Working ability test for Lipizzaner and Haflinger

The joint working ability test of the Association of Lipizzaner Breeders of Slovenia and the Slovenian Association of Breeders of Haflinger Horses brought an enviable number of Lipizzaner and Haflinger horses to the Celje Equestrian Sports Center on Sunday, September 25.

The working ability test of young horses is an important part of the horse selection process, and with it we evaluate the horse from the side of use, not just the exterior. The work test varies slightly depending on breeding programs and alignment with international ways of checking the working ability of horses, but roughly it covers checking the ability of horses in different gaits, character and temperament, as well as willingness and ability, as well as an assessment of the tested rider.

For Lipizzaners, a test under saddle is prescribed in all three gaits with your rider and a test rider. For mares, it is possible to perform the work test also in harness, but gallop work is not evaluated.

7 Lipizzaner presented themselves in the test. Of these, a stallion, 2 mares, and 2 geldings were tested under saddle and another 2 mares in harness. The members of the evaluation committee were Nataša Gorišek, Primož Tanko, Aleksander Ozmec, as well as foreign test rider Anna Seifter and test driver Marcus Remer, who is a well-known breeder and team driver from Austria.

Stallion 130 Conversano Famosa XVI (3.5 years old), breeder Milojko Strajnar and owner Janez Peternel, performed a working test under saddle to be accepted among licensed stallions. Under the rider Gregor Turk, who was also his trainer, he showed excellent preparation and exceptional movement ability in all gaits. He passed the work test with a final grade of 9.25 and thus earned the title of the best completed work test among Lipizzaners. In the working test for mares under saddle, 93 Capra XXXIV (4 years) were presented, which was evaluated with a total score of 8.35, and mare 114 Betalka XXVIII (4 years), which was evaluated with a final score of 7.50, the breeder and owner of both is Marjan Kosec. Urška Potokar presented them in the saddle. In addition to the mares, the geldings 45 Pluto Allegra VIII (5 years old) who achieved a total score of 8.88 and 87 Maestoso Famosa XVI (4 years old) who achieved a final score of 6.45 from the breeder and owner Klemen Turk, were also presented. They were presented by the rider Gregor Turk.

In the working test in the carriage, two mares of the breeder Janez Peternel were presented, who presented them in a single team. The mare 126 Canissa IV, born in 2019, performed first and achieved a final score of 8.40, while the mare 105 Thais XXII, born in 2018, performed second and achieved a final score of 7.55.

 

It turned out that the cooperation of two breeding organizations in the testing of working ability is a good move and should be maintained in the future, especially since the breeding of thoroughbred horses in Slovenia is relatively small, and with such events, we can show what adds value to noble horses.