MPT “Benchmark” High Score Jumping Award

A generous AHS member, who wishes to remain anonymous, has sponsored a new award to help recognize mares that show exceptional jumping ability during their Mare Performance Test (MPT). This new award will be presented to the mare(s) that achieve the highest combined score on the jumping part of the MPT in a calendar year.

As most AHS members know, mares are awarded a score for “technique” and a score for “ability” during the free jumping part of the Hanoverian MPT. “Technique” refers to the form – the use of the body – the mare shows as she goes over the fences, especially the large oxer at the end of the chute. “Ability” refers to the innate talent and willingness of a mare to jump a fence of good size height and width. These two scores will be used to determine the winner(s).

The winning mare(s) may have been born in any country, and does not have to be Hanoverian—Thoroughbreds, Arabians, or any of the other Warmblood mares that are taking our testing are eligible. The winning mares do not have to achieve EMC (or EM) status from the MPT, it must be noted that some mares take the test even though they aren’t eligible for the EMC or EM designation, and all mares are encouraged to be tested. Also, there is no age limitation. Since it is likely that more than one mare may achieve the same high score in any calendar year, the prize will be awarded to all mares that tie for the highest score in a given year.

The Details of this New MPT High Score Jumping Award are as Follows:

• The MPT combined scores for "technique" and "ability" will be used to determine the winner(s).
• Mares eligible for this award can be been born in any country, and do not have to be registered as Hanoverian—Thoroughbreds, Arabians, Anglo-Arabs and any of the other Warmblood mares entered in the testing are also qualified.
• There are no age restrictions or considerations.

Setting the "Benchmark"

For this award, on behalf of our generous sponsor, a beautiful glass piece was commissioned that will reside in the AHS Central Office in Kentucky, with the winners’ names to be engraved on plaques that will be placed on the base each year. On the glass is etched a lovely mare jumping a fence in beautiful form. For the winning owners to take home we presented very fancy ribbons and custom designed aluminum plaques at our recent Annual Meeting Awards Banquet. We are excited about this new award as it is also a great tie-in to the developing AHS Jumper Breeding Program which was also announced at the Annual Meeting in February 2005.

In honor of the award designer Phyllis Hamilton of Benchmark Farm Studio, the new award will be known as the Benchmark Perpetual Trophy. The donor stated that this was an excellent tie-in to the goal of the program, adding, “I hope that each year’s winning mare sets a new benchmark of excellence in her jumping, which is such an important attribute of our wonderful Hanoverian breed.”

The AHS Board of Directors thanks our generous member for proposing and sponsoring this award, and congratulates the winning mares that showed such exceptional jumping ability in their performance tests!

MPT High Score Jumping Award Recipients and Scores