On Thursday, June 25, 2026, Simon Hoeksma and I, Gorrit Kuipers, departed for Colombia to officiate at the very first Barock Pinto inspection ever organized in the country. More than sixty horses were entered for inspection.
After a flight of approximately ten hours, we arrived in Colombia. Due to the seven-hour time difference, it almost felt as though we had travelled back in time, making it an exceptionally long day.
We were picked up at the airport and immediately introduced to Colombian traffic. That certainly took some getting used to. Traffic regulations seem to exist, but they are interpreted rather loosely. Weaving across the highway is perfectly normal. Without honking or frustration, drivers merge in the most unexpected places. At one point, you may suddenly come to a complete stop because a municipal worker is sweeping the road in the middle of the highway—even on a Sunday. It was certainly a memorable first introduction to the country.
Upon arriving at the venue, we received a warm welcome from the owner, Luisa Gaitán of Criadero Diluo, where the inspection would take place on Saturday and Sunday. After touring the facilities, enjoying a cup of Colombian coffee, meeting the participants, and helping to prepare the inspection arena, Luisa’s son Tomás and Juan Giraldo drove us to our hotel. The remainder of the evening was ours to spend as we wished.
On Friday, Tomás and Juan picked us up again to return to the inspection venue. Later that day, NL boardmember Marije van Ettekoven and her husband Egbert also arrived. They were already on holiday in Colombia, which allowed Marije to assist during the inspection on both Friday and Saturday.
On Friday evening, all horses were measured and their microchips checked, allowing us to begin the inspection immediately on Saturday morning without any delays. The evening concluded with an informal question-and-answer session about the procedures and regulations of our studbook. We were also informed that judging would have to stop promptly at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, as an important football match was on the schedule—and naturally, nobody wanted to miss it.
At exactly 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, we started with the IBOP performance tests, followed by the inspection of the young horses. A pleasing number of horses were presented for the IBOP. Among them were experienced horses that performed with confidence, as well as younger horses that completed neat and promising tests. As always, not every horse met the required standard. Owners of horses that did not yet qualify received clear feedback on the areas that needed improvement, along with the recommendation to return the following year.
The quality of the young horses was impressive. Several horses earned First Premium awards, and multiple mares were awarded Ster or even Elite status. A large proportion of the horses originated from the Netherlands, but we also had the opportunity to inspect Colombian-born offspring of Elvis BP27. They showed themselves exceptionally well and confirmed that Elvis BP27 is a valuable addition to Barock Pinto breeding in Colombia.
Elvis BP27 himself was also presented under saddle. The stallion is currently competing at Grand Prix level in Colombia and demonstrated power, quality, and excellent rideability, once again proving his value as both a sport horse and a breeding stallion.
Sunday’s program featured the one- and two-year-old stallions, followed by the older stallions. The quality among the young stallions varied, and their youthful enthusiasm sometimes made judging more challenging. The older stallions, however, included several individuals of exceptional quality that clearly distinguished themselves.
Unfortunately, not all DNA test results were available at the time of the inspection. Due to processing delays in Colombia, not every breeding license could be issued immediately. As soon as the outstanding DNA results are received, the remaining stallions will officially be granted their breeding licenses.
Looking back, we can conclude that the very first Barock Pinto inspection in Colombia was a great success. The event was exceptionally well organized, the hospitality was outstanding, and the overall quality of the horses gives great confidence in the continued development of the Barock Pinto Studbook in Colombia.
The complete inspection results can be found in the overview below.
Kind regards,
Gorrit Kuipers
