This picture of David and Aquila Tirso really proves that a picture is worth more than 1000 words!

By the Calificado FEI dressage stallion, Fugitivo XII (Imp.), and out of 'Elite' mare Aquila Rosalinda (by Poseido XII, Imp.), this beautiful filly is sure to please!

Check back to watch her progress.

Aquila Merlin and Aquila Leonidas - 1st Place, Progeny Class (2 progeny of same sire or dam)
Poseido LXXII, Aquila Merlin and Aquila Leonidas - 1st Place, Progeny Group (mare or stallion with two offspring)
Judge: Sabina Callaghan

Aquila Leonidas, 2nd Place - Led Spanish colt 2 years to 4 years
Aquila Leonidas - Reserve Champion Led Spanish Colt
Poseido LXXII, 2nd Place - Led Spanish stallion 9 years to 12 years
Poseido LXXII - Reserve Champion Spanish Stallion
Aquila Merlin, 3rd Place - Led Spanish gelding 5 years to 8 years
Aquila Leonidas, 1st place - Ridden Spanish male under 15.2hh
Poseido LXXII, 3rd place - Ridden Spanish male over 15.2hh
Aquila Merlin, 3rd place - Ridden Spanish gelding under 15.2hh
Judge: xxxxxxx

AHAA Show
Aquila Merlin - 1st place, Led Spanish Entire 2 yrs & under 4
Aquila Merlin - National Reserve Champion Junior Spanish Entire

ANCCE Show
Aquila Merlin - 1st place, Section 6 (3 yo colts)
Aquila Merlin - Reserve Champion Colt (Sections 2, 4, 6)

Judge Ignacio Bravo.

Aquila Lucero, WB foal - Conformation 79.5%, Movement 74%, Total 76.75%. Comments: very nice type, fine legs, elastic trot.

Aquila Sophia, 2yo PRE - Conformation 74%, Movement 73.5%, Total 73.75%. Comments: good set neck, engaged in trot and canter and swinging in her movements.

Aquila Salome, 2yo PRE - Conformation 75%, Movement 71%, Total 73%. Comments: Uphill, good topline, long good set neck.

Aquila Merlin, 3yo PRE - Conformation 75.5%, Movement 69.5%, Total 72.5%. Comments: colt with a good neck, could overtrack more in his walk and be more swinging in his movements.

Aquila 'not yet named', PRE foal - Conformation 74%, Movement not shown (stone bruise). Comments: Strong in the back.

We presented four horses in this year's EQUIPRE National Show - the first in Australia since 2006 - with the following results:

Subcampeón de la Raza (Reserve Champion Stallion): Poseido LXXII
Subcampeóna de la Raza (Reserve Champion Mare): Aquila Rosalinda, awarded Elite status
Campeóna de la Raza (Junior Champion Filly): Aquila Sophia (equal 1st), awarded Elite status
Campeón de la Raza (Junior Champion Colt): Aquila Leonidas, awarded Premium status
Mejores Movimientos (Best Movement - Junior): Aquila Sophia (8.5 pts, the highest movement score of the tour)

Of the four horses we presented, two were awarded Elite status, and two Premium. We are so excited about these results, and so pleased with the success of our breeding program to date.

With the coming into effect of the new European regulations for equine identification (Regulation (CE) 504/2008 by the Commission dated the 6th of June, 2008), it is absolutely essential for us to take into account new deadlines for actions, because the new regulations are extremely strict for us with regards to the deadlines for issuing passports. This also affects all those countries outside the European Union, as we are the organization that handles the breed.

First of all, we must insist that you send us the blood samples to Spain as soon as possible.  This must be done even if the service, in the actual program, is still pending the field work.  This way, our laboratory can start working on the sample and perform the DNA extraction, while you are working on moving the horse to the pending lab work slot.  

From now on, the deadlines we must comply with for the procedure are as follows:

• Breeders must request the registration of the horses as soon as possible, at the very latest, before the foal is one (1) month old.

• Next, you have a maximum of 30 days from when you receive the application for service from the breeder so that the veterinarian can draw the blood and complete the description and send the blood to Spain and you move the service to pending laboratory in the program. We are well aware that this time span is extremely limiting, but the regulations outline very strict deadlines.

• The laboratory has 21 days in which to perform the DNA analysis and parentage tests.

• The LG-PRE-ANCCE Stud Book office has another 21 days to issue, print out and mail the passport.

With these MAXIMUM dealines, 3 months and 10 days have already gone by, which leaves us with almost three months to correct any possible parentage errors, lack of DNA of one of the progenitors, etc.

Thank you for your collaboration. We must all pull together to avoid hindrances for the breeders in each of our countries.

Yours sincerely,

Arancha Rodríguez Sainz de los Terreros

Área Internacional Libro Genealógico PRE ANCCE

The new dressage tests for Preliminary through to Advanced levels are based on the 2007 USEF Dressage Tests and have been adapted for use in Australia. They introduce new movements such as leg yielding at Novice, renvers at Elementary and half turn on the haunches at Elementary & Medium.

The new tests become effective from 1st July 2009 and will remain in place until December 2013.

You can find these tests on Equestrian Australia's website, or by clicking here.

Dear PRE Breeder/Owner,

We have done a call to breeders and owners for a valoration trip in May 2009 for any eligible horses. At this stage there are only 20 horses to be viewed, which unfortunately is not enough for a valoration trip to go ahead. We will work towards a valoration trip later in the year (possibly late October/early November).

We are waiting for many passports (some since late 2007 and early 2008 lodged via both ACPRE and PREAA) which are currently starting to be being processed by ANCCE. This means that there will be more horses to be viewed later in the year.

Kind regards,

Catherine Nicholls,
President.

Rumour has it that the dressage tests listed on the following website are those that Equestrian Australia plans to introduce in the middle of this year.
Rumoured Dresage Tests...

Dear Breeder/Owner

PREAA have been petitioning Spain for further PRE eligibility of horses in Australia. This has been a long, slow process, but bit by bit we are making ground.

In 2005 when the Cria Caballar/FESCCR closed its registers for the Spanish Stud Book to further horses in Australia (allowing only progeny of those already approved for breeding to be registrable in the Spanish Stud Book) there were certain conditions of that closure that allowed some further horses to go through.

We had this information put to a meeting of ANCCE (the current keepers of the Stud Book) at the end of January and ANCCE have decided to uphold these closure conditions of 2005. This means that there will be horses that are eligible in Australia under these conditions.

The conditions are attached for you, but are outlined here also:

1. Horses CONCEIVED between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2004 which have not been valorated for whatever reason, and which are progenies of identified stallions and mares, may be inscribed under the following circumstances:
· When the progenitors have not fulfilled their second valoration and have died.
· When neither of the progenitors is IAP (Inscription by opening of the country) and when they are registered in the Main Registry.
· If a progenitor is IAP, but has a first generation progeny inscribed in the Main Registry. That is, they have PRE inscribed progenies approved for breeding

2. Stallions and mares born after the closure date may only be inscribed in the Birth Register when they comply with the general conditions set in Article 7 of the Spanish Legislation Royal Decree 1133/2002 of 31 October. Due to the special conditions existing in Australia and New Zealand, with no nominated authorised personnel, the horses applying to the corresponding Association will be able to be identified within the established timeframe of six months, even though they might not be at the foot of the mother.

3. Birth inscriptions for adult horses, that is, horses born before 1 November 2003,may only be carried out under the conditions set for "outside the specified timeframe" which will be provided for by Spanish Legislation. In the same manner, it will be possible to identify and valorate IAP horses under the conditions of "outside the specified timeframe" Inscriptions.

4. Under no circumstance will foals of IAP horses, CONCEIVED after the closing date of 31 December 2004, be eligible to be inscribed in the Birth Register."

If you think that you have a horse that is eligible, please contact the office on 03 5236 3311 or myself on 0427 78 3344.

We will be paperwork that we will need to have filled out for these horses, then we will need to create covering certificates for them, and send on to Spain so they can determine eligibility.

This is great news for horses in Australia and we need to act on it immediately!

The five horses that will be receiving ANCCE's 2008 scholarship for 5, 6 & 7 year old dressage horses have been named. These are:

Latigo VI, 6 year old, Campeon IX x Geloyo
Jeque XXVII, 7 year old, Utrerano VII x Belmonte II
Armas Zarzeño, 6 year old, Escarzo x Freson
Pilatos, 5 year old, Rabel II x Don Juan
Enorme, 7 year old, Oficial XXIX x Albero II

Qld: 12 & 13 December at Bellara Park, 97 Worendo Street, Veresdale (near Beaudesert)
Melbourne: 14 & 15 December at Peppercorn Equestrian Centre, 230 Oaklands Road, Oaklands Junction

This seminar would be beneficial for those who own, or wish to purchase, a Spanish horse, judges, or those who want to know more about the breed.
Cost: $40 per person (2 days) or $30 per person (1 day)

Visit the PREAA website for a registration form, or for more information contact: Catherine Nicholls on president@preaa.com.au.

Victoria: 17th and 18th of October, 2008 (Venue to be determined)
NSW/QLD: 19th and 20th of October, 2008 (Omaru Stud, Murwillumbah)

The seminar costs $40 per person for both days, or $25 per person for one day. A registration form and more information on this event can be found on the PREAA website.

EQUINE GENEALOGY

The equine genealogy program is now ready for breeders and enthusiasts so that you can consult information about your horse and its "family tree". Likewise there are other new possibilities such as:

- ON LINE updated information about the horses included in the LG-PRE- ANCCE database
- Complete file of each horse
- More information about the horses included in the genealogy
- Red rosette for qualified horses
- Coat color at birth and genetic coat color
- Current owner according to the LG-PRE-ANCCE Stud Book
- List of progeny for the horse consulted
- All sections of the family tree clickable.
- User-friendly

This first version is a demo, and it responds to the need the PRE enthusiasts have for information. In short, for both the public access and the private access versions, new functions will be included to help facilitate tasks, marketing and the dissemination of PRE horses.

The most important will be:

- Prediction of inbreeding for future progeny
- Prediction of coat colors, based on parent genotypes
- Breeder calendar for coverings, movements of horses in and out of the stud farm, veterinarian controls, LG-PRE-ANCCE Stud Book relations, etc.
- Updates of brands

We hope to have these and other utilities up and running before the end of the year.

The PRE stallion Fuego XII was the highest scoring Iberian horse in the Dressage Individual Grand Prix, with a total score of 66.083 ( 22nd place). The placings of the Iberian horses competing in this competion are as follows:

The scholarships consist of a monthly, 800 EUR payment to finance training expenses, maintenance and participation at competitions of 5, 6 and 7 years old horses. Four horses will be chosen per level, provided that the minimum average scores are reached.

ANCCE seeks to consolidate these horses in competition and to help them develop their potential to the fullest. The aim is to increase the level and number of riders with PRE horses that are already harvesting excellent results. This is a medium-term project, in which the objective is to improve the current level of PRE horses competing in the top level tests.

Those horses achieving the best averages, in their level, throughout the year will be eligible for these scholarships, providing these averages exceed 67%. The ANCCE Competition Commission will select the horses and riders by taking into consideration the average of the final scores achieved in three national competitions and the Young Horse Championship of Spain.

Every year, following the aforementioned Spanish National Championship, the commission will select the horses based on the results achieved. Owners will be granted the scholarships for the following year. To select the 5-year-olds, the scores in the tests for 4 years from the previous year will be taken into consideration; the same process will be followed all the way up to the 7-year-olds.

Scholarships are granted to the horse, so if ownership changes, the new owner will automatically receive the corresponding amount, provided that the horse continues competing and the required levels of results are attained. The ANCCE Competition Commission will follow the progress of each horse/rider throughout the year.

If due to injury or any other reason, a horse leaves the competition arena, the scholarship will be cancelled automatically. These scholarships will be awarded for yearly periods, with the exception stated in the previous paragraph. Each year the four horses that will receive the scholarships will be selected, depending on their results. The owner of the horse will sign a contract with ANCCE covering all these aspects.

The horse must be entered in competitions with the prefix ANCCE, and both the rider and the horse will advertise ANCCE on their clothes, according to the RFHE (Royal Equestrian Federation of Spain) Rules and Regulations.

A full copy of the rules and regulations for eligibility of Dressage scholarships will be published on the ANCCE web-site and will be sent to all the breeders.

More information can be found here.

The schedule for the 2008 Australian Valoration tour is out!

The March - April 2008 English edition of El Caballo magazine is available for download here (28 MB).