Scottish Sports Horse Stallion Grading Results

Anastasia

Anastasia

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A friend of mine went to the SSH Stallion Grading two weeks ago and wrote down the following results, am hoping the scores are accurate (I only got the results from them yesterday):

HORSES


"ACORELLO" (Tygo x Ramiro Z x Caritas) KWPN, 4 yr old
Conformation: 6.6
Movement: 6.5
Jump: 6.5
Did not pass


"AZZURRO" (Jaguar Du Chateau Belle Vue x Libero H x Farn) AES, 4 yr old
Conformation: 6.5
Movement: 7.5
Jump: 8
Registered or L2
This stallion qualified for the Futurity Elite Show in 2008


"BENJAMIN HEIGHTS" (Spartan Heights x Broadstone West Country x Deep Run) Weatherbys, 3 yr old
Conformation: 6
Movement: 6.2
Jump: 6.3
Did Not Pass


"BOLLINGER" (Landor S x Glennridge x Ricardo) SSH, 3 yr old
Conformation: 6
Movement: 6.2
Jump: 6.3
Did Not Pass


"CHIPUI UP VAN ESSENE" (Up Chiqui x Goldspring De Lauzelle x Urao Brun) BWP, 7 yr old
Conformation: 6
Movement: 6.3
Jump: 6.8
Did Not Pass


"DARK HEART" (Couleur Rubin x Concorde x Pericles) AES, 4 yr old
Conformation: 5.5
Movement: 6
Jump: 7.3
Did Not Pass


"SAINT ALIZZE" (Arturo 8 x Broadstone Lady's Man) AES, 4 yr old
Conformation: 7.5
Movement: 6.3
Jump: 6.2
Listed or L3


"UDO VAN PADHUIS" (Elcaro x Casanova x Samber) KWPN, 8 yr old
Conformation: 7.5
Movement: 7.3
Jump: 6.7
Registered or L2


"ZALORACO" (Heartbreaker x Ramiro Z x Voltaire) KWPN, 5 yr old
Conformation: 6.5
Movement: 6.5
Jump: 7
Listed or L3


"ZENITH UHS" (Lupicor H x Nimmerdor x Joost) KWPN, 5 yr old
Conformation: 5.5
Movement: 7.2
Jump: 7.2
Did Not Pass



PONIES

"HULA BALOU" (Balougran Z x Hocki x Cruz Forever) SSH, 4 yr old
Conformation: 6
Movement: 7
Jump: 8
Registered or L2


"KANTJES ALVARETTO" (Brandy XIII x Justice H.R. x Axkeen Djordy) NFS, 4 yr old
Conformation: 7
Movement: 8.2
Jump: 8.7
Licensed or L1


To get Licensed/L1 a horse has to get an average score of over 7.5
To get Registered/L2 a horse has to get an average score of over 7
To get Listed/L3 a horse has to get an average score of over 6.5
Anything below 6.5 does not pass.

All the above stallions have also been x-rayed prior to grading and are free from all hereditary defects.


Pictures can be found here - http://www.foxphotographics.co.uk/galleries/210209%20balcormo/

I was not at the grading so am not able to comment on the stallions forward.

Judges were: Suzanne Bedero (NRPS in Holland) & Svend Sorensen (Denmark)
 
Do they apply the same criteria to grade stallions than they do with mares? So would a mare who scored say 7 for conformation have scored the same had she been a stallion, or do they mark stallions more harshly than mares?

Those marks seem very low to me, not saying that the horses deserved more, far from it, but merely curious as if I had a mare that scored those marks I probably wouldn't breed from her.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Do they apply the same criteria to grade stallions than they do with mares? So would a mare who scored say 7 for conformation have scored the same had she been a stallion, or do they mark stallions more harshly than mares?

Those marks seem very low to me, not saying that the horses deserved more, far from it, but merely curious as if I had a mare that scored those marks I probably wouldn't breed from her.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hi Maggie,

This is taken from the current SSH Studbook Guidelines for mares:

1ST PREMIUM – MARKS ARE 70+ ON AVERAGE
2ND PREMIUM – MARKS ARE BETWEEN 60-69 ON AVERAGE
3RD PREMIUM – MARKS BELOW 59 ON AVERAGE
Below 50 no premium awarded.

STER
Awarded to mares who have been presented at an SSH Grading and achieved an overall minimum score of 145 points or over for conformation + Jumping or conformation + Dressage. A minimum of 70 must be achieved for conformation Horses will also have to be measured (For the Ster predicate the horse must be a minimum height of 1.60 m) and have their teeth/mouths checked.
 
I was there and can comment that the only stallion there which was very nice was the chestnut pony KANTJES ALVARETTO. This is apparent in the grading awarded. Worthy of its award.

Of the others which were Registered, the coloured UDO VAN PADHUIS was the only other horse to have stallion presence. He looked like a stallion, moved well and worthy of being stood at public stud. His registered license was awarded only for one year though. He must return next year with a competition record, the graders explained that this was because of his age, he must this year compete to a certain level. Two other stallions were also awarded registered status but conformationally weak and just looked like horses, if you know what I mean....

Of those awarded listed status nothing stood out as stallion material. Those not passed were clearly not worthy of being given any status.

I do not mean this to sound harsh. I have been to many SSH events over the years and think that this grading was very well done. I commend the SSH on the recent introduction of "failing" stallions. I think that this is a very positive way forward and long overdue. Before, as long as the stallion passed the 5 stage vetting / x rays etc, it was always awarded at least listed status. Nothing actually "failed" to pass, irrespective of marks awarded, I felt this was confusing for everyone as Listed status contained a large pool of stallions in there for a variety of reasons.

In short, it was a very good day. Well attended.

To answer your questions Maggie2, the mare gradings are marked on the same scale. The stallions are not marked any more harshly. This I know for sure as I actually asked this question directly to the graders. You are correct the marks are low and like you, if I had a mare with these score I wouldn't breed from it either.
 
Goosetoo we must have posted at the same time.
smile.gif


Nice to hear another perspective from somebody who attended. Although I am surprised with a stallion only been given a years License, as this has never happened before regardless of the age of stallion at the grading. It seems that a new rule has been created on the day, and what happens to this stallion should he not make the minimum criteria in sport...
confused.gif
I know on speaking with the owner of this horse that he was also confused with this remark from the graders, giving that this has never been said before.
crazy.gif


Edited to add - Previously stallions have gone forward for grading that have been Grade A showjumpers and still been given "Listed" status, so again giving the above stallion a year to fulfill competition requiresments does sound strange as previously stallions are not able to be promoted up the Studbook without Competition AND a minimum progeny requirement. Maybe somebody who is currently on the SSH Committee will see this post and shed some light onto yet more new rulings....

The "failed stallions" has been in effect more rigorously since 2007 (as the marks for the Listed stallions were raised by myself and the Committee to coincide with the marks that mares get........because previously the stallions were not marked as harshly as the mares at the lower level), although some stallions did fail before, but much less than now. And the x-rays were also introduced in 2007, so again this is the 3rd year now.

[ QUOTE ]
This I know for sure as I actually asked this question directly to the graders

[/ QUOTE ]

Not to disagree with what the graders told you, but evidentially the marks are subtly different between mares and stallions as I have explained above.
wink.gif
 
Because of this stallions age (ie he is not coming forward as a 3yo) he is expected to achieve a certain level in sport. This years licence I see as a good thing for this stallion. I am not a coloured fan (not predjudice either) but this stallion is the only stallion, other than the lovely Licensed chestnut pony (and a black section a which was there only for the BSJA assessment) which made me turn my head and watch him. I closely watched this coloured stallion for quite a while.... something that has not happended to me in recent years at an SSH stallion grading. I see this as a positive step, I hope the owners see it as a positive step. I too was surprised when the graders explained this during their critique, but, as I say positive and achieveable. I know stallions have covering commitments etc., but I really thing that this is a way for this stallion to "prove" himself. We all look for a competition record before using a stallion, don't we? If he doesn't achieve what the graders ask, then I pressume that he will have his status revoked. I know that this has not happened in the past, so lets wait, watch and see what happens....

Also, wish to add that I have nothing to do with the committee or anyone on it, or any of the stallions presented. I was there merely as a spectator and mare owner.
 
[ QUOTE ]

Previously stallions have gone forward for grading that have been Grade A showjumpers and still been given "Listed" status, so again giving the above stallion a year to fulfill competition requiresments does sound strange as previously stallions are not able to be promoted up the Studbook without Competition AND a minimum progeny requirement. Maybe somebody who is currently on the SSH Committee will see this post and shed some light onto yet more new rulings....

Agree - but that's what I mentioned earlier about Listed being are large mixed group- in there for all sorts of reasons. I know that there have been grade A stallions in there because they failed to reach minimum score for conformation to be given Registered status, also grade A which achieved good scores all round but did not have full 3 generation pedigree....

I am aware that the committee have not enforced their own rules regards the re-assessment combination of competition record and minimum progeny of 1st premiums, the stallions have dropped out of the system or have been allowed to "slip through" hopefully they do enforce rules from no on....

I have to say I was "worried" re the seperation from KWPN graders, but am very impressed with the foreign graders that they have in place.
 
The coloured stallion Udo Van Padhuis was imported a few years back by Susie Mainprice @ Morgan Equine. He has a number of superb youngsters (coloured & not) already around.

We used him to produce the filly below, Delaroche Uno.
uno-500.jpg



stella003-1.jpg


I was quite pleased with her!
 
[ QUOTE ]
I know stallions have covering commitments etc., but I really thing that this is a way for this stallion to "prove" himself. We all look for a competition record before using a stallion, don't we? If he doesn't achieve what the graders ask, then I pressume that he will have his status revoked

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree that a stallion has to prove himself in sport, however, there are already provisions in place for movement up the Studbook with competition AND progeny results for any stallion within the first four years of grading. So I think it would be unfair to revoke the breeding license for one stallion who does not achieve the minimum requirements in sport. There must be the same rules for everyone, otherwise all it does is cause confusion among the stallion owners and breeders alike.

Also the graders must be thinking that if the sport requirements were there that this stallion would have been given a higher listing, which again is interesting, as this has never come into the equation before, likewise if a stallion came forward that had been graded by a Germany society, such as the Hanoverians or Westfalens.

If the stallion is moved up on his competition results only then I can see this opening quite a large can of worms for the SSH, as previously some stallions have achieved the minimum requirement in sport or progeny results and have not been granted approval to move up within the Studbook. So I am sure that everyone will be watching this very closely...
smirk.gif
 
Thank you Delovely for your additional post. I know the owners of the stallion and encouraged him to bring Uno forward, so I will have to let him see the pictures of your youngsters. If you have any more it would be great if you could PM me so I can forward them on.
laugh.gif
 
Agree with your comments and am aware of the "rules" -so, yes, I will be watching "this space" along with many others I'm sure.

Delovely, thanks for posting pics. Ihad never come across stallion before, and was impressed by him, your youngster is very nice.
 
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