Horses whinney and neigh, awards sit on a table, and a handler trots their horse around a field while onlookers clap to the beat of its trot. A horse inspection came to Sleepy Hollow Farm in Dartmouth. 

Marcos, a black and white Barock Pinto horse who was born and raised in Dartmouth, won the champion title and was fully approved to be registered with the Barock Pinto Association of North America on Sunday, Sept. 21. This means that he is now allowed to breed and be in the stud book of Barock Pintos. 

His handler, Meghan Hamilton of Sleepy Hollow Farm, had three other horses who were inspected. Two of the horses, Yardley and Lasting Impression, won the highest status of “Elite.” 

“The day he [Marcos] was born, and he came out with four white socks up his legs, I always kind of had this in mind, so it was pretty cool that we got to this point and he was able to achieve that status,” said Hamilton. 

Hamilton has been breeding and raising Barock Pintos in Dartmouth for two generations of horses, with Marcos eventually being chosen to breed. She has a year to train Marcos for his Individual Suitability Test for Horses (IBOP) and dressage tests, which will showcase his athletic abilities and physique. 

According to association standards, he should have 20 colts with an approved rating to continue and improve the Barock Pinto breed. 

“He has a great career ahead of him,” said chair of the association, Sharon Bechler. 

The Barock Pinto horse is a sports horse that is black and white, and part Friesian. The Barock Pinto Association of North America inspects the horses, and decides which ones are eligible to breed and be registered in the main stud book, which is located in the Netherlands. Judges from the Netherlands come to North America once a year to inspect potential horses. 

Dartmouth was one of many stops, with the association inspecting 152 horses at 11 sites on this year's trip. The judges have already inspected horses across the United States and Canada, and will be continuing to more states and the Dominican Republic. 

Typically, only horses one or two years of age are registered. However, this association allows horses three years and older to be registered. 

The association has existed internationally since 2009, and in North America for under a year. Gerrit Stelwagon from the Netherlands is both one of the founders of the association and a judge. 

“It’s overwhelming what we see and what we meet on this journey,” said Stelwagon.

Marcos was not the only horse to win a title. Sarah Fridberg’s colt Presley from Needham won the reserve champion title. 

Both horses posed with their handlers and the judges with ribbons around their necks. 

“I’m really excited for their sport future ahead,” said Hamilton.