I promised to write some general informational about this event and here it is.

Both PRE stallions and mares are graded. First grading is APTO which is a basic approval, no test is required only a general study by official veterinarian confirming that mare/stallions is compatible by blood with its parents (is registered and has a passport). To get your stud stallion graded and approved for breeding with any kind of artificial insemination, the Tribune of Qualified Reproductors (TRC) need to pass the horse. The test is over one day and described below. Theoretically Elite grading also exists but so far there are no tests elaborated for this level, hence no PRE stallions are graded Elite, as far as I know.

Requirements for application to grading;
If your stallion is 4 years or older and your mare 3 years or older you can apply for TRC. The stallions has to be over 155 cm and the mares over 153 cm. You have to submit the following certifications from the University of Cordoba including;
1. Xrays that confirms the horse is free from OCD - Osteochondrosis,

2. Vet cert measuring quality of semen,
3. Vet cert excluding defects which inhibits reproduction

On arrival to grading the horse's angels are measured carefully as they have to be well within the racestandards.
(Donoso was very cooperative and thought everything .. needed to be measured..)
 
The first test is the morfology that is very much like the presentation by hand in championships only longer and more strict and the evaluation lasts 15 min. Three judges mark the horse that has to reach a score of 85 or more. If you compare these scores to results in championships it is a very high score. Also a horse with one note of 'very bad' or two notes of 'bad' are disqualified even if total score is 85 or more.
Donoso VII
    
No matter what scores the stallions get in the ridden test, he cannot pass and get tthe itle Reproductor Calificado if he does not get sufficient scores in the morfology. The first part of the grading is where most horses fail. Ridden test is performed. For mares the ridden test is optional.
Donoso VII
     
Festivo MR 
       
In the ridden test the judge looks at the quality of movements in all gaits, rideability and general impression of the horse under saddle. The judge ask the rider to do different excercises, which he finds necessary, varies from one horse to another. To pass you need a score of 24 (out of 40) or more which is also a high score in morfo-functional shows.

Feel free to ask if there is anything else you would like to know, now I have some more riding to do, have a great weekend!
     
/Proud owner, happy rider!
 

This is very likely the most happy day in my life, Donoso VII got his qualified recognition as a stud stallion, he passed the TRC today, Donut is king!!!!
I am so proud of my beautiful horse that took our breath away today when he showed us what a regal kingly horse should look like, he took the longrun flying in one impressive go and everyone went quiet... Then he did his showy jums in perfect balance and we could hear the spanish men murmurring; Muy macho... But it aint over until it's over and a ridden test had to be passed also.
Donoso VII in ridden test
    
Donoso VII & handler - thank you Tony!
  
Warming up had to be done walking on asfalt in parking lot..
  
As Donoso's ridden test was 15 min after morfology I did not know if he was APTO (had passed) or not. We had to wait and wait and when I was finally called in by office to get the protocol they told me he had passed. I had to sign the documents but at this point I couldn't see any papers because my eyes were all filled up with happy-tears, this was really a beautiful dream come true for me!
And now when VIKINGA PRE has passed Nr 1 stud stallion I can continue Donoso's breeding career in my beloved homecountry, and not only in Sweden but all over the world!
I can't describe how good it feels to get the recognition by the spanish experts of the horse you believe in so much.
And tomorrow it is Festivo MR's turn..
Love this horse!
 

Today all 5 boys are worked out and happy, started at 14.00 and did not stop until 20.15 - a great working day for all of us!
Here some pictures of me and beautiful Donoso training last week when Valerie was here.
Donoso VII
      

           
And a nice one from Valerie of Start!
  
Donut LOVES his grooming! And you see in the end I can't let someone else do the job because it just isn't the same, I really prefer to do it myself because when I groom I feel them in and plan the daily work.
  
And Festivo MR in his suite
 

Got a greeting from owner of Donoso's gorgeous son Buscado that says he's absolutely beautiful and the most charming PRE in the world!!

Buscado - what a guy!
    
 

Had to wait for heat to pass, car showed 39 degrees today, woah!!  My garden has had some serious work done to it, it is now decorated with one pretty palmtree, one beautiful orangetree with 12 big oranges dangling from it and one lemontree with babylemons! I love trees and always dreamt of having these ones in my garden so it was very special to see them being planted and today I harvested my first orange - delicious! And now I have a swedish set up watering system that will NEVER fail, thanks to Maths and my dad. We will plant a pretty lawn later on this autumn, it is too hot for that now.

And so for the boys. Today Donoso and Festivo's was up and I started with Donoso, no warmup needed, we are enough warmed up here so we went straight into it and after a little while HE DID HIS FIRST CONFIRMED PIAFFE - PASSAGE - PIAFFE transition - woahhhh!! I saw it in the mirror and it was so beautiful I was really moved! (No smiley for that feeling..) And Donut was going  Only you with true passion for riding knows what it means to endure the ups and down on your own, getting on with it and believing in yourself that you can do it, and then the joy when something finally comes together - wiiiiiiii - IT IS SO WORTH IT!! I LOVE THAT HORSE - WHAT A GUY!! Donoso is a horse of a lifetime, I am so aware this. We finished with that lovely feeling.

And so Festivo... I decided to lounge with Pessoa, he is ridgid in shoulders, especially the left one wants to push out and he is NOT through in his back especially in the right hand, here he overbends to the right and does not want to stretch topline. SO, big darling, we need to STRETCH. Since he is big but very well mannered I thought it was a good thing to lounge in indoor, I was all by myself. I walk in and ... ping - the loungeline opens and horse is loose! Uff, it is not very interesting to have a indoor with two big entrances with no doors in this situation - adrenalin went in and up and I started to to get him down the shortside. Festivo is a cool guy, he does not go up in high energy but - he has BIG STRIDES, so fibromyalgia body had to work it, nothing else to beg for! I managed to keep him moving (and what movement with all that happiness!) on short side he was playing looking at the mares on the other side of the road. But after 15 min and many turns I had no body and I decided I have to go forward and see if he would join up with me. HE DID NOT. Off he went slowly and I did not even try to pass him. Trotting beautifully up the lawn where there was a southamerican party and a swimmingpool. Quietly he sailed through the garden, and the partypeople, and came out behind house where the outdoor arena is in process of being made. I managed to round up three partyguys that did not seem at all worried, I had to explain that I was not going to catch that horse on my own. The guys were very helpful and calm and did exactly what I told them, arms up, run left, down arms, stand still etc and we got him by the wall. But Festivo decided to have more fun and make bullfight move on one of the guys that he passed elegantly. He sailed down on owners drive in where I had to snap him in the Pessoa because cheeky F would not join up with me, he had too much fun! He was very controlled, he's a cool guy and a clever horse, no stress just BIG and independent. You can see how he thinks where to go most conveniently and REALLY who can blame him for wanting to stretch out after having worked hard at breedingstation several months? He was happy. Then we worked in the roundpen, stretching, stretching and some laps later work back popped up and shoulders were where they had to be! Super, Festivo had a good day too!!

And finally a picture of the youngest Molinete working hard doing the same job with all the gear on.
Molinete XI

Now we're heating up and it was time for debute-dip in ice-cold swimmingpool - wiiiiii - so cold! Lots of housework being done, especially in garden, the swedish guys are now crayfish coloured but content as their work is being sucessful and v e r y appreciated. Later on in the lovely evening I went to see boys, I worked Hagge by hand and he did wonderful trot extentions on the circle without loosing even one leg, super balanced! I have lot of emailing to catch up on, sorry for delay but I will get back to you all tomorrow and thursday. Tomorrow we are picking up Festivo, so now we will be 5! 4 PRE stallions and Starti, the more the merrier!
Here Donoso, fair-playing with clever doggy Eme this evening;
1. Eme enters..

2. Eme is asking for more!

3. Donut tells Eme enough is enough..

Whilst I am waiting for the arrival of lorry from Sweden I am happy to announce the arrival of this beautiful little PRE lady that was born yesterday in Sweden, congratulations to Yeguada Windy Hill!