Day 1 – Finals of the stallion show competition

Thursday evening is holding a very special treat that I did not expect. Over the past several months, approved stallins have been competing against one another in dressage and/or harness. These test results were compiled and the final was held tonight. I thought this was fantastic because it allowed me to see the stallions in actual sport competition, and to hear what the performance judge had to say about the horse’s strong and weak points. The long tests culminated in te naming of winners in various categories. Very prestigious indeed! It was a great show, but not well atteneded due to te scheduling veyr late on Thursday night. Hopefully they think it through better next year.

The completitors here were the best of those competing, In brackets I am showing how these guys placed in eth overall competition as it came to a close. Also, in a few cases I took video of the tests. This video still needs to be processed, but at least I have it!
It is starting with the less advanced horses at the European Level L.

* Meije 440 [Champion]
* Gjalt 426
* Norbert 444 [Reserve]
* Maurits 437 [top 10]
* Olgert 445
* Michiel 442
* Felle 422

Next was a group of stallions slightly more advanced, at Level M

* Doaitsen 420 [top 10] – video
* Jesse 435 [top 10]
* Loadewyk 431 [top 10]
* Beintse 418
* Jense 432
* Haitse 425
* Hinne 427
* Jisse 433 [top 10] – video
* Jorn 430 [Champion]
* Jerke 434 [reserve]

Level Z

* Rindert 406
* Arjen 417 [champion] – Video
* Dries 421
* Eibert 419

Driving competition

* Wierd 409 [champion]
* Bente 412 [5th place]
* Harmen 424 [3rd place]
* Lutger 436 [4th place]
* Maurus 441 [2nd place]

To me personally, the biggest surrise was how fantastic the Tsjerk sons were at dressage. I am not sure of what I expected, but it was not that. I thought Norbert was really aewsome, and gorgeous. In the driving completition I once again fell in love with Harmen, That guy is just wonderful. The judges pick on him a bit because he is more “old style” with lots of bulk and hair and shorter front legs. But maybe that is just what I like about him. Michiel, the stallion who was approved in Amwerica last year and is now standing in the Netherlands, is really a lovely horse too and I was very impressed by him. I sure wish he would come back to America. Wierd did not have an especially good test tonight, but he had a really good lead going in, so he still won the overall competition. Young Maurus was darned impressive though.

Well, I am typing this at midnight Thursday. Hopefully I can get something posted tomorrow – the internet connect at the stadium is abyssmal, which is killing my plans. Well, we shall see.

No sleep in 36 hours is finally taking it toll.