ers have ready access to the best stallions in Europe with frozen semen, quality of the mare is what makes the difference, and over time we’ve seen better and better mares here. “Embryo transfer has also made its mark,” he continues.
“Economics have changed: years ago, the international cur- rency exchange rate was much more favorable for buyers in America and shipping costs were significantly lower, so it was actually cheaper to buy a young horse in Holland and ship it over than it was to try to breed it here, especially if using em- bryo transfer. So for a long time, importing was the way to go. But things have changed, and now the situation is reversed. While embryo transfer is still not exactly a cheap way to go, it is an increasingly viable option for younger mares to be able to keep showing while reproducing, so it makes the genetics go faster. Before you had to wait ten years for a mare to prove her- self in sport and then breed her, but now you can start breeding her much younger using embryo transfer while she’s still com- peting, and that speeds up the entire process of genetics. Also we have better horses here now in North America, so we can breed for ourselves. We did our first embryo transfer 23 years
ago, but we’re using it much more today so that our horses are able to produce better and better individuals.” But in our modern world where change seems to hap- pen at a faster and faster rate (including in horse sport), Fessenden expresses caution for breeders. “Te European studbooks are becoming commercially competitive to a point where the peripheral goals are muddied. Te focus on market share, world rankings, and auction revenues is pervasive, and the money now involved is staggering and undermines com- mon sense. Tese factors have driven genotype and pheno- type changes/selection to be made at a speed that could make Mother Nature and Darwin gasp…and some unintended consequences have begun to appear,” she warns. “My advice is for breeders to take the time to determine their goals, know their mares’ strengths and weaknesses, be thoughtful when selecting the stallion and sit back to enjoy, study, evaluate and use the resultant offspring—help them to find where they are happiest and healthiest. Remember, any colt or filly produced is ultimately their responsibility.” v
Madeleine Austin • Imajica, Williston, VT •
www.imajica.net M
adeleine Austin’s Dutch Warmblood breeding program at her 88-acre farm Imajica in Williston, Vermont has
produced national champions, KWPN Top Five horses and FEI competitors. Madeleine has imported numerous horses from Holland during the last thirty years that have had extremely successful careers in several disciplines. Also a popular trainer and coach, she has trained numerous horses to Grand Prix and has had students long-listed for the Olympics (eventing and dressage), World Equestrian Games and Pan American Games (dressage), including her daughter Elisabeth who rode home- bred KWPN stallion Olivier to the inaugural Brentina Cup Na- tional Championship in 2006. In 2010, the pair was long-listed for the FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky.
How did you become involved with the KWPN breed? My family is Dutch and when I wanted to import horses for myself to compete, it was only natural to look in Holland.
How long have you been breeding KWPN horses? I have been breeding KWPN horses since 1983. We focus on producing dressage horses.
What are the goals of your breeding program? It has always been my goal to breed horses that are able to
compete at the highest levels of sport. My horses have to be pleasant to train and have the de- sire to do the work.
Olivier, their flagship stallion, was an inter- national Grand Prix horse, here ridden by Elisabeth Austin.
42 September/October 2014
What factor is most influential for you in your breed- ing program? The desire to do the work at hand. If a horse has no interest in participating, the amount of talent is irrelevant.
SPECIAL KWPN-NA SECTION
What breeding lines have been the most influen- tial in your breed- ing program and why? My foundation
mare, Rowillie, was not from the most fashionable pedigree, being by a Holsteiner father out of a Gelders mother. However, every horse she produced had a gift for the hardest movements of the Grand Prix.
New star for Imajica: Coltrane by Olivier.
What are some of the major successes of your program? Olivier (1996 KWPN stallion, Crown Predicate, Idocus x Rowil-
lie [Keur, Preferent, Prestatie] by Porter) clearly has been the most successful horse that I have produced, and he has com- peted at international Grand Prix since 2007. If I had to pick a favorite horse he would be it - he was the first to compete suc- cessfully at the international level and has always been a plea- sure to ride and train. We shipped Olivier semen to the Neth- erlands because he is recognized as an improvement sire for Gelders breeding. Now, that is full circle! Also Winter’s Tale (by Idocus out of Rowillie, shown as Wenatchi and now as Baltazar) competed in the Nation’s Cup in Wellington in 2013. He is also a successful FEI horse. Coltrane (Olivier x Doruto) is one of our up-and-coming youngsters and started his show career with an 80%. He is currently schooling everything from the Grand Prix and looks to be a good bet to follow in his sire’s footprints. He belongs to my daughter, Liz Austin.
Why should equestrians choose a Royal Dutch Sport Horse as their next mount? The KWPN horse can range from a brilliant international
competitor to a safe and kind friend with whom to go hack- ing. I think the breed offers many options and most people can find the horse of their dreams within the registry.
Imajica
KWPN-NA BREEDER SPOTLIGHT Courtesy Imajica
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