This message is from: "Birgit Mortensen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
In Digest no 106 Lynda asked me to tell more about the evaluation system in Norway. First I must say that I am not an expert, so I will stick to what I am 99,99 percent sure of. It must also be mentioned that today's rules are different from the 25 year old rules on some points. Ranking in quality however has not changed. When a class has been evaluated the Norwegians rank the best stallions in quality. All stallions enter the arena in cataloque number order. When they come in front of the breeding consultant, who is telling the evaluation results, two things might happen. The stallions can be asked to take place in the middle of the arena, and jubeeee's will be heard from ringside, because it means that the stallion will be ranked in quality, and that is of course what every owner dreams about. If a stallion is not asked to go to the middle there are again to possibilities. Either he is given a breeding license but not ranked in quality, or he must leave the evaluation without a license. Class 3 (3 year old stallions) Back in 1980 nine 3 year old stallions was given a breeding license (3. pr. and ranked in quality, which means that the evaluators said, which stallion was number 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.). Four stallions, among them Gjest, was also given a 3. pr., but not ranked in quality, which means that the evaluators considered them not so good as the first nine. A fifth stallion was given a license for three years but not a 3. pr. In the not ranked group, there is no saying about which of the four was the best. But of course you can have an idea, when you compare the descriptions. Today, where you evaluate with figures, it has become a little easier, because it is common knowledge that 9 is a better score than 7 and that 7 is a better score than 5 etc.!!! In 1980 3. pr. in quality was the maximum a stallion could achieve in class 3. Today in Norway the stallions get a temporary license in class 3, it is said that the stallion is 'kaaret'. Class 2 (4 and 5 year old stallions) Back in 1981 the now 4 year old Gjest and another stallion with a 3. pr. from 1980 was evaluated again. It was not mandatory, but as I mentioned in Digest no 106 an evaluation, where the owner came either hoping to have the stallion ranked in quality or just hoping to sell the stallion to people who attended the stallion evaluation. I suppose that Gjest was still owned by a private person at that time. Many or most of the stallions with a pr. was owned by a local fjordhorse association, and it is obvious that these stallions covered more mares than the privately owned. Today class 2 is still a class for 4 and 5 year old stallions, but now the stallions with a breeding license have do take part in the station test/do the performance test. The evaluation can result in no licence, in a 3. pr. or a 2. pr. (and if the stallion receive a 2. pr. there is also the possibility that he can be ranked in quality). Class 1 (6 year and older stallions) When a stallion in Norway is (about) 8 years old he is asked to come to evaluation in class 1. At this age he has offspring and the evaluation results achieved by this offspring counts in the evaluation. Now a 1. pr. is a possibility, but also a 2. pr. or a 3. pr. or the stallion can have his breeding license taken away. Many evaluation systems Lynda, You are so right, when you say that it is not so easy to compare the different systems. I know that a blue is the very best you can have in your county. In Denmark a blue ribbon is something you prefer to avoid because it is given to a II B mare (5 in general impression/overall score). And we also have another system for our stallions than Norway. When Norway declares that a young stallion is 'kaaret' (which is temporary) we give him a breeding license (avlsg.) for a year, when Norway gives a 4 year or older a pr., we say 'kaaret'. Let me tell you what we do in Denmark with a colt born in 2002: In September 2004 the best evaluated 2½ year old stallions were given a breeding license for 2005 (and we rank them all). In September 2005 the now 3½ year old stallion must come again in order to have the breeding license renewed for 2006 (probably not all will succeed in that). In August 2006 (3.-6., - because we are celebrating our 65 years studbook jubilee next year) it is time for performance test and 'kaaring'. At the very latest in the 6. covering season the stallion must have his offspring evaluated, this is mandatory. The result of this evaluation decides, whether the stallion can continue as a licensed stallion or if the breeding license is taken away. If he continues as a breeding stallion he will meet new technical obstacles after some years in the shape of index-figures. Each year we publish a stallion-guide with every licensed stallions. The association is paying for this and the association decides what is in it. And it is only facts. Every stallion has his own page with information about pedigree, evaluations results, the breeder and of course the owners name, address and phone number. We publish the index-figures and the number of registered/evaluated offspring (and the average score). There is also a picture of the stallion, but pictures are not always reliable. The mare owners find this stallion guide a very useful tool, when they choose the father of next years foal. Norway this year Results and pictures can be found at www.fjordhest.no. Choose Resultatliste Hingsteutstilling (results from the stallion evaluation). There are three different evaluations in Norway: Biri, Nordnorsk Hestecenter and Nordfjordeid. The last one is of course the most interesting because of the great number of participating fjord stallions. The information you are given are as follows: Kl : the class (1, 2 or 3) in which the stallion was evaluated. Kv: Quality, if the stallion was ranked in quality his number in the ranking order is published here. Premie: result of the evaluation: 1. pr., 2. pr. 3. pr. - Ikke kaaret means no license. 0 pr. is the same, the difference is that the '0 pr.-stallions' took part in the performance test. Ikke moett means that the stallion was entered, but he did not show up. In class 3 you will se that eight stallions were 'kaaret' which means given a breeding license. The first three was ranked in quality. Reg.: the number of the horse. The third stallion in class 1 has a strange number, but he is a 6 year old Danish bred stallion (best stallion in Denmark in 2003). His scores in Norway are very good, but since he - because of his age - is entered in the class where offspring is a part of the evaluation (and he has no evaluated offspring in Norway), a 2. pr. in quality is the maximum he can achieve. Navn: name of the stallion. Far: the stallions father. Kat.: catalogue number. If you want more detailed information you just click on the name of the evaluated stallion and you will see the evaluation card and a picture of the stallion. The first score is given for type. The second score is given for head and body. The third score is given for legs. The fourth score is given for movements. The fifth score is the score for overall impression. Then you might find a score for riding or driving test (bruksegenskaber). Lynne means temper/disposition. In class 1 there is a verbal description of the offspring and a score for offspring (avkom). The next score is for veterinarian remarks/observations. Below that you will find his measures. And below that a verbal description. Sorry it ended up with such a long text, but I hope you will enjoy at least the many pictures, if you followed me to the end. Best regards from Denmark Birgit.
