This message is from: "Ursula & Brian Jensen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Greetings from Brian Jensen;
Firstly I must thank Phillip Odden for his fine articulate
article on American Evaluations and European information. I believe this
article is a keeper for time to come and should be put in the Fjord Herald
for all to read.!!!
Along with several other NFHR members the first Evaluation
Committee was formed to develop an Evaluation Program for the Fjord in North
America. My motivation for working on the first committee was as follows.
Some well known breeders at that time were producing Fjords and providing
their own set of standards to the interested public What began showing up
for sale or breeding were ugly poorly put together Fjords with the owners
blessing of how good they were. The second reason was that the Fjord seems
to attract neophyte owners to the equine breed who were dying for
information and education. became one of the main cornerstones of the
Evaluation Program.
There has always been a strong lobby amongst some members
for even having an Evaluation Program in North America, and that will
probably remain the case . Today we have a good Evaluation Program which is
considered to be a work in progress. Changes are made on an ongoing basis to
improve its educational qualities and provide a user friendly tool to owners
and breeders who wish to learn and grow.
In America there is freedom of choice. It is not mandatory
for all owners to have their breeding stock tested or Evaluated. In Europe
it is mandatory. One observation I can make is that members who participate
in the Evaluation Program on the whole are respectful of the members who
choose not to Evaluate. Some members who do not wish to Evaluate seem very
unhappy with most anything the NFHR does. It is almost like they are after
attention through negative advertising.
The NFHR Evaluation Program provides education and averaged
set of scores from two Evaluators in Conformation and Performance. When
writing the Program we did look at putting temperament in with the
Conformation score but decided that the Performance side was the correct
place for temperament. After watching the Program work for several years I
think the choice was the right one.
All NFHR Evaluation scores are available in Record Book 1, and
shortly will be available in Record Book 2. I must most sincerely thank
Sandy North for her effort and hard work towards the publication of Record
Book 2. Its volunteers like this who help bring the Fjord into its rightful
place in North America.
Brian Jensen
Ursula & Brian Jensen
Trinity Fjords
Box 1032
Lumby BC, V0E 2G0
Canada 250-547-6303
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://okjunc.junction.net/~ujensen/
