[QUOTE=fannie mae;7238622]
they are nominated by the vorstand and need to be confirmed by the delegates - at least that is the case in westfalia and i assume it is the same with any other verband.
re totilas
there have been four totilas sons so far at the various preselections (westf, oldbg, hann) and non of them belonged there (my very personal opinion).
the licensing of the one here in hanover was a slap in the face to any other stallion owner who had a less critical stallion out there that wasn’t licensed for good reason. they have to accept it and they do. however, the spontaneous reaction of the public truly speaks for itself and the licensing committe lost a lot of credibility letting this one pass.[/QUOTE]
YES!!
[QUOTE=alexandra;7239381]
Regarding the Totilas, rumours are floating that Gal/Glock only wanted to buy him as lisenced stallion so I really doubt that he will be gelded. And I was sitting on the other sidfe of the committeee when Dr. Schade gave the judggment licensed and all people whistled. The reactions in the face of the committee were rather interesting to put it mildly !
The crowd gave its clear opinion to that act of licensing this stallion. And we are not talking about a crowd that has just been to level 1 dressge shows as spectators. On friday I saw so many German top riders and also international people, we are really speaking of a crowd that included a lot of real experts !
This is a licensing so I expect stallion material there. And not material that a top rider selects. Do not misunderstand me there. Of course we need breeding stallions to be able to produce horses that topriders want, but the licensing process is more to it, it has to ensure all sorts of qualities stay in the breed. This means they need to look after the fact that walk needs to be present, they need to look after the fact that strong backs are there, so that we do not end up breeding this movement wonders, that are not able to hold up to the collection work - (same accounts for jumpers). They need to take care that we do not have crooked or horses with fundamental issues as multiplies in the breed. etc. etc.
A rider can decide for himself whether he can live with a crooked leg, mediocre walk etc. and can still end up in the top international levels.
But the licensing is not a selling event of great furture horses as such. It ist the main event that ensures the quality of a breed for today and for the future. Hence an animal that is good enough to be selected by a toprider, but has other issues that make the crowd of a licensing whistle, and yelling booh, should not have been licensed. Period.
Sabine and I have a friend that had a stallion in the same ring as the totilas. A colt that was not super super, but all correct cnfirmation correct, pretty and with three equally good gaits. That one got not licensed where quite a few people said well, he could have been licensed. And than as a breeder/owner of that one you see a few horses later the Totilas beeing licensed - that is a slap in the face of that breeder and also others !
I would not put it as hard as Fanniemae though but I have the feeling licensing this Totilas was a matter of generating a higher price. In the end he would also first need to fulfill performance requirements and than breeders need to decide if they can life with the quality. I guess it will be the same as with Totilas himself. In the end not too many breeders will use him, so the damage to the breed maybe rather small…[/QUOTE]
YES! And where I bolded, time must yet wait as this was only his first crop brought forward. Perhaps he may be a stallion that does not fit with Germany’s mare base, but he might do better with another type of mare base. Although with the ones that Fannie Mae mentioned who were brought to other registries, it may well be that enthusiasm will decline nonetheless.
Consider - the basic gaits must be naturally there. Especially the walk and the canter. A good rider can improve the trot many times. A trot does not MUCH for the horse in regards to physical abilities. A naturally good, balanced, swinging, rhythmical walk inherently proves the muster of the basic and intrinsic glue required of every dressage test. The canter must be through, balanced, swinging and uphill with the hindquarter biomechanics carrying the power of the horse. The trot is your flash in the pan, but it is little else. The walk and the canter prove THE HORSE. Some of the stallions presented who were licensed had gaits which were doubtful. As a breeder and retired dressage rider, these do not spark interest from me.
The judges are supposed to be the protectors of the Hanoverian TYPE and BREED CHARACTERISTICS and to strive to eliminate as many faults as possible. Severe winging or paddling, or a horse who is strung out instead of coupled together, a horse who has brains in his head instead of flying around like an idiot on a loose cannonball. The inherent characteristics of Hanoverian breed type are a strong, correct foundational body, with a good brain in its skull and a highly defined athletic ability. My words putting together the basic parameters.
And also of the 50 or so stallions that were licensed here, some will not go on to SPT. A rare couple or few who were not licensed here may go on to become approved by sheer performance values.
