Faith Fessenden •
aith Fessenden has been breeding KWPN horses for 35 years. She was one of the founding mem- bers of the NA-WPN, and is a USEF dressage sport horse breeding judge, member of the KWPN Inspec- tion Committee and successful sport horse breeder in Europe and U.S. She also conducts educational semi- nars at keuring sites. She keeps three to four KWPN horses on her Sierra Vista Farm in Reno, Nevada.
F
Faith’s approved stallion Bolivar (Saluut x Varola by Pantheon xx BB).
Elisabeth Austin at age eight at a keuring with the mare Rowillie.
How did you become involved with the KWPN breed? After seeing Taxateur shortly after his importation by Jeff Moore, I became addicted to pedigrees and history and the horses.
mean just focusing on bloodlines which may be fashionable today but in the long run don’t produce the good riding horses that your buy- ers are looking for. “Also, the national young horse program which came to the U.S. in the last decade has had an impact on the breeding of sport horses here,” he adds. “People are much more aware now of what kind of horse they need to produce and buy in order to develop into an FEI horse. So buyers are now going to breed- ers looking for younger prospects than they used to, and they have a better understanding of what it takes to succeed. It’s definitely in- creased the demand for two- and three-year- old horses. It used to be that a lot of these horses could get lost in the lower levels, but now they have the option of being developed in a structured, specialized program.” Te last three decades have clearly seen major changes not just with competitors, but also for North American breeders of KWPN horses. “In the early years you had a lot of what I would call inexperienced breeders,” Arts continues. “Tey wanted to get a Warmblood, but weren’t using the quality of mare needed to produce a nice horse. Tey had their horse that they were attached to and wanted to breed her just to get a baby, so they spent a lot of money and in the end they were disappointed. People were trying to do the right thing but just didn’t know what it takes to produce a good horse. Today our North American breeders are so much more educated, and this cannot be overemphasized. Of course you have to make mistakes to learn but our breeders stuck with it and made appro- priate changes to produce better horses.” As a producer of KWPN horses since 1984 with DG Bar Ranch in Hanford, California, Arts has seen firsthand how tech- nology such as frozen semen and embryo transfer have changed the landscape of breeding in North America. “Frozen semen had a huge impact here. Tirty years ago we had fresh semen, which then turned into the option of cooled shipped semen,” he explains. “But it was the availability of frozen semen from Euro- pean sires that opened up more options here in North America. Technology with frozen semen has continued to advance, so we have better and better results. Now that North American breed-
40 September/October 2014 SPECIAL KWPN-NA SECTION
What is the primary focus of your breeding program? Dressage or jumper or eventer—whatever the horse wants to do with skill and joy.
What makes the KWPN breed special for you? Knowing the individuals within the bloodlines—the horses themselves and their
owners, many of whom I knew well, not to mention videoing and photographing them.
What are the goals of your breeding program? To breed a sound (mentally and physically) athlete of above-average talent.
What factor is most influential for you in your breeding program? M-A-R-E!!!! Of above average talent, good temperament and sound.
If you had to pick a favorite horse from your program, which would it be and why? Utah Jazz (Bright Snob xx by Exclusive Native—out of Emanda ster by Vosmaer. Dam line goes back to Wachtmeester–Gelderlander). Her talent and willingness gave our family so much experience, education and joy. She successfully evented at the CCI3* level and was short-listed for the eventing team at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. We also had great success with Electra (Pion x Folio), who competed at the Grand Prix level in dressage.
What breeding lines have been the most influential in your breeding program and why?
I became enamored with ‘Amor’ (good pun but appropriate) long before I even
went to Holland—purely through my pedigree studies. Once I saw him, I always wanted him somewhere in the pedigree. Perhaps that myopia didn’t always serve me well - but I still believe in him.
Why should equestrians choose a Royal Dutch Sport Horse as their next mount? The KWPN-NA members’ support system as an extended family is amazing. One of the things I love the most is the amazing journey of the horses and breeders I got to know over the years in Holland.
Sierra Vista Farm , Reno, NV
Taxateur (Obelisk x Helena by Commandant) ridden by Chelsey Sibley.
Courtesy KWPN-NA Bill Wertman
KWPN-NA Courtesy KWPN-NA
BREEDER SPOTLIGHT
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