KUERING RULES AND HOW TO
This information is mostly reprinted directly from The Friesian Horse Association Of North America's (FHANA)
Rules and regulations. This information Includes: PURPOSE OF JUDGING; ELIGIBILITY FOR JUDGING;
PREMIUMS AND PRIZES;PRESENTATION OF HORSES FOR JUDGING; STUDBOOK; FOALBOOK; STUDBOOK MARES AND GELDINGS
CLICK HERE FOR SOME NEW FHANA Judging Hints
Also please go under "Friesian Questions" for grooming and showing tips.
PURPOSE OF JUDGING
The annual judging conducted by the FPS has as its primary purpose the evaluation and selection of Friesian breeding stock. Certain categories of horses may be evaluated for premium awards and adult Friesians may be evaluated for promotion to the studbooks and to the registers of status/predicates.
ELIGIBILITY FOR JUDGING
To be evaluated by the FPS judges, a horse must be registered with the FPS. The FHANA reserves the right to withhold judging services from those horses for which Judging Applications and/or payments are not received by the published deadline.
5.2.1. Accountability - By presenting a horse to be judged, identification coded, or to have genetic samples taken for parentage verification, the owner acknowledges that this is done on a voluntary basis, that the horse participates entirely at the owner's risk, that the owner will pay all fees associated with the judging and/or procedures and that neither the FHANA, the FPS, nor the host(s) can be held responsible for whatever consequences may occur.
5.2.2. Members In Good Standing - Horses to be judged must be registered, on the Judging Application Deadline and on the day of judging, to a FHANA member in good standing.
5.2.3. Horses Must Be Sound - In order to be evaluated, a horse must be sound. Unsound horses cannot be evaluated for prizes or premiums, for the Studbooks or for status/predicates. These horses must remain in their current register indefinitely, or until they are sound. However, all foals must enter the Foal Book; there are no soundness restrictions for the Foal Book.
PREMIUMS AND PRIZES
5.5.1. Premiums are awarded by the FPS at Regional Judgings in North America. Only certain categories of horses are eligible to receive premiums.
5.5.1.1. Premiums to Foals shall be awarded by the FPS judges:
1st Premium - orange ribbon; top 5% approximately
2nd Premium - red ribbon; next 35% approximately
3rd Premium - white ribbon; next 50% approximately
No Premium - 10% approximately
Premiums will not be awarded to foals with white on legs, feet or body; which are unsound; which are of very poor quality or in very bad condition; or which have a serious fault. However, all foals qualifying on the basis of their lineage will be entered in the Foal Book.
PRESENTATION OF HORSES FOR JUDGING
5.6.2. Presentation of Horses- All horses are to be presented in hand. The handler may have an assistant who encourages the horse to be attentive while standing and to move forward vigorously at the walk and trot. Presentation will require that the horse stand squarely for evaluation of conformation and then walk and trot a triangular pattern for evaluation of movement. Foals should be presented with their dams and may be turned loose during the evaluation of their movement. Emphasis is placed on uninhibited forward movement; handlers should walk and trot their horses in an unrestrictive manner, as steadily and quickly as possible, to demonstrate the best movement of the horse.
5.6.3. Equipment for Presentation - Foals and yearlings should be presented in a halter and lead, with or without a chain. Horses 2 years and older should be presented in a white bridle with a jointed snaffle or mullen mouth bit. White halters, bridles and leads are traditional and considered respectful, however they are not mandatory. The assistant may carry a whip and/or a noisemaker to encourage the horse to move forward.
5.6.4. Grooming for Presentation - Horses are to be clean and well groomed with full and unbraided manes and tails. Additional grooming, such as clipping a small bridle path, polishing hooves or removing superfluous hair on the muzzle or ears, is optional.
5.6.5. Dress of the Handler - It is traditional for the handler to wear white trousers and a white shirt, either with or without a necktie. Shoes must be suitable for running. The assistant traditionally dresses in white also. While white clothing is not required, it is respectful and an effort should be made to have at least the shirt or trousers be white.
5.6.6. Presentation in the Triangular Arena - Horses are to be judged in a triangular arena. The far side of the triangle is to be approximately 40 meters (132 ½ feet), if possible, and the other two sides are to be approximately 45 meters (150 feet). The horse will be judged first at the halt and then at the walk. Only half the length of the arena's long sides is used for the walk. After the walk, the horse will proceed to the trot. The trot will use the entire triangular arena. The horse will then be presented again at the halt.
STUDBOOK
a. Foal Book is the basic registry for Friesian horses whose lineage (see above) would qualify them for entry into a Studbook at adulthood.
b. Studbooks are the basic registries for eligible (see above) adult Friesians, segregated by gender.
c. Studbook Registers are listings within the studbooks of certain horses which qualify for specific status/predicates (star, model, preferential, or performance mother).
d. Auxiliary Studbook is a register of Friesian mares who had been branded but whose lineage was untraceable.
e. Subsidiary Registers or B-Books are registers of certain purebred Friesians with FPS traceable lineage which do not qualify for the Studbooks or Foal Book.
For foreign affiliates of FPS, in countries where there were no or insufficient Studbook Stallions with Approved Breeding Privileges available, the FPS allowed the offspring of specific Foal Book Stallions to be registered in the Foal Book/Studbooks under certain limited conditions. In recent years such horses have been registered in the B-Book. This practice is no longer permitted in North America.
FOAL BOOK
3.2.2. Foal Book Adults - Some horses registered in the Foal Book will not be eligible, as adults, for registration in the Studbooks for Mares, Geldings or Stallions. Refer to eligibility requirements for each Studbook. Common reasons for permanent Foal Book status are unacceptable white markings or serious fault or unsoundness. In addition some gelding owners never present their horses for registration in the Studbook for Geldings. All stallions who do not qualify as Studbook Stallions will remain in the Foal Book permanently.
3.2.2.1. Foal Book Mares and Their Produce - When mares registered in the Foal Book are bred to Studbook Stallions with Approved Breeding Privileges the resulting produce is eligible for Foal Book registration and may be judged for inclusion in the Studbook for Mares or the Studbook for Geldings at age 3 or older. A Foal Book mare's male produce are not eligible for the Studbook for Stallions; refer to Section 3.5.1.2.
STUDBOOK MARES AND GELDINGS
3.3.1.2. Eligibility for Studbook Mare or Studbook Gelding requires that they:
a. be registered in the Foal Book;
b. be at least 14.3 at the withers;
c. be black and have no white except for a small star or a few white hairs on the forehead or muzzle; white is not permitted on the body, legs or hoofs;
d. be sound; unsound horses cannot enter the Studbook;
e. be free of hereditary defects (mares with hereditary defects should not be used for breeding); criteria of rejection are, among others: ringbone, bone spavin, curb, bog spavin, swollen stifle joint, lameness, dished face, insufficient shoulder height, poor use of the hind legs, defects of the stifle including a locking or loose stifle or improper development of the hock.
3.3.1.3.Criteria for acceptance in the Studbooks requires that the horse demonstrate conformation and movement.
Registration Certificate - The original Foal Book Registration Certificate must be relinquished at the time of entry in the Studbook. It will be replaced with a Studbook Registration Certificate.
3.3.2. Star Mare And Star Gelding Registers
3.3.2.1. Judging - Studbook mares and geldings may be judged for inclusion in the Star Mare and Star Gelding registers. At the time of initial entry in the Studbook, all mares and geldings are automatically evaluated for Star. Studbook mares and geldings without the star designation are permitted to be re-evaluated in subsequent years. The original Studbook Registration Certificate must accompany the horse to the judging. This evaluation is conducted annually at the judging sites throughout North America.
3.3.2.2. Eligibility for Star Mare and Star Gelding requires that they:
a. previously or simultaneously be designated as a Studbook Mare or Studbook Gelding;
b. be at least 1.55 meters (15.1 hands) at the withers.
3.3.2.3. Criteria for designation as Star requires the horse demonstrate to the judges:
a. conformation meeting the breeding objective of the FPS (see Section 2.1., including sub sections);
b. totally correct movement;
c. the walk must be straight, powerful and flexible, with good reach from the shoulder while the hind quarters swing forward with power;
d. the trot should be a reaching and forward movement with power from the hind quarters and flexion in the hock; it should be elevated and light-footed with a moment of suspension; there should be no winging, paddling or interfering;
e. mandatory IBOP testing, or the equivalent, may be required.
3.3.2.4. Registration Certificate - The original Registration Certificate must be relinquished at the time of entry in the Star register. Following payment of the Star Registration Fee to the FHANA, the owner will receive a Registration Certificate showing the Studbook Star register.