newcomer to the international stage, but with her KWPN gelding Verdades (Florett AS x Goya) she has rocketed to stardom and made headlines across the globe by earning a ticket to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) as member of Team USA. Also headed to France for the WEG is the young Canadian pair of Megan Lane and her own 13-year-old KWPN mare Caravella (Con- tango x Riverman), who have risen through the ranks together from the FEI Junior and Young Rider divisions (including winning four medals) to now represent their country at the top level of international sport. Not to be outdone, the Royal Dutch
is a cornerstone of the U.S. jumping team and rode Abigail Wexner’s KWPN gelding Simon (Mr. Blue x Polydox) to glory by winning the 2013 Rolex FEI Jumping World Cup, a vic- tory which also earned Simon the honor of being named the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Horse of the Year in January. Up and com- ing riders also “go Dutch” in choosing their mounts, such as rising star Jessica Springsteen with Vindicat W (Guidam x Libero H). On the eventing front, America’s Lau-
Sport Horse also excels in the jumping arena. As just one example, U.S. rider Kent Farrington has found great success with his KWPN mounts, including Voyeur (Tolando van’t Riethof x Goodwill) who was recently honored with the Halla Challenge Trophy for “Best Horse of Aachen” after a spectacular second-place finish in the Rolex Grand Prix in Aachen, Germany in July. Farrington has also enjoyed wins with his flashy gray geldings Willow (Guidam x Little Rock) and Uceko (Celano x Koriander). Beezie Madden
Judy Reggio J •
Beezie and Simon (Mr. Blue x Naline by Polydox) at 2013 Rolex FEI World Cup in Gothenburg.
ren Kieffer wowed the crowd and stole the show at this spring’s Rolex Kentucky three day event, as she rode the lovely 12-year-old KWPN mare Veronica (Pacific x Ferro) to place second overall to William Fox-Pitt in the CCI 4* and earn the Rolex/USEF Na-
tional CCI 4*Championship. Prefer carriages to saddles? No problem—the KWPN horse also excels in harness and is the choice of the world’s best drivers including Floridian Chester Weber, who in July became the first American four-in-hand driver to win the CAIO 4* at Aachen with his team of Dutch Warmbloods and is a favorite for an individual medal at the World Equestrian Games.
Windy Ridge Farm, Bethel, PA
udy Reggio delved into breeding in order to pursue a dream of producing an international-quality sport horse for her daugh-
ter. This labor of love became a pursuit which is now in its third decade, as she continues breeding quality Royal Dutch Sport Horses on the rolling green fields of her 30-acre Windy Ridge Farm in Bethel, Pennsylvania, 90 minutes northwest of Philadelphia and just minutes from the famous Devon showgrounds.
How did you become involved with the Dutch Warmblood breed? My journey in the Warmblood world began back in the late
‘80s. At that time I was attempting to breed my daughter’s fu- ture Olympic dressage mount, and I started with our 17-hand Thoroughbred mare that we had retired from eventing. I visited many different registries here in the U.S. and decided to breed my mare to Grundstein 1. In the interim, Iron Spring Farm sponsored a weekend seminar given by Gert van der Veen and I would say that that weekend was a turning point in my life. Roemer was presented as part of the program, and he was so special - he was everything that I thought that I was looking for. He was athletic, excelled in both jumping and dressage and, above all, he pos- sessed a wonderful character.
What makes the Royal Dutch Sport Horse breed special for you? As the world standings attest, the Dutch horse (and the system
that produces it) is the most successful breeding program in the sport horse world! I am proud to be considered a breeder of Dutch horses. We are not a stagnant, rest-on-your-laurels stud- book. We are in the forefront of the breeding industry, whether it is in genetic research or with an innovative selection process.
What factor is most influential for you in your breeding program? In 1997 the KWPN North American office helped to arrange a
trip to the Netherlands for the stallion show. That was my next life-changing experience. I have often described it as though I had been living in a dark tunnel and once in Holland I was step- ping into another world! The things that I had been told started
44 September/October 2014 SPECIAL KWPN-NA SECTION •
www.windyridgefarm.com
to make sense, such as the importance of the mare line and a sport pedigree, the adherence to strict standards, and continually striving to define and im- prove with each genera- tion. Since that first trip I have returned a number of times and each time I have returned home with ever-increasing under- standing and respect for the Dutch breeding goals.
Windy Ridge’s mare Allelulia by Sir Sin- clair won numerous awards.
What breeding lines have been the most influential in your breed- ing program and why? With the advent of exported frozen semen, our world has ex-
panded. Some of my earlier breedings have been to Flemmingh, 007, Zeoliet, Jazz and Uphill. I have two Uphill offspring and both have been very successful, including Grand Jewel, (Uphill/Jazz) who was the filly winner at Devon. I attempted to breed to Krack C, Vivaldi, and Bretton Woods without success. The Dalhoeve has been most helpful and allowed us to replace the Bretton Woods breeding. I am expecting a Charmeur foal in April!
What are some of the major successes of your program or what aspects are you most proud of? Allelulia WRF (by Sir Sinclair) made three national top five lists
for the KWPN-NA in 2008 with the highest IBOP score, number four in the nation for dressage mares and number two in the DG Bar cup. She also went on to win the three-year-old Materiale class at Dressage at Devon and was the “Born in the USA” cham- pion for her division. This was the first time in the history of North America that a three-year-old has been awarded a keur. She went on to finish in the top ten in the nation as a four-year-old at the Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championships.
Vidal Photography
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KWPN-NA BREEDER SPOTLIGHT
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