Two new approved stallions in the US. My head is spinning!
Michiel 442
At the end of February 2008, Friesian horse history was made in North America. One of our stallions passed the first ever fully sanctioned stallion test held in North America. The new stallion is named Michiel 442 (“Me-HEEL”, where the final h in HEEL is like ch in Bach – from the back of the throat) is owned by our friend Harry Witteveen in Canada. Tanbark Acres first two broodmares, Hiltje and Matsje, came from Harry. He taught us a lot about breeding and bloodlines. One day I will write more about Harry and his family. They are legends in the Friesian world in North America. Anyway, Michiel is Tsjerk x Leffert P – nice breeding. I am very interested seeing how he develops. Note – Carol (Harry’s daughter) is managing the stallion and has set up a website for him at http://michiel442.com. She wrote me to say there is a new video available. I am linking this in below.
Lolke 371
Today another big announcement came across the wires. I have friends in the DC area who are also small breeders. We constantly talk about breeding and bloodlines. Today I learned that they have just bought the fully approved stallion Lolke 371. Lolke (“LOAL-kuh”) is the last approved son of the famous stallion Oege P, and Lolke’s damire is the equally famous stallion Reitse P. Oege is known as the “hair man”. You can imagine what the trait is of his sons. Reitse is famous for passing on a tremendous work ethic. Lolke has one approved son now, a young stallion named Felle (“FELL-uh”) who is really impressive.
I am surprised the Netherlands let Lolke go. He was a popular breeding stallion over there and has very nice breeding stats. So I don’t know why the let him go, but we’re so lucky he is here! Lolke’s website is at http://lolke371.com. Here is Lolke at the 2008 stallion show. I shot this video just 2 short months ago in Leeuwarden Friesland.
Congratulations to – well – all Friesian lovers. We are getting such nice stallions to match with the nice ones already here. As a small breeder, I feel like a person at a big buffet. Such wonderful food but only a small stomach. My head is spinning!
My Tara story
OK, I know I owe everyone more stories and videos from the stallion show, and I promise they will come. I have been traveling a lot lately and I am behind on everything. But now that the stallion show is over, all the breeders are pondering over what to do for the spring. What stallions are the best for our mares, what will the market be like in 2008 and 2009, how are our pregnant mares – due this spring/summer – coming along. Dahlia is due June 1 with her 2nd foal. Pregnancy is going well. I have kept her 1st foal for a while. That filly, Tara, is now 21 months old. This is my Tara story.
When Dahlia was pregnant with her baby in 2006 I was very anxious about whether the foal would be male or female. For some reason I was 100% sure it would be a male. And I desperately wanted Dahlia to have a girl. Still, I was so sure it was going to be a boy that I had a name all picked out for him. Since Friesian names must start with a letter based on the year they are born, I had to pick a name that started with the letter T, U or V (at least I think that is what it was). I was going to name him Tsjip (“Chip”). A good ol’ Friesian name.
In the winter before the foal’s birth – right about the time of year it is now – I had a vivid dream. In my dream it was spring and a very warm and glowing day out on the farm. My dad called to me to say that Dahlia had had her baby in the field and we went out to see the foal. The baby was sleeping by Dahlia’s feet and I pointed down and said “look Dad – it is a filly!”. At that the baby stood up and began to run around in the sunshine. I looked at my father and said “I am going to name her Tara”. When I awoke from my dream I called my parents to tell them the story. We all just sort of laughed, though with some surprise that in my dream I stumbled upon a name starting with “T” – a correct name for the year. But we discounted the whole thing – everyone was sure that when the time came, Dahlia was having a boy.
On April 19 of that year my parents phoned me at 6am. “Dahlia has had the baby”, they said. “And it is a girl”. I eagerly hopped in the car and drove an hour to get to the farm. The baby walked right up to me to say hello. She was friendly, brave and so curious. Just like a big dog. “What are you going to name her?”, my parents asked. My mind raced through various Friesian names I had considered. Then I realized how silly it was to even ponder the question – I knew what her name was supposed to be. “I am going to name her Tara”.
Tara will be 2 years old this April. Soon we can start teaching her to ground drive and learn what a bit and saddle are. Next year when she is 3, her real adult training can begin. One of my more popular videos is of Tara back when she was 4 months old. I took this to show the training dad does with the foals, and how amazingly effective he is with such training. Many have already seen this, but if you want, you can view it again.
Meanwhile, I am wondering if Dahlia will have a boy or a girl this year. The name must begin with A, B or C. I have names picked out, but who knows what I may dream between now and June 1.
Sake from the Stallion Show – January 10-12, 2008
For a Friesian lover – and especially a breeder – the “hengstenkeuring” (stallion show) is the highlight of the year. Held in an arena in Leeuwarden Friesland in January each year, the newest young stallions are judged to determine which, if any, will go to the “finals” of stallion selections. The “finals” is actually a 70 day intensive test. In 2007, about 1500 young stallions tried for breeding privileges and only about 100 made it to the hengstenkeuring. Of those, about 30 made it to the test. Five of the 1500 were eventually approved.
Making it as far as the hengstenkeuring is an immense achievement in and of itself. This year 71 young stallions came. Of these, 26 made it through and will be going to the 70 day test. As a breeder, having a stallion get this far is a big deal. And if the young stallion can actually pass the test and be approved for breeding, you have yourself one of the top 100 Friesian stallions in the entire world.
Another huge part of the show is the judging of the already approved stallions. Up until the age of 13, these stallions come and compete against each other to see who will be named “World Champion” that particular year. Stallions who do well will likely be booked in large numbers during the breeding season – something that is obviously very profitable for their owners. So, the competition is a serious one.
For the spectators, both the young stallion selection, and the approved stallion competition, is just incredible. This year my friend Sara, who bought Cori’s foal Wikke, came along. I just read her comments from her flickr photo gallery. I think she describes it well:
“This was my first time to attend the hengstenkeuring…it was VERY exciting.
The people really take their horses seriously; the arena was packed on the last day. Add to that a haze of smoke, thunderous cheering and clapping to very loud music, and the whole thing had the air of a rock concert.
The horses really got in to it too: they were kittens in their box stalls and lions in the arena. You could really tell that they enjoy showing off as much as the people loved watching them. “
Over the next week or two I will add more info about the stallions and the show. Today I want to salute my friends Walter and Gryt Bruinsma. A few years ago their mare Teuntsje, who (at the time) lived in the farmhouse where we stay when we visit, was bred to the stallion Doaitsen. I remember telling Walter that I thought this would be a fine cross. After the foal was born, I asked him what he thought of it. “Very nice foal”, he said. “First premie. But”, he sighed, “it is a boy, so he will go to the stallion man.” Walter, the ultimate breeder, only keeps his females. I could tell he was a little disappointed that such a nice foal was a boy and not a girl. Alas.
Since that time, Teuntsje came to America and now lives in Texas. Teuntsje’s colt, named Sake (“SOCK-uh”) grew to be a wonderful young horse. We read the preliminary testing reports with glee as he made it to the first round of evaluation, then on to Leeuwarden and the stallion show! Last week I got to see Sake in the arena in Leeuwarden. He was magnificent and was one of the 26 who made it through to the “finals” – the 70 day test. That means that of about 1500 three year old stallions in 2008, he is in the top 26. Fantastic.
So, as my first video, here is Sake at the hengstenkeuring in his final pass by the inspectors. Congratulations to Sake’s owners, to the Bruinsmas, and to the Dumfords, who now own the fantastic Teuntsje. I am very happy for them all.
Time to pull out the “Winter Carriage Ride in Friesland” video
This year the Friesian geldings/driving horses Mark and Hessel continued their long winning streak by taking home the golden whip award once again. 
They and their owner/driver (and a friend of mine, I am so lucky to say) Walter Bruinsma, set some kind of record by winning this prestigious event for the 7th year in a row. These two horses, especially the more talented one, Mark, are famous all over Friesland and regularly get written up in The Phryso magazine. This picture is from the cover of an issue in the summer of 2007 (click it to see a nice, big version).
Something I admire about the Friesian people is their simplicity – they see horses as horses and believe you should treat them well and with love, but give them a job to do. Things are pretty basic over there. Even the famous Mark and Hessel are not pampered and do not live in one of those gold leafed barn mansions. No, they live in a garage next to a farmhouse built in the mid 1800′s. This farmhouse, paddock and garage are known, tongue in cheek as “Snakkerstate” (the “estate” on Snakker Street). When we are lucky enough to visit Friesland, Walter and Gryt Bruinsma, who we love dearly, let us stay in their farmhouse. From the tiny bedroom upstairs you can open a cupboard door and look down upon the horses in the stalls below you. Most of their horses are in tie in stalls rather than box stalls. But Mark and Hessel are “special” – they get box stalls. Since they are out in the garage, when we park the car we go over and pet the horses.
On Sunday mornings the Bruinsmas and their friends go on a carriage ride through the streets of Rotstergaast. After a few miles they stop and have coffee, and the horses get sugar cubes. Then everyone climbs back aboard and heads home. A couple of years ago on a frigidly cold Sunday morning in January we went with them and I captured it on tape. I know many have seen this but I love to pull it out around the holidays. Mark and Hessel, the famous driving horses on the cover of The Phryso this summer, are pulling the big green carriage. You see, they have a job to do.
Below is a picture of my niece Lexie with Mark after last year’s carriage ride. She fell in love with him and would sneak sugar cubes to him every evening. I think if he could, he would be hugging her in this picture, as she is hugging him.
To see the carriage video, click the picture. Happy holidays everyone.
A walk down memory lane – Cori at 3.
It has been really hectic lately. Between work and finishing off the new barn (fencing is going up now), it has been hard to find a minute of peace. I have been feeling stressed outta my mind.
Yesterday mom told me of a radio show she listened to featuring cellist YoYo Ma. One of my favorite pieces of music is the Prelude for Bach’s Cello suite 1. I think this is one of the most lovely pieces of music ever written, and no one performs it quite like YoYo Ma.
For some reason, this music makes me think of my mare Cori. Like that musical piece, Cori is beautiful and fluid. Sweet and calming. Sometimes she can be cranky and a brat, but I am sure that if you looked inside of her you would find a true heart of gold. At one time I did a video montage of Cori under saddle and in harness back in 2003, when she was being trained. Tonight I dug that up and reprocessed it. YoYo Ma is playing Bach, accompanying Cori as she does a nice horse ballet for us.
So, kick back for two minutes, sip a warm cup of coffee, and enjoy something pretty. These little things make it all worthwhile.
