by the FEI in competition,” she says. “For the jumping horses, it’s a similar combination with an even stronger commitment to very solid and proven jumping bloodlines.” Even with these changes in type and discipline specificity,
Vermont breeder Madeleine Austin believes that some funda- mental traits ring true in all KWPN horses. “Te fairly recent breeding designations have been interesting. Tirty years ago, all of the horses were pretty much bred to jump,” she says. “Many of the best international horses still have pedigrees with strong jumping lines, something I have been adamant about for my entire career. For a dressage horse, you need the big engine, not just the pretty front leg.”
Jackie Ahl-Eckhaus M •
Willy Arts is chairman of the KWPN-NA Board of Directors
and knows that in order to be successful a breeder has to pro- duce what the market demands, and these demands change over time. “Twenty years ago a primary market was for older, reliable horses for amateurs,” he explains. “But now riders, including adult amateurs, are better and better and increasingly competi- tive. Tey want horses that are not only rideable but can score an ‘8’ on gaits. Breeders have to always think ahead, perhaps ten years ahead, realizing that the horses they produce today will have to meet tomorrow’s standards. Successful breeders have to be able to evolve and know what’s going on in sport and how to produce what the market will demand, which doesn’t always
Mountain View Sport Horses, San Luis Obispo, CA •
www.mountainviewsporthorses.com
ountain View Sport Horses is an owner-operated breeding, showing, training and sales farm located on ten acres in the
heart of the San Joaquin Valley. Dedicated to breeding and train- ing quality dressage prospects for both professional and amateur riders, farm owner and founder Jackie Ahl-Eckhaus established Mountain View Sport Horses in 1993. Since then, she has bred many top-ten national keuring award winners, FEI young horse finalists and a KWPN-NA DG Bar Cup national champion. She is also a USDF “L” judge and FEI competitor, earning USDF bronze and silver medals.
How did you become involved with the KWPN breed? Previously I was mainly a Thoroughbred owner and breeder.
But I was getting interested in dressage and I wanted to breed horses with more substance, disposition and natural ability for the sport. So I visited DG Bar Ranch, where I learned a lot about the Dutch Warmbloods.
What is the primary focus of your breeding program (dressage, jumping, harness, etc.)? We mainly breed for dressage. Occasionally the horses are quite capable and compete in jumping as well.
How long have you been breeding KWPN horses? We started Mountain View Sport horses with the KWPN-NA in 1993, so 21 years. We have a total of seven KWPN-NA horses, one Oldenburg and four KWPN-NA foals at this time.
What makes the KWPN breed special for you? First of all, the horses. Also the research and information shared with the breeders. They are very strict on their grading of the horses, which helps guide you in breeding goals. The stallions are tested and must also pro- duce a good crop of foals before they are approved.
Why should equestrians choose a Royal Dutch Sport Horse as their next mount? They are talented, for-
ward, hardworking horses that are beautiful, willing, powerful and want to please.
What are the goals of your breeding program? To produce an amateur-
Jackie Ahl-Eckhaus riding Wisdom MVS (Farrington x Lumara by Flemming).
38 September/October 2014
friendly, professional-quali- ty competition horse.
SPECIAL KWPN-NA SECTION
What factor is most influen- tial for you in your breeding program? The mare must have quali-
ty, movement and a trainable character before you even consider the stallion.
If you had to pick a favorite horse from your program, which would it be and why? At the moment I would
Inspection of her colt Genius MVS (Uphill x Lumara by Flemmingh).
say Wisdom MVS. He has the quality, movement, disposition and trainability a good horse should have. He is now training toward the Grand Prix. You can take him from the show arena to the beach or mountain trails and enjoy a wonderful ride.
What breeding lines have been the most influential in your breed- ing program and why? My main mare Lumara (Keur, Perferent, Sport Dressage) is Flem- mingh x Ahorn and out of the Fumara mare line. I have had six foals from different stallions with Lumara, and they have all been first premium, good movers with good character, which makes them excellent prospects for success. This year her daughter Ember MVS (Westpoint x Flemmingh) has joined our broodmare line up with a colt by Rousseau. We have three foals from Lu- mara through embryo transfer: two by Brettonwoods and one by Charmeur.
What are some of the major successes of your program or what aspects are you most proud of? We have had many top ten and now top five in the nation
KWPN-NA foals and three-year-olds, and have twice been the win- ner of the DG Bar Cup. Our first foal Madrigal (first premium foal, second in the nation KWPN-NA three-year-old) won many USDF and CDS (California Dressage Society) Championships through the Intermediaire 2 level. Our star Wisdom MVS (first premium foal, two-time winner of the DG Bar Cup) was ninth in the nation as a five-year-old at the Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championships. He’s gone on to have many more wins through Intermediaire 1 and recently was thirteenth in the country in the Dutta Corp/USEF Intermediaire National Championships at Glad- stone, New Jersey—and the only horse there trained and ridden by his breeder! Si Donna MVS is currently standing twelfth in the national rankings for the four-year-old division of the Young Horse Championships. There are many more to mention and each year we have new, beautiful, and correct foals on the ground and can’t wait to see how they grow up.
Tass Jones
KWPN-NA BREEDER SPOTLIGHT Terri Miller
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