New Ranking Method for Dressage Horses Puts Denmark at Top
14 years ago StraightArrow Comments Off on New Ranking Method for Dressage Horses Puts Denmark at Top
A new method of ranking by the Dutch magazine Horse Genetics emphasizing the success rate of studbooks breeding dressage horses, places Danish Warmbloods at the top.
The rankings were developed as an alternative to the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses which bases its rankings on each studbook’s six highest placed horses on the individual rankings by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI).
This ranking tends to favor the studbookss producing the highest number of foals each year, according to Danish Warmblood, citing the Dutch studbook KWPN and Germany’s Hanoverians. In this ranking, Danish Warmblood has placed third for three consecutive years.
The new Dutch survey calculated the percentage of foals actually making it to the FEI Top 300 to reflects the quality of the breeding rather than the quantity.
The result of the new ranking by Horse Genetics/Sport Horse Breeding places Danish Warmblood ahead of all other studbooks producing dressage horses.
During the period 1995-2002 a total of 13,659 dressage foals were born Danish Warmblood, and 37 of them are now placed in the FEI Top 300 of dressage horses.
In other words, according to Danish Warmblood, 0.2709 per cent of these foals are international top sports horses.
Next ranked was the Holsteiner studbook with 0.2254 per cent followed by the Oldenburg studbook with 0.2034 per cent.
The two largest warmblood studbooks which top the WBFSH ranking, KWPN and Hannover, drop to fourth and seventh places, respectively on the Horse Genetics rankings.
Swedish Warmblood placed fifth compared to their 10th place on the WBFSH ranking, while Belgium placed sixth compared to 14th place.
The Horse Genetics survey also ranked by country of origin with each country represented by all its studbooks which are a member of WBFSH, so the country is judged on the total number of dressage horses that it produces.
In this nation ranking, Denmark leads over Holland, Sweden, Germany and Belgium.
The Dutch magazine concluded, “that the Scandinavian countries are in a strong position, the difference between Denmark and the remaining countries is impressive and that Holland is placed higher than Germany.”
