in Europe, I have a better chance of tracing what that horse does in performance and knowing that he will not be identi- fied more than one time because of the numbering system. As a breeder, I want to be able to track a horse’s performance wherever he or she goes in the world and get the appropri- ate recognition for the work that I have done as a breeder. The WBFSH is working toward a more cooperative atmo-
sphere that ensures the appropriate recognition and access to information for improving our breeding programs. The more access we have to good data in breeding stock, the better off we are overall. Also we strongly promote the publication of breeding and
breeder information on the starting lists for competition. This is more developed in Europe than in North America, but it’s coming.
Q: Why did you decide to run for the board position? A: There had been much discussion of the Eurocentric nature of the organization, especially on the administrative level. In hiring a consultant to analyze how the administra- tion is delivering its services to members, the organization has begun a transition to broader participation. WBFSH wants to increase the opportunity for the smaller studbooks to work together. We are all doing the same thing in our own jurisdictions, duplicating our efforts. WBFSH will provide the platform for discussion of cooperation. North America, especially the U.S., is loaded with small studbooks.
With the changes in the making, it seemed an opportune time to join the board.
Q: Do you feel that the WBFSH understands the unique challenges of the North American breeder? A: President Jan Pedersen has encouraged participation by the non-European and smaller studbooks and most of the European studbooks are quite familiar with what goes on in North America. In many cases, they have a “daughter” rela- tionship with a studbook in the U.S. From a Canadian perspective, the United States is a bit of an anomaly when you look at the rest of the world. Most countries have one or two national studbooks that are histor- ically based on a geographic location. The U.S. is the only country that has instead adopted the daughter process for a number of studbooks. Also, the United States operates under an entirely differ-
ent legislative environment than most countries; it has no regulatory structure under which the studbooks operate. In Canada and Europe, there is some kind of legislative struc- ture that mandates how the studbooks operate. Not in the U.S.
Canada’s Animal Pedigree Act regulates the creation of studbooks for registration of all animals—pigs, dogs, horses —in order to protect consumers. In Canada, we feel this is important. We are so tiny that if our market was a free-for-all, we could have 25 small books with five members each, and it just wouldn’t work. The U.S. is market driven. Personally, I think the U.S. is missing an opportunity. If all the Warmblood studbooks in the U.S. were amalgamated, they would be a significant force in the world. You would have shared resources and tools to help the breeders. You would see American horses excelling and ranking higher up. Now that is just my personal opinion.
Q: What impact do you envision that you can make on behalf of the North American registries and breeders? A: As a board member, I have a responsibility to act on behalf of the organization. I won’t define my function just in terms of the smaller stud books, but I do bring that perspec- tive. Given this new administrative governance plan which will encourage more cooperation and discussion among the stud books, I hope that I will be able to play a large role in liaising and coordinating that kind of collaboration.
Q: Do you have a message to North American breeders, registries, competitors and the governing bodies of our sports? A: I encourage small studbooks to be more engaged in the organization, and be more open to working together for a mutual benefit. We are in a world of rapid change, and we cannot take for
granted a sacrosanct place for the horse for the rest of this century. We must be proactive in creating an environment wherein all people can enjoy the benefits of horse use and ownership, because breeders will only thrive when the horse is a vital part of our society and culture.
76 January/February 2016
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