The Keuring or judging is an evaluation of Friesian horses by officials from the Netherlands and North America. The official judges are sent to by the KFPS (Friesch Paarden Stamboek) to inspect the horses by looking for certain specific traits. The registry which all mature horses are registered in is known as the studbook.

Evaluation Criteria
The primary purpose of the Keuring is the evaluation and selection of Friesian breeding stock. The horses are evaluated on confirmation and movements. Currently the trend is towards a modern type of horse that is suitable for riding and driving. The movement rating counts for 60% of the overall evaluation and is the most important. Important traits of the Friesian breed is a good reach from the shoulder, ground covering power and flexion coming from the hocks and hindquarters. Overall the movement should be elevated and light-footed with a moment of suspension.

Studbook and Classifications

The Friesians that are presented for judging, for both studbook and foal book, are rated with premiums which is an official ranking which is also recorded on the horse’s registration papers.

Foals:
Foals are entered into the foal book after being judged during the year of their birth.
- A first premium is best and accounts for approximately the top 5%.
- Second is very good and accounts for approximately the next 35%.
- Third is most common and is awarded to approximately the next 50%.
- Some foals will not receive a premium.
A premium cannot be given to horses that are unsound, have unacceptable amounts of white, are of poor quality, are in poor condition or have serious faults.

Mares and Geldings
Most mares and geldings will change their registry to Studbook at age three; however those that don’t qualify due to unsoundness, white marks, failure to meet the minimum height, or serious faults will not enter the Studbook and will remain in the foal-book. 
When presenting an adult horse they are once again judged on conformation and gaits. To continually improve the Friesian breed, mares and geldings are judged for admission into the adult studbook are ranked using a "linear score" sheet. This linear score is in addition to the premiums and assigns positive or negative point scores to the individual aspects of confirmation, breed characteristics and movement as exhibited by the horse. To learn more about the Linear score form: see article “The KFPS Inspections: Not For Sissies” in the official publication of FHANA: “The Friesian”, edition July/August 2011 and the following link might be of interest as well: FHANA: rules and regulations - 5.Judging

Eligibility for Studbook Mare ore Studbook Gelding requires that they:

• be registered in the Foal Book;
• be at least 1.54 meters (15.0 hands) at the withers;
• be black and have no white except for a small star or a few white hairs on the forehead or  muzzle; white is not permitted on the body, legs or hoofs;
• be sound; unsound horses cannot enter the Studbook;
• be free of hereditary defects (mares with hereditary defects should not be used for breeding);   criteria of rejection are, among others: ringbone, spavin, curb, bog spavin, swollen stifle joint, lameness, dished face, insufficient shoulder height, poor use of the hind legs, defects of the stifle or improper development of the hock.
  

Whether your horse also receives a premium depends on the final scores assigned by the judges for the 5 evaluative characteristics shown on the bottom of the linear score form; (1) Racial, (2) Frame, (3) Feet and Legs, (4) Walk, and (5) Trot.
The following table, reproduced from the “2010 KFPS Keuring Program”, shows the average of the 5 scores required for the different inspection results:

Note that these marks are an average of the 5 summery scores, so a low score in only one category can be offset by a higher score in another category, provided the low score is not too low: a horse with a 4 or less in any of the 5 criteria will not be promoted to the Studbook, and a horse with a score of 5 or less in any of the 5 criteria will not receive the star status.

Keuring/Inspection Day:
When presenting a horse or foal for judging, the horse is required to be well groomed. Also a well-trained horse usually performs better. The horse should be presented in a white bridle, and guided by the “runners” dressed completely in white; to better see the horse’s gaits. First the horse is set up in the middle of the arena, as the judges walk around the horse, to evaluate the overall conformation. Next the horse is walked in a triangular pattern; so the judges can see the horse’s walk from every angle. Then the horse is evaluated at a trot, as the runners guide the horse in a big square. Finally the horse is lined up again in the middle of the arena, as the judges compare their scores, and come to a final conclusion. The foals will receive their premium right away, as the judges explain to the owner and crowd the reasons the foal received the premium. If an adult horse is not worthy to receive a premium and Star status, the judges will explain to the owner and crowd the reasons for the placement. However if the horse might be worthy to become Star, the judges will simply tell the owner to come back after all other horses are judged. All those horses allowed to come back will walk in a circle, so the judges can once again judge them, and rank them in order. They will also have to decide how many of the horses will receive the Star status, with either a 1st or 2nd premium, and which horses receive a 3rd premium with Studbook status alone. It is always an exciting experience for the owner and runner; however, the moment the judges reveal your horse is to become Star, is most rewarding.

Star, Model, and Preferent
Approximately the best 25 to 30% of mares and geldings which are eligible for the studbook are awarded "Star" status. This rating also appears on the horse's registration papers. The most excellent of Star Mares can be awarded the designation of "Model" which is judged at the minimum age of 7 years. Mares can receive the designation Preferent ("Preferred") if four of their offspring achieve Star status or better.

Sport and Performance Mother
Mares with three offspring performing at the top levels in competitive sport can receive the designation Sport, or "Performance Mother".The following links might be of interest:
FHANA: Rules & Regulations
FHANA: Rules & Regulations - 5. Judging.

Stallion Keuring
The Stallion inspection is part of the breeding program of the KFPS. During the stallion inspection, foalbook stallions are presented in judging rounds; on the basis of the results of this judging, these stallions can be referred to the Central Examinations. During the selection process, the stallions are subject to minimum requirements, some of which are non-subjective and others of which are subjective in nature. At the end of the selection process, the collected information and assessment is used to decide whether a stallion will be entered in the studbook register. The selection criteria are pedigree, degree of relationship to the population, exterior, movement, capacity for equestrian sport, quality of legs based on X-ray assessment, semen quality and other veterinary aspects. The Stallion Inspection Jury advises the Governing Board in regard to the registration of stallions in the studbook register. The stallion inspection also involves the inspection of stallions already in the studbook register.

The following link might be of interest:
FHANA: Rules & Regulations: 3.5. Stubook for Stallions
FHANA: Rules & Regulations: KFPS/FHANA Approved Stallion Process

Information resources:
- FHANA website
- “The KFPS Inspections: Not For Sissies” in the official publication of FHANA: “The Friesian”, edition July/August 2011.