Negro (Ferro x Variant), the KWPN licensed stallion bred by Mr. Borgers and owned by GertJan van Olst, has earned the prestigious title of Keur stallion. The KWPN awards this predicate to stallions who earn an index over 140 points and who have offspring competing at grand prix. Easily surpassing these requirements with the dressage index of 159 points, Negro will accept this honor at the KWPN Stallion Licensing in Hertogenbosch this February.

Negro had a very successful show career under Anne van Olst. Together they won both the KWPN Five- and Six-Year-Old Stallion Competition. They continued on to win the World Championships for Young Dressage Horses in 2001 and went on to win many Prix St. Georges at the early age of seven before easily progressing to the grand prix level.

Negro's offspring have followed in his hoofprints earning many championships in both Europe and the U.S. With multiple approved sons, stallions such as Spargo, Tap Dance, and Troy—who won the 2006 Dutch Dressage Championships at Z1—are carrying on Negro's valuable bloodlines. Other offspring currently competing are Carl Hester's Valegro, who won the Young Horse Championships in Britain, and Tardi, owned by Pia Kugelmann Nielsen, who won the Danish Young Horse Championship in 2004. Offspring excelling in the U.S. include Nick Wagman's Uforia, who qualified to compete at the 2008 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Festival of Champions at Intermediaire I and Amy Awerbuch's Unico G, who took United States Dressage Federation Region 2 Champion at Second Level Junior/Young Rider and Reserve Champion at Third Level Junior/Young Rider.

For more information on Negro or other stallions standing at Hilltop, visit www.hilltopfarminc.com or contact Natalie DiBerardinis at (410) 658-9898, ext. 104, or [email protected].