’re just happy if they pass! If the scores are low, well that’s life. We try to be objective, although we really thought the pony was a rockstar! With the Knabbie, we figured he would end up in the middle of the pack. This breed only requires a 3-day stallion test! So we were pretty tickled when he did so well,” Kathy remarks. “Overall, we believe in the system. Is it perfect? No. Are
68 March/April 2011
From top: Banderas (scored 109.84) and Farscape DSF (scored 114.23) of Dreamscape Farm. Photos by Angela Pritchard
there horses that fail that shouldn’t? Probably. Did the online forums devolve into a barracuda-fest? Well…But,” she adds, “I don’t think the controversy this year was as rabid as it has been at some of the past 100-day tests.” “In a test, some of the test riders are going to push a
horse, sometimes very hard, to see how he will respond,” Kathy explains. “Whereas in a competition, the rider is focused on getting the very best out of the horse, in order to win. Many people just don’t understand the scoring, or the concept that this is a test, not a competition.” “The live streaming video convinced some people
watching at home that they knew more about the stallions than the riders, judges and training director,” Kathy says. “But the video of the final test is just a snapshot. It’s like seeing the highlights of a football game on the news and saying ‘the losing team was great, they should have won,’ without seeing the rest of the game.” Barbara Sikkink says one change that will happen
for sure next year is the end of the live-streaming video. “People should come to the test and watch the stallions
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