The stallion performance test What does it involve? by Heike McLean - January 2005 The stallion performance test (SPT), is a tool for the selection of breeding stallions. Only stallions that pass these tests are registered in the stallion book 1 in their respective breed registers (for example Hanoverian stud book, Trakehner stud book, Holsteiner stud book etc.) To be eligible to take part in the SPT, the young stallions have to be licenced as 2 1/2 year-olds. That first step in becoming a breeding stallion takes place in their respective breeding area main centres; for the Holsteiners and Trakehners, for example, in Neumuenster. There are about 100 pre-selected young stallions that get presented over 3-4 days in walk, trot, canter and free jumping, and around 830 stallions get approved and licensed each year. This is the first step part on the way to becoming a fully licensed breeding stallion. The second part starts when the stallions reaches 3 years of age, when they havto pass their SPT. There are basically 3 ways to achieve this: a 30-day assessment test followed a few months later by the SPT (70 days) a 30-day assesment test, achieving qualification for the "bundeschampionate" as a 3 year old with a mark of 7.5 for 7 yr. and older stallions: 5 times placed 1st-3rd in dressage or showjumping at advanced level, or three placings in eventing advanced level. To take part in the SPT, the stallions have to go to specific stations which run the tests. They are mostly done at the big state studs, for example Adelheidsdorf, Marbach and Neustadt. During these 30 days of assessment testing and 70 days of SPT, the young stallions undergo carefully controlled and standardised training by professional riders. This ensures that the test is a true and fair comparison of the training and testing is backed by the highest standards of horsemanship and really does give a profound insight into the capabilities and potential of each stallion. At the conclusion of those 70 days, the stallions have to perform their final test, which is run as a "two day event". In the dressage-part, they will be given marks for the quality of the walk, trot and canter, the elasticity of the movement, cadence and self carriage, and the ability to develop impulsion and collection. After that a professional rider will test ride each stallion and give a mark for rideability. The jumping part consists of a showjumping round with fences around 90cm to 1m high and 1.2m wide. Marks will be given for jumping technique and bascule over the fences. On the next day, the horses go on to do their cross country, which consists of all the normal types of cross country fences, around 80-90cm high. Marks will be given for jumping style, ability to gallop and general willingness to perform. The test result is calculated with quite a complicated mathematical formula, which standardises the average result of each group to 100 points. The training scores have an influence of 50% on the final result, the other 50% are given during the final test. Each stallion will get a final result, which states his overall mark, his mark in the dressage part, his mark in the jumping part, and he will be ranked according to his total mark. So for example, let's say there were 20 stallions performing thtest in Adelheidsdorf, and stallion x was best in his jumping, but performed badly in his rideability test, on the overall result he will be 1st in jumping, and 20th placerideability, and will finish up possibly 10th in his total mark. The stallions have to achieve an overall mark of 90 points for most studbooks to pass. In recent years, test standards have steadily risen as a measure of the increasing demands placed upon the modern competition horse but still there are stallions who fail to get their 90 points pass mark, and for their owners it has been a long and expensive ordeal to finish up with a gelding!