“The extra cost, time requirement, and risk of injury of these youngsters is also often cited as reasons as to why most experienced breeders do not have their foals evaluated.”
year. The top 2016 foal sold for 460,000 SEK (48,360 euros); the average was 120,000 (12,531 euros). In Germany foals have sold for over 100,000 euros. Dutch foal auctions see an average of 15,000 euros for jumper foals and 13,000 euros for dressage foals. Trakehner foals average 10,000 euros at auction.
Predicting the Future Is there a correlation between foal scores and their scores three years later? In Sweden in 2008, there was a study that explored correlations between foal scores and those for three-year-olds. Researcher Maria Edlén reported positive correlations between foal scores and those given to the same horses as three-year-olds for type and gaits. Carol Reid has bred generations of Swedish Warm-
bloods at Pembroke Farm in Lemitar, New Mexico includ- ing the 2016 top-scoring SWANA foal in the U.S., the filly Vivaccia (Van Vivaldi x Contucci). Carol bred the mare Un Amour (San Amour x Don Schufro) who was Class I foal in 2013 and earned her dressage diploma in 2016. Un Amour’s colt Greyjoy (sired by Grey Flanell, Gribaldi x Clavecimbel) was awarded 9 for his trot, a shade above his dam’s 8.5 at her 2013 foal inspection. “Type is exceptional—a 10,” said Judge Ulf Wadeborn. Citing the conformation as very correct, Ulf praised the angles of this foal’s legs and the length of pasterns. “Today we see too much angle in the hocks. If the femur is more forward—not more perpendicular—then it’s easier for the horse to engage,” he added. DG Bar can also point to several horses who received high
scores as foals and went to excel in their disciplines. “Valeska- DG (Krack C x Farrington) was always First Premium, also Keur Elite. She has the status of Preferent now,” Willy says, adding her foals have qualified her for the Preferent predicate. Her daughters have won championships and reserve champion- ships in the KWPN-NA Top Five honors. He calls her “a fabulous producer” and notes she competed in FEI Young Horse tests at five and six, and was selected to go to the World Championship in Verden as a six-year-old. She competed to Fourth Level. Dalina DG Keur, Elite (Jazz,
Preferent x Contango, Prefer- ent) was also a First Premium foal. She went on to win the DG Bar Cup for 7-8-year- olds and competed to Prix St. Georges. Another DG Bar mare, Caliente DG, received a Second Premium as a foal. She is now Keur Elite, and all
her foals have been First Premium. Caliente DG has shown at Intermediare I. Iron Spring’s Andorra ISF Keur, Sport, Elite (Sir Sinclair
Keur x Consul) is another example. “As a foal she was Reserve Champion foal of the Top Five. When she went back as a three-year-old, she was North American Champion Dres- sage Mare. In sport Catherine Malone rode her up to Prix St. Georges and Intermediare I,” Meghan says. Andorra is now producing foals at Iron Spring Farm. Foal evaluations also contribute to a stallion’s status. “In
Europe the foals are scored on the stallion’s first foal report to see how he produces. The stallion owner selects some and the KWPN randomly selects others. If the foal report isn’t good, he is often sold to another country,” Merijane explains. Foal scores contribute to the statistics maintained by the
breed associations. Judging foals gives breeders early results of how characteristics are passed on. Each Warmblood regis- try maintains detailed databases and can assess data for generations available to scientists who look for the heritabil- ity (genetic strength) of the traits that are scored.
Breeder Challenges To register a foal, breeders are generally not required to present their foals at breed inspections. And many choose to wait until their youngsters are older, despite the potential benefits. “The reason they don’t do linear scoring with foals is a lot of people don’t present the foals. People wait till the horse is three, and then the linear score sheet has a lot more mean- ing because the horse is more mature,” Willy explains Presenting foals certainly has its challenges and poten-
tial pitfalls. A foal may be at an unappealing growth stage, leaving him high in the croup, for example. That can affect his hind leg activity and make it difficult for him to move in
Left: Valeska-DG Keur, Elite (Krack C x Farrington) ridden by Willy Arts. Right: Dalina DG Keur, Elite (Jazz, Preferent x Contango, Preferent) competing as a four-year-old at the 2012 USEF National Dressage Championships, ridden by Willy Arts.
Warmbloods Today 57
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