We would also like to thank Elena Werdenberg for this article and photos and also many thanks to Peter Richterich and Jutta Bauernschmitt for their great Neumüunster 2006 photos! We are also proud to use photos of Russian Trakehners taken by Elena Zobova and Ekaterina Shtatnova

A comparative analysis of the German and Russian Koerungs.

by Elena Werdenberg

             Raising an educational level of the Trakehnen breeders is highly important and valuable, as it allows to analyze a current status of the breed abroad, as well as to compare an organization of the similar events in our country with the main German Trakehner Association that has been organizing this kind of events for more than fifty years.

             This time I was visiting the Kerung with Mr. Sergeev, a Stud manager of the Kirow Horse Stud. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Mr. Kees Van der Ree for his immense help in organizing the trip. The Kirow Stud and the Hippo Assekuranz Company have negotiated a contract to exchange the breeding materials, which is very valuable. I also would like to thank those German  breeders who privately invite the breeders from Poland, Ukraine, Byelorussia, Czech  Republic, Lithuania, Estonia to their studs, as it helps to improve a cooperation between our countries.  A horse breeding must not have State borders.

             We were slightly upset with an attitude of the DTV to its daughter organizations. To our point of view, owners of the Studs with more than 300 Trakehner horses in each deserve a bit more of attention at the Koerung from the DTV Heads. Taking into consideration a decrease of attention to the breed in Germany and a serious increase of it in the Eastern Countries, a fact that their opinion is so unimportant makes us perplexed. Of course, being cynical we have to admit that this kind of a policy of the DTV  plays in our favor. The German Trakehners have fallen into decay of quality for the last 10 - 15 years, while our horses have made an important breakthrough for the last 5-6 years (Papirus by Plafon, Topaaz by Palladium, Pavillion by Vef, Heops by Herson and Ola by Avat xx in jumping;

Kompliment by Verstovoj, Problesk by Bak XX, Disput by Plutarch in dressage; Passat by Punsch in eventing, etc.)

           So, about the Koerung. 61 colt of 2,5 years were chosen to take part in the event out of about 150  youngsters.   At the first day there was an exterior evaluation. As well as in our country, a test is made on a hard-ground flat surface (asphalt). Unfortunately, a construction of the show area is far from perfect – the panel of judges is under a shed closed by a panel from behind. Due to that potential buyers and specialists do not have a side-view on horses. Unlike a system suggested by the RTA the German specialists do not comment their assessments. A President of the RTA Mrs Dorofeeva likes to explain to the audience why a certain horse has certain score.  We had an impression that the German specialists did not appraise horses at all; at least we did not see any evaluation forms.

           In my point of view, stallions tested in Russia, Lithuania and Estonia were much more interesting in terms of exterior and genetical variety, but to our deepest regret the horses of our native selection do not demonstrate so uphill and elastical movements of the front legs, as German horses.

           The international standards of trotting quality have changed – though the RTA likes “low” trotting, all German stallions had a trot which is different from our standards.  Effective, wide and uphill movements with strong middle carpant joint action and amazing space seizure. Undoubtedly, it is a market requirement and all Associations have to follow it. The RTA estimates this kind of movements with not higher than 3.5 points. From our well - known sires only Verstovoj, Fort, Hlopok by Hepton pass similar movements on trot to their offspring.

           Speaking about the hind-leg action of German horses, it is mainly poor. Even visually engaged hind legs because of low croup did not help much. Only about 10 percent of all horses had a correct hind-leg action, with active knee-joints and hocks. The rest of horses were running with their hind-legs moving separately from their front legs, like trotters, which can be noticed if we visually divide a horse to two parts – front and back. Such movements ask serious efforts from sportsmen in collecting a horse and teaching Piaffe, Passage. In spite their good walk, gallop and front legs on trot such horses are rejected by Dressage sportsmen. By the way, during the Gala-Show some sires were demonstrating dressage, and an impression from the excellent walk, trot and gallop elements was spoiled by honest, but ineffective Passage and Piaffe.

           A second day – a free jumping demonstration. And again, the RTA would have estimated the majority of horses with not more than 6 or 7 points. The main problem – a poor humeroscapular girdle action, no shoulder or middle - carpant joint takeout, often non-active metacarpus, unefficient bascule. The majority lacked good hind-leg impulse, maybe because of croup conformation. The maximum fence height was 110-120, only three horses Had a chance to jump 130 cm.

           In the middle of Springarten there were seven children doing a real nonsense! With or without necessity, they urged horses to jump, though as far as I could understand the owners often asked them to leave horses alone. Because of that many stallions made mistakes or took off from the wrong distance. In our country only two persons are allowed to Springarten, and the judges are very negative about using whips, only voice urging. A horse must move to the fence itself with an impulse. After the jump it must be treated with some delicious food, that is something we did not see in Neumunster.

           There are two “helping” poles in Germany, both “dead”. We have one, and the trainer is allowed to move it depending on horse’s height and jump wideness. It is very important, as the young horses are not capable of estimating their jump and often make mistakes because of taking off too early or too late. The German colts were accurate, impulsive enough and well-trained. But I think our system of estimating jumping skills is more effective and visible, as every visitor is able to count the points, and technique and temperament are included into test protocols.

           I also consider that the loyalty of the RTA concerning fence height is good. If a trainer informs that he would like to demonstrate a jump over 140-150 cm, it is always welcome, though it is not estimated separately. But it helps to see better the technique, as the moment of suspension is longer and a horse is more accurate.

           A program was followed with the demonstration “in hands”. We had an impression that the horses were trained on hard side-reins. After the slightest pull of bridle they toss the head, plunge and try to break loose from the trainer. I cannot say what is worse – this kind of a training or our breaking horses in the age of two years.

             A demonstration of loose horses was the last in the program. And again, all picture was spoiled by children standing with their whips in the center and in all corners of the arena. The young horses dashed aside and the short periods of paces did not give the right impression. But the majority had a good, high gallop.

           Later there were several rings created, and the horses were licensed. Out of 2-3 stallions that we liked by exterior, only one was licensed. It is Prince K 3, a descendant of anglo-arab Upan La Jarthe x, and representative of Teddy xx - Pancho II x line.

           In our system a genetical diversity of candidates is very important, as we admit the importance to use in breeding representatives of the different lines. All stallions, shown at German Koerung, represented only three lines – Pasteur XX, Burnus KGA., Flaneur - Arogno. Solitary attempts of several specialists to include the most interesting blood lines of Ararad - Impuls, Dark Ronald xx – Prince Rouge xx, Tempelhueter – Transit, ect.  and so on were not appreciated by the DTV, though preservation of lines and genetical variety of the blood stock is one of the main tasks of any Association. Here we must appreciate that the RTA welcomes various lines and is very critical about the Thoroughbred sprinter lines.

           In the end we were shocked by an announcement that eighteen horses were licensed for breeding, about ten of them – middle class and lower. An increase of the young sire quantity does not mean an improvement in quality. A more than loyal selection of stallions for breeding will influence negatively the breed in Europe. We also do not understand why the young sires are tested so intensively in breeding? If the DTV is responsible for this decision, where is a sense of it? Out of six sons of Cadeau not a single one was licensed! It is a poor advertisement of the young sire. It would have been more logical not to allow them to take part in Koerung! Obviously, a “one-day” selection is becoming popular in Germany. Our impression got worse after an auction, as it was obvious, that the event was organized by the DTV mainly for this purpose, and the selection itself was not of the main importance. Though the word Koerung means “selection”. Of course, my judgments are subjective, as I know that many DTV representatives are very critical about the selection in eastern countries, and do not admit our horses as Trakehners, that is why our expectations of an objective estimation of horses were failed.

             I would like to note that our friends who had visited the Hanoverian Horse Koerung, came back with different, mainly positive impressions. Obviously, the Koerung differs in any Association and that is good, as the German sportive selection is one of the strongest in the world.

Acknowledgments

I would like to express my sincere thanks for the article and photos to our partners:

www.rustrakehner.ru

www.trakehners-international.com

www.equestrian.ru

www.tierfoto.org

www.zuchttierfotografie.de

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