4th Quarter 2025
- stacylpearsall
- Sep 18
- 7 min read
Updated: Sep 19
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Our 4th Quarter 2025 Members Meeting will be held on October 13, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. EST over Zoom.
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CLASS I DIRECTOR ELECTIONS
Elections will take place on November 11th online via Google ballot, which will be sent to Stakeholder Members by email.
With her artistic and creative expertise, Kelsey Rogers is well-positioned to make a meaningful contribution to the EBRA. Her skills and experience can be leveraged in various areas, including, but not limited to, product development for the online store, collaborations with sculpting artists, social media content creation, and volunteer support. Moreover, she is an active breeder on the West Coast. She can offer insights into regional best practices in horse care, including feed management, veterinary care, and handling, which may differ from those on the East Coast.
Will Beattie is a graduate of The Citadel with a diverse professional background spanning state law enforcement and the telecommunications industry. He later transitioned to full-time cattle ranching, where he built a national beef brand that reached customers across the country through a two-year run on national television. Will’s passion for draft horses began over 20 years ago with an introduction to the Brabant breed. While initially limited by budget, he worked a team of Percheron horses for farm work until, five years ago, he fulfilled a lifelong dream by acquiring two imported Ardennes mares. Bred to the only producing stallion in the U.S. at the time, these mares became the foundation of his growing herd. Will now devotes his efforts to breeding and training young horses for practical, sustainable farm use, with his youngest stock currently entering training for daily ranch work.
2025 VIRTUAL HORSE SHOW
Enter your Brabant and/or Appendix Brabant in the 3rd annual EBRA Virtual Horse Show is underway! Monique Beullens and Eva de Smidt will be judging the Halter and Showmanship classes, while Laura Wiencek will be judging the trail classes. The show is open to all European Brabant and Brabant-cross horses. It's free for EBRA Members, and non-members can compete by purchasing a Membership. Registrations will be open until November 17th at 5 pm EST. Once judging is complete, an EBRA Virtual Horse Show watch party will take place on Saturday, December 6th at 12 pm EST over Zoom.
Each unique handler must complete a registration form. A handler may exhibit more than one horse, but will be required to submit a new registration form per horse. A horse may only compete in one Halter Class, and a handler may only compete in one Showmanship Class. The same horse may be used by multiple handlers competing in the Showmanship In-Hand Competition. A new registration form must be completed per handler, even if using the same horse.
MEET THE JUDGES
Monique Beullens is the daughter of a renowned Brabant Draft breeder, the late Frans Beullens, of Ranst, Belgium. Given her heritage, Monique was born with a love for the breed. Professionally, she is a professor at the Faculty of Medicine at KUL and has been a valued official jury member of Flemish (Brabant) Horse in Belgium and The Netherlands for several years. Monique currently sits on the European Brabant Registry of America's Advisory and Breed Evaluation Committees. Monique and her daughter, Eva de Smidt, own Stal Groenenbroek. In addition to heading up the Stal Groenenbroek breeding and showing programs, Eva created and runs Trekpaard.net, which showcases everything related to Brabant draft horses, including bloodlines, show results, and more.
Laura Wiencek started riding mules in her youth. At the age of 13, she was competitive in women's barrel racing at the international level. At the age of 16, Laura started working with training horses, specializing in fixing problems with rider/horse communication. Laura has maintained a successful business here in Cortland, for twelve years. She has proven to be a successful trainer in the off the track thoroughbred world, where she has competed in the Extreme Thoroughbred Makeover and showcased her OTTB skills at the Retired Racehorse Project at Pimlico Racetrack (home of the Preakness) in 2013 and 2014. She was also chosen to compete in the trainer portion of the Retired Racehorse Project at Kentucky Horse Park in October 2015. She has also worked as a judge and steward at the Retired Racehorse Project Makeover at Kentucky Horse Park. She has appeared in many videos, photos, and a calendar supporting the OTTB. Laura has competed all her life in barrel racing and in recent years working with cattle and training horses on her mountain trail course.
CHECK OUT THE CLASS OFFERINGS
2025 Virtual Horse Show Classes:
Halter Class
Showmanship Class
Trail Class (In-hand and/or Under-saddle)
Traditional Raffia Class
HALTER CLASS
The "Halter Class" focuses on judging the horse. They are evaluated and scored for their resemblance to the breed standard and/or general conformation and movement.
European Brabant Halter Class: The highest possible total score is 50 points.
Overall Impression: Breed Type, Expression and Proportions - 5 pt allowance
Breed Standard Qualities - Total possible score of 35 pts
Head - 5 pt allowance
Neck/Chest - 5 pt allowance
Shoulder - 5 pt allowance
Back - 5 pt allowance
Croup/Hip/Loin - 5 pt allowance
Hindquarters - 5 pt allowance
Leg Position (front/back) - 5 pt allowance
Movement: Balanced, free going, ground covering, straight, efficient and true, with lateral extension and limited vertical action – 5 pt allowance
Carriage: Relaxed, alert and confident at the walk. Proud head carriage and bright expression at the trot – 5 pt allowance
SHOWMANSHIP CLASS
The "Showmanship In-Hand Class" focuses on the exhibitor. Each exhibitor will be judged for their personal presentation as well as their ability to handle their horse and execute the posted pattern.
Showmanship In-Hand Class: The highest possible score is 30 points
Horse: Grooming and body condition - 5 pt allowance
Exhibitor: Neat in appearance - 5 pt allowance
Attitude: Positive and confident - 5 pt allowance
Presentation: Overall showing horse at best advantage – 5 pt allowance
Posing: Horse set-up & posing that best showcases horse's conformation – 5 pt allowance
Pattern: Proper execution of pattern – 5 pt allowance
TRADITIONAL YARN & RAFFIA BRAIDING CLASS
This “Traditional Yarn & Raffia Class” is where you deck your horse out in the traditional Dutch and Belgian way with yarn and raffia! If using the double-braided mane with yarn, competitors should use three skein of yarn (any color combo) and raffia. Tails must have a single, centered hunt-style braid with or without raffia twill. However, participants can also have fun embellishing their horse with a modern spin. You can also look to the show archives from Western European competitions to let historic presentations to inspire your presentations (examples below).
Traditional Yarn & Raffia Braiding Competition: The highest possible score is 20 points
Overall Grooming & Neatness - 5 pt allowance
Creativity, Expression, & Color Choices - 5 pt allowance
Execution of double running braid - 5 pt allowance
Execution of tail braid - 5 pt allowance
TRAIL CLASSES
When taking the trail class video(s) for the virtual show, each exhibitor is required to record a continuous video of themselves performing the posted pattern. While safety equipment, such as helmets, is not required for adult classes, the EBRA strongly encourages the use of helmets. For those competing in Youth riding/driving categories, helmets are required.
Judging Penalties:
Penalty ½: Each tick of pole, cone or obstacle
Penalty 1: Hit or step on; incorrect gait at walk or trot for 2 strides or less; Both feet in space; skip space; split pole
Penalty 3: Break gait at walk or trot over 2 strides; knockdown; step out or jump off with 1 foot
Penalty 5: Failure to follow the correct line of travel within or between obstacles; Drop object; 1st refusal or evade; 2nd refusal; step out or jump off obstacle with more than one foot; Blatant disobedience; Failure to complete obstacle
Riding/In-Hand Trail Class Pattern
For those opting to compete "under saddle," competitors are not required to use an actual saddle. Exhibitors may use a bareback pad or simply go bareback. Also, riders are permitted to go bitless too.
Build the Riding/In-Hand Trail Course:
How to Build the Obstacle Course
Cones: To create cone obstacle, you will need 3ct cones, or alternate high-visibility markers, spaced 5’ apart in a straight line.
Tarp: Between 6-10‘ from the cone obstacle, lay a tarp (tarp sized at least 10x12’) flat on the ground.
Square: Build a square obstacle using 10-15’ poles.
Driving Trail Class Pattern
The Driving Trail Class can be performed while hitched to a vehicle or when unhitched and driven on the ground. The class can be performed with a single horse or a team of horses.
Build the Driving Trail Course:
How to Build the Obstacle Course: The pattern should be laid out in a square shape.
Parallel Poles: To create single wheel ground pole obstacle, you will need 2ct 10-15’ poles (wood or pvc), spaced approximately 3’ apart in a straight line.
Gee Turn Cone: Place cone 10-20' from 1st obstacle
Stop Cone: Place cone 20-30' from 2nd obstacle
Tarp: Between 10-15‘ from the 3rd obstacle, lay a tarp (tarp sized at least 10x12’) flat on the ground.
Haw Turn Cone: Place cone 10-20' from 4th obstacle
U Shape Stop Poles: Build a u-shape obstacle using 10-15’ poles.
MEMBERSHIP
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