|
Pages: « 1 2
|
 |
|
Author
|
Topic: 70 Day Test Revisited and how it pertains to our approvals (Read 2152 times)
|
|
|
acottongim
ata
Old Hand
 Offline
Posts: 1,435
I love Trakehners!
|
Yep six. 
Incantare (owned by Andrew)
Tatendrang (my boy)
Inamerato (Tina Potter's)
A'Osiris (Zenda Farrel's)
Cardinali (Jenny's)
Apollo Sun (Betty's)
The last 3 are there to actually get their performance requirements completed through eventing. Obviously Inky is there as he owns him. Mine and Tina's are there to continue with their performance careers (didn't think Tate would stop at age 4 did you? LOL).
The trail ride that we went on the other day was Tate, Inky, and Siris with me on Preston.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
JRR
Old Hand
Offline
Posts: 544
I love Trakehners!
|
Yep six. Incantare (owned by Andrew) Tatendrang (my boy) Inamerato (Tina Potter's) A'Osiris (Zenda Farrel's) Cardinali (Jenny's) Apollo Sun (Betty's) The last 3 are there to actually get their performance requirements completed through eventing. Obviously Inky is there as he owns him. Mine and Tina's are there to continue with their performance careers (didn't think Tate would stop at age 4 did you? LOL). The trail ride that we went on the other day was Tate, Inky, and Siris with me on Preston.
I'd love to see them all out together on a trail ride... what a fabulous video that would make
It's hard to come up with a definitive opinion about the tests. On the one hand, they are most certainly not set up for either eventers or hunters so have possibly limited interest to NA breeders on the whole. On the other hand, the test staff *do* know what they are doing - they know the difference between stallion moments, young horse moments, and undesirable character traits. Trakehners are 'special', yes, but plenty of them go through the testing in Europe and making excuses for their specialness does them no favors.
The 70 day test is not just a snapshot in time and further, if North American breeding has any hope of being taken seriously, we have to abide by the European rules.
Silver Creek's stallion Autobahn is an interesting comparison. Talented, very well bred, and tested in a group of ludicrously high scoring stallions. He was a really really good horse. But he wasn't good enough on his interior scores and so his owners chose to geld him. There was a thread on Uncouth about the reasoning behind this decision.... why should a stallion be penalized for being a stallion? And the answer was that the owner did not see the value in breeding a stallion with an attitude, no matter how well bred or talented, when there were so many other stallions to choose from. (Not only that, his talent ensured that he commanded a very high price, as did Fielding, who won? came second? at his testing who was sold as a hunter and was promptly gelded). Testing is not the end of the world for a horse!
I've already said that I wouldn't breed to a stallion that did poorly in a test, because I breed to sell, and that's a tough sell in an already tough market.
Everyone has to examine their breeding goals - are you breeding for yourself or for sale? Are you breeding an all rounder or a specialist? Are you breeding for the upper levels or for the amateur market? Your answers will define your choices and will determine what risks you are prepared to take or not with your stallion choice... if you can afford to take a chance.
If you think a stallion will advance the breed, then breed to him, but that should always be the goal of a breeder - to improve the breed - not just to produce more horses. I hope that Cardinali goes on to have a successful competition career and can overcome this handicap.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Juniper Ridge Ranch
|
|
|
Maren
ata
Old Hand
Offline
Posts: 691
The Bouncer
|
he 70 day test is not just a snapshot in time and further,
Sorry, yes it is. And if a person decides to geld a stallion because of a 70 day test score, ESPECIALLY in the temperament department, then I feel really sorry for that person. Nonsense. Really. Seen ENOUGH test scores to know that it just is not telling the whole picture. See post before. Temperament is the last thing you can pinpoint to genetics, you gain nothing by gelding that horse and taking it out of the gene pool based on a temperament score (which, like I said, who says which temper is good or not?). Who gets the 10? The stallion that is mellow, like a gelding, has nothing to complain about whatsoever and accepts everything that is done to him? The most cooperative one?? Can you imagine what Habicht's test rider would have given him for his temperament if THAT was a criterion??
Imagine Grannus and Gotthard would have been gelded right after their 100 day tests, which were BAD. Just imagine.....
Or look at Dernier Cri. He was approved as Donaukoenig in Germany and had a terrible 100 day test, got gelded RIGHT away. Ended up winning GP dressage rider 4 (!) different riders, two of them Juniors and Young riders, was retired sound and sane at age 19 (!) and ahd the genetics that we really could have used more of (Koenigspark xx son). He obviously had a great temperament, and also athletic ability.
I do understand your comment about the market and not breeding to a stallion stigmatized like that. Which also nicely adds to Annissa's comment about her perspective as a stallion owner. There is no answer for this problem, really. Go the long route and show your stallion to the best of his (and your) abilities. Can be very rewarding (Kim - Tzigane etc).
Carol, correct, the 30 day test still needs to be done. But so far, I have not seen a single stallion, any breed, that failed that one.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
stoicfish
FEI
Offline
Posts: 161
I love Trakehners!
|
I agree with Maren. A lot. 
The stallion I picked was gelded for temperament issues, and I love my kid and can not wait to see how he turns out. He has zero tolerance for crap and a huge sense of self preservation. He also is kind and has a sense of humour and will forgive if you apologize. He is perfect!
I voiced my concerns about the test on COTH. Cardi's scores were not that bad, even if he was not ridden with enough finesse. If the test was designed better as in the math used, he would have passed, most people would not have cared what the final scores were and he could go on to prove himself as a sire -the real point of a stallion.
I look forward to seeing Cardi do well in competition and become the poster boy for "Why the test needed to change"
It may be possible that the results of the test can be submitted to the Verband for review, in light of recent changes???
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Siegi B.
Novice
Offline
Posts: 1
I love Trakehners!
|
Hi stoicfish!!
Fancy meeting you here, but so glad you could make it!
My last few posts on COTH pointed out the obvious problem with the math using a bell curved scoring system with a very small sample..... The problem is that most people just want to see the results and not worry about how they came about.
At the risk of sounding repetitive, the 2010 stallion testing at Silver Creek did not have enough participants to warrant the bell curved scoring system that was used. Given the actual scores of the 13 participants, there was either no reason for any of the entrants to fail, or for at least 4 or 5 of them to fail.
So, given the situation and what I know about it, I am strongly inclined to believe that Cardinali was made the sacrificial lamb in order to save other stallions from failing. Especially since the owners weren't even going to attend the final scoring, something the hosting site confirmed before it all happened. 
I do think that Cardinali has a good career ahead of him but I also believe that this testing has hurt his reputation beyond belief! My heart goes out to his owners - what are you going to do given this situation?
Siegi Belz
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pages: « 1 2
|
|
|
|
 |
