Mare and Stallion inspections for the Westfalen Verband are held in late summer or early fall each year, and begin with an in-hand inspection by a panel of judges. The prospect’s conformation is evaluated, and they are then judged at the walk both going away from and walking towards the panel, and on the triangle. The trot and canter are evaluated at liberty. Mares and stallions with performance careers may be accepted into the Stud Book by being granted Pradikat Sport approval. Mares must be aged 3 years or older, and stallions may be presented at age 2 for approval of the Westfalen Verband. Foals are required to be microchipped and DNA tested in order registered with the Westfalen Verband, however registration does not inherently result in Stud Book approval.
To be accepted into one of the two Westfalen Stallion Books, stallions are scored from 1-10 on Breed and Sex Type, Quality of Conformation, Correctness of Conformation and Elasticity of Gaits, Walk, Trot, Canter, Free Jumping, and Overall Impression and Development. The cumulative average score of these eight categories determines which book a stallion will be accepted into. Pedigree also plays a role in which stallion book a stallion can be accepted into for the Westfalen Verband, with only those meeting a stringent 4 generation pedigree requirement, in addition to a minimum inspection score, DNA requirement, and health and performance requirements being accepted into Stallion Book I. Those whose pedigree does not fulfill the 4 generation requirement, or who earn an average performance score of 6.0 (with no partial score below 5.0) are placed in Stallion Book II.
The mare counterpart, the Westfalen Mare Book, has similar requirements for approval. The Westfalen Verband maintains three mare books – Mare Book I, Mare Book II, and Pre-Mare Book. Placement in these books is based on the average score for the categories of Breed and Sex Type, Quality of Conformation, Correctness of Conformation and Elasticity of Gaits, Walk, Trot, Canter, and Overall Impression and Development. Mares earning an average score over 6.0 and fulfilling the 4 generation pedigree requirement are placed in Mare Book I, those who are not eligible for Mare Book I but both parents are in the main section, or who are offspring of Pre Mare Book (PMB) mares if the PMB ancestors have been crossed for three generations with horses from the main section and the mare reaches an overall score of 6.0 can be accepted in to Mare Book II. The Pre-Mare Book is made up of mares who are not eligible for the main section but represent the warmblood type and reach an overall score of 5.0 and no individual score below 4.0. Mares who are eligible by pedigree for Mare Book I and who earn a score of 7.2 or above overall will be awarded Verbands Premium. Mares who earn Premium and also complete a Mare Performance Test are eligible for Elite Status.
Two dressage stallions were licensed for breeding at the Westfalen Verband Keuring, held at Hickory Manor in Paris, Kentucky on July 26th. Brass Stables presented the stallions Kastel’s Nintendo (Negro x Monaco x Glendale) and Que RH (Quarterback x Rotspon x Walt Disney) to the judging panel, and received the incredible news that both were accepted as licensed stallions for breeding through the Westfalen Verband NA. Stacy Brass, owner of Brass Stables, offers her takeaway from the Westfalen Kuering, “Not only do you have to have the blood, gaits, quality, and correctness of confirmation, but the judges are really focusing on whether a stallion has the correct temperament that one would want passed on from generation to generation. I am glad judges recognize the huge asset that trainability and temperament bring to a horse that has the talents to succeed.”
Kastel’s Nintendo was approved through Sport based on his illustrious international Grand Prix record. Most notably, he and his owner/rider Charlotte Jorst represented the USA in the FEI World Cup in Sweden in 2016, represented the USA in 7 Nations Cups, and competed in 128 International CDI Grand Prixs, 25 of which he won. Nintendo has established himself over a long career as one of the finest dressage horses in the world. It is impressive that at the age of 20, he was still happily competing at the international Grand Prix level with Charlotte. A remarkable trait of his has been his ability to enjoy a long, uninterrupted, successful career, remaining sound at the highest level of work for many years. Now as a breeding stallion, he continues to enjoy his work, both under saddle as well as his services required for a large population of mares this season. Owner Charlotte Jorst is excited to follow the journey of his upcoming foal crop. “I am so proud of this horse. He means the world to me and I am so thrilled that he is now having an opportunity to continue a legacy for himself through his offspring. He’s an excellent stallion with top bloodlines, and I am proud to offer him to the North American market. When we were considering which breed registries to present him to, we knew that the Westfalen Verband’s solid reputation and excellent standard of breeding made them a top choice for Nintendo to be licensed through. We are very excited to offer Nintendo to Westfalen breeders for the 2024 breeding season.” Another fun fact about Nintendo is that he shares the same great sire in Negro as World Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Valegro. Nintendo is the only son of Negro who has international Grand Prix success available in North America for fresh cooled semen this year. With excellent motility, there have been many happy stories of mares being confirmed in foal to him.
Que RH, of Raehaven Farms Inc, is an upcoming FEI star who was licensed via the standard stallion testing protocol. He was observed in-hand, on the triangle, at liberty, and under saddle with rider Stacy Brass. As a son of Quarterback, he showcased three lovely, correct gaits, a high degree of rideability, and an excellent temperament, as noted by the judge. With an exciting career ahead of him, Que is a strong choice for North American breeders who wish to produce competitive, attractive, solid-minded youngsters for sport. Que also possesses a quality jump, making him a smart choice for hunter, jumper, and eventing breeders, in addition to the dressage market. With Quarterback’s passing, Que stands poised to continue the line of excellence for North America and beyond. His dam line of Rotspon x Walt Disney adds additional proven sport aptitude, correct conformation, and quality temperament to his offspring. Owner and breeder, Janet Rae has resolutely stood in Que’s corner since helping to bring him into the world as a foal. Her belief in his quality was affirmed when he won the 4 Year Old Mature Stallion Materiale class at Dressage At Devon. The feedback from the judges was extremely encouraging towards his potential. Janet is so pleased to offer him to the North American market for the 2024 season. In evidence of her support of him, she sent her top mares to Brass Stables in Kentucky to be bred to him immediately upon hearing the news of his licensing through the Westfalen Verband, in hopes of helping him to create a strong foal crop going into his freshman breeding season in 2024. “I absolutely love this stallion! I’ve always known how special he is, so it was such a surreal moment to witness him being accepted as a licensed breeding stallion. For me, he is the whole package. We feel so honored for Que to be representing the Westfalen Verband as a breeding stallion and look forward to working with Westfalen breeders to create their dream horses. I firmly believe in Que’s ability to positively impact almost any mare towards an ideal offspring, whether it is meant for an amateur or a professional.”
You can also browse the Westfalen Verband Stallion Roster, and explore this eye-catching and well-tempered breed by visiting the Westfalen Verband website, and exploring our YourDressage Westfalen Breed of the Month content.
