BEHIND THE BARN DOOR
Your KWPN-NA E-Newsletter for March 2018
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New Bronze Level Breeder Award Given to Tracy Geller
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From the dressage ring to the show jumping arena and eventing cross-country to combined driving marathon, March was a big month for KWPN horses in North American competition!
Keep up with what's happening both in and out of the competition arena by "liking" our
Facebook page
,
and remember to adjust your News Feed settings so you'll be the first to see our posts!
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Willy Arts Grant Recipients Announced
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The KWPN-NA is proud to announce a record number of five recipients of the
2018 Willy Arts Grant
for Juniors & Young Riders (sponsored by Little Creek Farm)! Congratulations to
Tessa Holloran
(MA),
Tillie Jones
(NE),
Grace Jordan
(ME),
Sarah Yoffe-Sharp
(CA), and
Elsie Reford
(Quebec CAN), who will each receive a $3,000 cash grant to pursue their training and competitive goals this year. We're sure we'll be hearing much more about these rising stars over the course of the season - stay tuned!
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2018 Keuring Tour Announced
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The
2018 Keuring schedule
has been set - thank you to all of our generous hosts! Keuring Booklets will be available online as well as being mailed with the 2018 Stallion Directory (coming soon). Registration will open around May 1st.
Read more
HERE
.
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Reminder for Stallion Owners
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Hello handsome! Got a sexy stallion that you're thinking about presenting at one of this year's keurings? Remember that you must
submit a copy of the stallion's pedigree papers to us by April 15th
to send to the KWPN for approval. You will then be required to present the stallion for either the advice keuring or the licensing class; but note that you don't have to invest in the veterinary requirements until after the keuring if the owner so chooses. Questions?
Contact our office
- we're here to help!
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The Members' Committee is proud to introduce a new educational series, "Letters to the Judge"! Our first installment asks Bart Henstra about what he looks for in a Jumper foal.
Have a question? We want to hear from you!
E-mail us
and your question may be featured in a future post!
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Spring is officially here, but it's still a little chilly out there! How about showing your KWPN pride with a super new jacket for spring? Check out all our cozy clothing options in the KWPN-NA Marketplace on our website.
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Here's another great benefit for KWPN-NA members from our friends at Microchip Id Systems! Not only is the PocketHero microchip reader on sale for just $59.95 (regular price $75.95), but KWPN-NA members can use promo code
savemore
to take an additional $10 off!
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New Feature!
KWPN-NA Member of the Month
Bethany
Hutchins-Kristen, Dryden, Mich.
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In the international sport of eventing, it can be a challenge for competitors to excel in all three phases: the precision of dressage, the talent for show jumping, and the endurance and heart for cross-country. But that’s where event rider Bethany Hutchins-Kristen and her homebred KWPN mounts shine, turning heads over the last year as they’ve racked up wins at the 1* and 2* levels up and down the East Coast. As our March 2018 Member of the Month, let’s find out more about Bethany:
KWPN-NA: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your horses.
Bethany:
I am a 34-year-old professional rider from Dryden, Mich. where my mom Marian Holleman-Hutchins and I have 10 horses at our Haven Valley Farm. We also spend winters training and competing in Ocala, Fla. My two top horses that I’m currently competing are Bronte HVF and Geluk HVF, both of which are homebreds – I’ve always ridden whatever we breed. These horses are my life!
Bronte HVF
is a 2006 KWPN mare (Contango x Katrina by Roemer) who is currently competing at the 2*/Intermediate level. Her barn name is Charlie. My other very amazing horse is her son, our seven-year-old KWPN stallion
Geluk HVF
(Jazz x Bronte HVF x Contango), competing at the 1*/Preliminary level. He represents our fourth generation of breeding, and is the full package! I do think Geluk will be a 4* stallion, and maybe even a U.S. Team horse someday, and that is really exciting, especially because he is a homebred. I pinch myself every day that I get to ride him – he is just such a team player.
KWPN-NA: What are some of your most recent or notable accomplishments?
Bethany:
Bronte won the Open Preliminary division at Rocking Horse Winter III a few weeks ago here in Florida, but it’s Geluk who’s really been on a roll. He won the CCI* National Championships in Kentucky last fall, and he was ranked 5th for eventing stallions in the U.S. for 2017. This month he had another fabulous weekend at the Ocala Winter II at the Florida Horse Park, where he won the Preliminary Horse division on his dressage score. Not only did he have one of the best dressage scores of the 600+ entries, but he also finished with the lowest final score of the 94 preliminary entries across six divisions AND was the FASTEST preliminary horse on cross-country!
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KWPN-NA: What is a funny habit or unusual thing that your horses do that people may not realize?
Bethany:
Despite being mother and son, my horses are polar opposites! Bronte is a nervous nelly, full of quirks, super spooky, and a high maintenance girl. She has been known to jump out of pastures, stalls, and horse trailers – she actually broke her back and some ribs in the horse trailer a few years ago and the vets said she may never be rideable again, let alone be able to compete. Not only did Bronte make a full recovery, but she exceeded everyone's expectations. I credit that to her enormous heart and work ethic. She really is incredible, and because she is so abundantly talented, I never give up on her no matter what shenanigans she gets into!
Conversely, Geluk is one cool dude: he’s so “chill” in his stall and to handle, and then he lights up when it's time to perform. But he does get super “hangry”, so he gets all the hay he wants to keep him happy! And he'll eat ANYTHING – sour gummy bears, almonds, anything. Geluk loves to go places, and when he sees the trailer getting packed and stops and watches until it's time to go. He loves to go to the party! He's just as relaxed at a competition as he is at home.
KWPN-NA: How did you get involved in eventing, and what is your favorite thing about the sport?
Bethany:
I started eventing through Pony Club when I was eight years old, and I've been hooked ever since. I can honestly say I love all three disciplines of eventing. My mom is a dressage professional, so that is always near and dear to my heart. But I absolutely love how technical upper level cross-country has gotten, and I love the challenge of riding all those technical lines. It requires very good training on the flat and trust between horse and rider.
KWPN-NA: How did you end up with a KWPN horse, and what do you think is special about the breed?
Bethany:
My mom has been breeding Dutch horses since I was a little girl, just on a small scale for our own riding. When I was around 11 years old, I remember visiting Iron Spring Farm to see Contango and I was just in awe. When I first started eventing, it was all Thoroughbreds and I seemed to be the only one on a warmblood, but now at the top 4* level it is mostly warmbloods. For decades my mom and I have believed that KWPN horses are perfect for eventing: they have so much “blood”, quick reflexes, super cat-like jump ability, are great movers, are sensitive, smart and have self-preservation... but most importantly the Dutch horses are careful. And when facing a big cross-country course, nothing makes you feel safer than leaving the start box on a horse that you trust and know is quick and careful with his feet!
Learn more about Bethany and her amazing KWPN horses on her website
HERE
!
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Thank You to our Sponsors:
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KWPN-NA | 859.225.5331 | drew@kwpn-na.org | www.kwpn-na.org
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