Reprinted from May 2018 USDF Connection magazine
With the perfect combination of talent and temperament, the Royal Dutch Sport Horse (commonly known as the Dutch Warmblood) is beloved by equestrians around the world. Originally bred as farm workhorses, the breed’s practical function has long since been replaced through generations of careful breeding to now possess the ability to excite audiences around the world with breathtaking performances in the international sporting arena.
Produced under the umbrella of the Royal Warmblood Studbook of the Netherlands (KWPN), the Royal Dutch Sport Horse is an elite equine athlete. In addition to dressage, it excels in a wide variety of disciplines, from para-equestrian and driving to jumping and vaulting, and with equestrians of all ages and abilities.
For decades, the Royal Dutch Sport Horse has been developed into three distinct breeding directions: the Riding type (RP), the Gelders type (GP), and the Harness type (TP). The Riding types are further split into Dressage (DP) and Jumper (SP) types, with a third designation, Hunter type (HP), available for foals in North America.
Dutch Warmbloods you might know: With owner/rider Laura Graves (FL), Verdades (Florett AS – Liwilarda, Goya) won team bronze at the 2016 Olympics, finished second at the 2017 FEI World Cup Dressage Final in Omaha, and was named the 2017 Adequan®/USDF Grand Prix Dressage Horse of the Year.
Warsteiner (Riverman ISF – Welona, Roemer) has claimed Grand Prix Open and Grand Prix Musical Freestyle All-Breeds titles and several US Dressage Finals honors for owner/rider Heather Mason (NJ). Rider Rebekah Mingari (IN) has achieved success with the US-bred dam-daughter duo of Allure S (Rousseau – Sizarma H, Farrington) and Elzarma TF (by UB 40). Dilona (pictured) carried Catherine Malone (FL) to the Prix St. Georges and Intermediate I Adult Amateur USDF All-Breeds championship titles last year.
The KWPN and the KWPN of North America: The KWPN, one of the world’s largest sport-horse studbooks, has for years been top-ranked by the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses. Celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2018, the Royal Dutch Warmblood Association of North America (KWPN-NA) is the official North American branch of the KWPN. With more than 1,300 members and an average of more than 420 registered foals annually over the last decade, the KWPN-NA has become one of the continent’s largest warmblood organizations.
The KWPN-NA maintains an extensive database of breed-registration information, inspection and performance results, and ownership transfers and sales for all registered KWPN horses in North America. It disseminates educational and informational data pertaining to the breeding, raising, and approval of KWPN horses. The organization schedules and conducts inspections with its annual North American keuring tour.
All-Breeds awards offered: First five places in all categories and levels offered by the USDF.
How to participate: At least one owner must be a current KWPN-NA member. The horse must be registered in the owner’s name with the KWPN-NA.
Learn more: kwpn-na.org or (859) 225-5331.
