Treat Yourself to a Free
American Hanoverian Society Te
Educational Opportunity – INSPECTION PROCESS By Kate Palmquist T
he Hanoverian inspection process isn’t just for breeders— it has much to offer any sport horse enthusiast. Tere is an energy and brilliance to young breeding stock that is truly compelling for
any horse lover as it spans breeds and equestrian disciplines. At Hanoverian inspections, the judges freely give in-depth commentary to everyone in attendance on gaits, type and conformation. Education is a priority for the American Hanoverian So-
ciety (AHS), not just for the breeders who attend, but for all who would like to learn. Inspections take place throughout the United States and Canada. Tis article will explain these events and why you should consider attending. Spectators are welcome at all AHS inspections, and the AHS very much hopes to see you at one of their inspections in the near future.
One Rider’s Appreciation of the Hanoverian Inspection Process In 1999, Dennis Moore, an adult amateur rider in the Wash- ington, DC area acquired his first Hanoverian, the young mare Antera by Anhaltiner E out of Flavia (Wertherson/ Eminenz ) directly from her breeder. Antera’s breeder sug- gested to Moore that he have the mare “inspected.” Tat way, he was advised, the mare might someday be able to produce registered Hanoverian offspring in addition to being his pro- spective dressage horse. “I’d never been to an inspection before I took my new
mare. Te inspection was held at a large, beautiful breeding farm, and I’d never been to one of those either. After decades of riding and being around normal assortments of pleasure horses, I was awestruck by how gorgeous all the Hanoverian horses were,” says Moore. “I’d been informed that I’d have to walk and trot my mare in hand, and I’d practiced a bit before we went. I also made sure that my mare was turned out nicely. Beyond that, I really had very little idea about what would happen. I was pleased to discover that the judges and other exhibitors were both helpful and patient with me. I was impressed that one of the judges had flown in from Germany and was one of the top officials of the Hanove-
At top: The stallion Sternlicht. Photo by Bill Alphin
rian Verband. I was impressed at how carefully the judges considered each horse. I was impressed at how passionate everyone was about developing athletic sport horses. And, I was blown away by the detailed explanations the judges gave for each and every score given. You’ll never hear that at any ordinary horse show.” Tough Moore presented the mare to the best of his
ability, Antera did not achieve the scores necessary to reach the first step of eligibility to attain the title Elite Mare. “I was a bit disappointed,” he recounts. “But, now that I’ve trained her up to Fourth Level dressage, I realize that the few aspects of her conformation that received somewhat lower scores are directly related to the training challenges that I’ve experienced with her. So, even though I wasn’t happy to hear that my beautiful new mare wasn’t as perfect in the judges’ eyes as she was in my eyes, I’ve come to appre- ciate that the judges were right.” For Dennis Moore, truth was the daughter of time. Over the next decade, he purchased other Hanoverians,
and was attentive to the inspection process. “Now that I’ve been attending Hanoverian inspections for years, I can more reliably pick out good conformation and equine athletic tal- ent. Horse show judges pick winners, but don’t tell the spec- tators why. Hanoverian inspection judges publicly explain their scoring in great detail for each aspect of conformation and movement,” he continues. “As a result of learning from that instruction, I’m now able to recognize what attributes are associated with some bloodlines and to identify which ones best suit my riding and sport aspirations. Perhaps even better than the joy of seeing beautiful and talented Hanove- rian horses and cute foals at the inspections has been that many of the wonderful Hanoverian breeders, owners and enthusiasts have become good friends. In addition, all of this has been very helpful to me and to my friends when we’ve been horse shopping.” But what are the inspection judges looking for, and what,
exactly, is expected for inspections of foals, mares and stal- lions, and what can one learn from being a spectator at an inspection?
SPECIAL HANOVERIAN SECTION Warmbloods Today 55
American Hanoverian Society
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