Stallion Show
Each year the ‘Koninklijk Friesch Paarden-Stamboek’ gets ready to organise its most prestigious event, the annual Hengstenkeuring.
The time when the Hengstenkeuring was purely centred around examinations is a thing of the past. By now the event has evolved into a varied happening in which elements of show, education and entertainment are put at centre stage along with the inspections of stallions.
The Stallion Inspection is also known to be a meeting place for the global community of people who have lost their hearts to the Friesian horse.
The ever-increasing worldwide fascination for the Friesian horse sends lots of people from all over the globe flocking into Leeuwarden during the second week of January.
Each year the event draws over 25,000 visitors from at least 30 countries and from all continents. This has earned the Stallion Inspection the reputation of the largest indoor equestrian event in the Netherlands. Even though the Hengstenkeuring keeps broadening its horizon, the Thursday still remains the scene for the inspection of young stallions: the Second Viewing. The First Viewing routinely takes place in Drachten in the first week of December.
Following the Second Viewing on Thursday and the Third Viewing on Friday it will become clear which stallions from this select group will be chosen by the judges to take part in the final phase of the stallion selection procedure, the Performance Test which kicks off in September. This select group will be presented to the public on Saturday along with the Jury´s commentary.
At a time later to be defined, the Stallion Inspection will also be the venue for a pleasant get-together of the ‘Royal Friesian Club’. The ‘Royal Friesian Club’ is a platform centred around the Friesian horse and has been set up to provide a network for businessmen with a soft spot for this breed and to look for opportunities to promote the breed.
The Friday programme hosts a wide range of clinics focusing on subjects such as breeding, training, general care, nutrition and welfare of horses. After the clinics the day will continue with the Third Viewing and the day will be concluded with the evening´s show programme.
The show programme will also highlight the foreign aspect of Friesian horse breeding. But there is more entertainment on the agenda, such as the election of the Horse of the Year and the Breeder of the Year and of course Friesian show driving horses who will put in an appearance.
The Saturday is all about the stars of the KFPS: the KFPS Studbook stallions. There are several classes in which the stallions can compete and make a bid for the highly contested Championship of the AKW Douma Trophy. There will be an attractive variation of classes and various show elements. The afternoon will end on a high note when the identity of the new Champion will be revealed.
The Hengstenkeuring / Stallion Inspection takes place in January at the WTC Expo Leeuwarden
