Dutch Harness Show Association

11/25/2022

💥💥Driving and Training Clinic with Chantal Van Dijk💥💥

February 17th and 18th 2023 at Grand Finale Farm Ashby, MA

Brought to you by the Dutch Harness Show Association

The DHSA is dedicated to embracing and preserving the traditional style of training, breeding and showing of the Dutch Harness Horse. Not only do we strive to provide shows to give people the opportunity to present and show their horses in this style, we are also dedicated to giving the opportunity to further educate people in the training and presenting of our beloved Dutch Harness Horse. That is why we are so excited and honored to announce that this February 17th and 18th we will be holding the very first DHSA driving and training clinic with Chantal Van Dijk held at Grand Finale Farm in Ashby, Massachusetts. Chantal needs little introduction in our Dutch Harness Horse community. She is one of the most accomplished and well-respected trainers in our industry. She has spent a lifetime accumulating knowledge and perfecting her craft as a trainer. Alongside her husband Robbie, she has trained countless great horses including Waldemar, Cizandro, Eebert, Atleet, Hiro-T, Graaf Kelly and many more. Chantal is not only an expert in Dutch harness horses, she has had exceptional success presenting Friesians including famous stallions Norbert 444, Beart 411, Harmen 424, and Matthys 504, just to name a few. Adding to the extensive list of areas of expertise, they have very successfully shown Hackney horses and ponies. They also have experience preparing dressage horses, Friesians and Dutch Harness horses for keurings. Chantal has graciously offered to come over to the U.S. and support our organization by sharing her knowledge in all of these areas with us. Whether you are just starting out with these breeds, or are yourself an accomplished trainer, I’m sure there is plenty you can learn from Chantal. We would love to have people bring their own horses to drive in the clinic and get some one-on-one assistance from Chantal, but people are also more than welcome to come to just watch and learn. Depending on the amount of horses that enter we may even offer a few show classes to get our 2023 show season underway!
For more information contact
William Duffy
978-758-3151
[email protected]

06/16/2022

There is still time to enter the DHSA classes as well as many other great classes hosted by the Northeast Friesian Horse Club in Deerfield NH 6/23-6/26. We are expecting many great Dutch harness horses to participate. Including approved stallions, keur mares as well as many talented up and coming young horses!! Don’t miss it!!

PRE ENTRIES ARE STILL BEING ACCEPTED ONLINE AND BY MAIL!!

www.gaitkeeper.com

Any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out!

06/13/2022

🚨🚨🚨Entires for the DHSA classes at the Tri State Morgan Show close on TUESDAY 6/14🚨🚨🚨

06/09/2022

💥💥Check out the new DHSA website!💥💥

Horses to come in the ring clockwise, one at a time, make one round and line up. Judge will do conformation and tack inspection.

06/03/2022

🚨🚨Entries close for the DHSA classes at the Tri-State Morgan show on June 14th. DHSA classes will be held on July 1st and 2nd.

Feel free to reach out for entry forms and prize list

06/02/2022

Starting this new organization takes some financial support so we are sharing this sponsorship form for those who are will and able to sponsor us. Every penny will be put directly back into this organization. All parties involved in runnning this organization take no pay and 100% volunteer their time. All sponsorship proceeds will go toward show costs and advertising!

05/17/2022

We are so happy to show a small token of support to the NEFHC! It’s the least we can do to thank them for the support they’ve shown us. Don’t miss the very first DHSA classes on June 24 and 25 with the NEFHC Classic at the Deerfield Fairgrounds in Deerfield NH!!

💫 Huge THANK YOU to DHSS for their 🔒GOLD🔒 Sponsorship of $500 to our show!

We can’t thank you enough!

Head on over and “like” their page!

Are you interested in sponsoring? Contact us today!

05/12/2022

💥OFFICIAL 2022 SHOW SCHEDULE💥

June 22-24 NEFHC Classic
Location: Deerefield Fairgrounds, Deerfield NH
Contact phone number: 207-282-4264
Judge: TBA

July 1-2 Tri State Morgan Show
Location: Michiana Event Center, Shipshewana IN
Contact phone number: 440-479-8503
Judge: Ray Yoder

July 9 Rocky Ridge Classic
Location: Rocky Ridge Stables, Honey Brook PA
Contact phone number: 717-475-5917
Judge: David Fisher

August 23-24 KWPN-NA Keuring
Location: Elkhart County Fairgrounds, Elkhart IN
Contact phone number: 859-225-5331
Judges: Viggon van Beest & Lammert Tel

August 26-27 KWPN-NA Keuring
Location: Rocky Ridge Stables, Honey Brook PA
Contact phone number 717-475-5917
Judges: Viggon van Beest & Lammert Tel

05/12/2022

❗️Framework, Rules and Classes ❗️

Dutch Harness Show Association
Basic Rules:
-Side check is optional to use, but no over check or martingale is allowed.
-Horses must be driven with Liverpool or similar style bit
-Must be even weight shoes. A single pad and/or double shoe is allowed.
-Horses manes must be braided
-Buggy must be 4 wheeled viceroy or similar vehicle.
-Drivers, handlers, and headers must be neatly dressed and it is recommended that driver wear a hat.
-Horses to come in the ring clockwise, one at a time, make one round and line up. Judge will do conformation and tack inspection. Horses will then show at the trot, 2x to the right, reverse and go the left until the judge calls in to the lineup, in order of placement. A workout of the top horses may be requested by the judge to determine final placing.
-Judge can excuse any horse from the class if they do not abide by the rules.
-Judges will be selected by the committee, from a group of qualified personnel.
-Any official KWPN judge will be allowed to judge in this association
-Points will be awarded to each horse based on their placing. In future seasons we hope to show horses in classes based on points accumulated instead of gender and age.
-Points will be awarded on this basis:1st=10 points 2nd=8 points 3rd=6 points 4th=4 points 5th=2 points. Points will be awarded and recorded by the association.
-The horses must be registered with KWPN or ADHHA
-If you wish to show a horse with different or unknown pedigree the horses can be presented to the judges. If they are accepted by the judges based on association standards they will be admitted into the association and therefore are eligible to participate.

The horses will be judged by the following standards:
- Horses must be a minimum height of 15.2 hands
- Has a rectangular-shaped body that is long-lined and well-proportioned
-Trots with suppleness, impulsion, balance and self-carriage
-Has great suspension and a hindleg that steps actively under the body
-An elevated forehand and good self-carriage
-Is light-footed and has articulation of the joints, allowing the hind legs to step under the body enabling the foreleg to extend far from the shoulder with great elevation of the knees
-A cooperative, keen, and honest temperament, with an eagerness to perform
Classes:
-Junior mares: This class is for 3 and 4 year old mares.
-Open mares: This class is for mares of any age
-Junior stallions/geldings: This class is for 3 and 4 year old stallions and geldings.
-Open stallions/geldings: This class is for stallions and geldings of any age.
-Honor Class: This class is open to mares, stallions and geldings of any age. Licensed and approved stallions must show in this class.

Additional class options:
-In hand: Horse to be shown in white bridle or halter. Horses will enter one at a time. They will stand in front of the judges to be judged on conformation, then the horses will walk to the rail and back to the judges. Then the horses will make two clockwise laps around the ring at the trot. After making two laps the horse will exit the ring. After the last horse is presented all the horses will enter the ring at the same time, they will walk clockwise and await placing. One whip person allowed per entry. No bag whips allowed. Horses will be judged according to the standards listed above.
-Pair class: In addition to standards listed above the entry will also be judged on ability of the driver and horses ability to work together. Horses to be show on safe and appropriate four wheeled carriage.
-Tandem class: In addition to standards listed above the entry will also be judged on ability of the driver and horses ability to work together. Horses to be shown on safe and appropriate four wheeled carriage or two wheeled gig.
-Young riders class: Horses to be judged by standards listed above. This class is for drivers under the age of 21. In this class and adult is allowed to ride with the driver but is not required to.

Championships:
-A year end championship will be held at the end of the show season.
-In order to qualify to show at year end championships the horse must have shown in at least one class that season prior to the championship.
-The horse with the most points accumulated during the season will also be recognized at the championships.

05/12/2022

⭐️Welcome to the DHSA⭐️

Many of us reading this have one specific memory of when they first saw a Dutch Harness Horse. They have an exact moment when they were entirely mesmerized by the presence, power, and sheer natural ability of a Dutch Harness Horse. For many of us that moment instilled in us an unwavering passion and desire to own, breed, train and show these amazing horses. Starting in the early 2000’s Dutch Harness Horses came over by the plane loads from the Netherlands, week after week, month after month and year after year. There was an excitement surrounding these horses unlike anything I have ever seen in the horse business, or any business for that matter. At every keuring and horse sale you could see passionate and excited people meticulously braiding manes, trimming the white yarn in these braids to perfection. People could be seen cleaning their black and white show buggies and painstakingly polishing their Liverpool bits, even bolting on aluminum double shoes to their flat steel horseshoes. All of this was done in preparation for the real excitement, driving these horses. These horses would charge into the ring with a ground covering trot, their hind legs stepping strongly under their loose and supple bodies, all leading to the extraordinary elevated front leg, reaching far out from the shoulder and heads being carried naturally and proudly.
To me, and I believe many others this was the hay day of the Dutch Harness Horse in North America. There was an unprecedented excitement and enthusiasm surrounding these horses. There seemed to be a sense of appreciation for the tradition surrounding these horses as well as an appreciation for the strict and selective breeding program that produced these spectacular horses with unparalleled natural ability. With this association I hope to tap back into some of that excitement that I and so many others were a part of not that long ago.
That is why I am excited to announce the formation of the new Dutch Harness Show Association. We are creating this organization with hopes of creating a successful show circuit that focuses on rewarding the training, breeding and showing more like what is done in the Netherlands today. This style is what got many of us excited about these horses a decade ago. This organization is separate from the KWPN-NA although we do have full support of the KWPN-NA and vice versa