Videos from the 2009 Keuring
These are of our horses. Tara made Ster with a 2nd premie. Ficus was 2nd premie and scored 7.5 on his trot. Freya achieved 2nd premie and was named Champion Filly. We had a nice day….
Horse transport day – Keuring prep
Today my horse buddy Sara and I got up at 5am, loaded Dahlia and Tara, and headed down the mountain. Tara is going to the trainer, Wiebe Dragstra, to get fit for the keuring and learn some basic harness skills in the meantime. Anyone who follows my blog knows I think the world of Wiebe and his wife Amy – no one knows how to train Friesians better than these two. Wiebe simply works miracles with teaching the fundamentals, along with discipline and carriage work.
Anyway, I only have 7 weeks for Wiebe to train Tara. Enough to get her fit and give her a foundation. But she won’t be winning any carriage horse medals after only 7 weeks. But that is ok. Get her balanced and fit for the keuring Wiebe, and I’ll be happy.
As we pulled Tara out of her stall at 6 am, Sara commented “she looks like a 2 year old”. Sara is right. Tara really could use another year to mature. Even though she is 3 she looks very immature and small. Well, I figure if she does not do well this year, I’ll hang on to her and try again next year. I really think she is such a nice horse. Just a late bloomer.
Since Tara’s departure would mean that her mom Dahlia would be in the pasture alone, I loaded up Dahlia too and dropped her off at the big farm where she will have company. I’ll pick her up after the keur. This side trip did allow me the opportunity to visit my little foal Freya, born just 9 weeks ago. Dad has been working with Freya every day to teach her basic ground manners. My dad – he is something with those foals. Anyway, Freya is growing and one day may actually fit her ears. We’ll see. She continues to be independent and perky. I think as an adult she is really going to be nice. Very nice. And one of the very last foals from the great stallion Heinse 354. I am lucky to have Freya.
Sara and I got to Dragstra Stables by noon, chatted a long chat with Wiebe and Amy, and managed to drag ourselves back to my place by 6. As Sara pulled out of the driveway she said “I am going to take a shower and a nap. I am pooped”.
And so am I.
I’ll post updates on Tara as she starts her new adventure. In the meantime, here is Freya and Dad from today.
A Keuring Remembered – 2004 and Hurricane Ivan
 It is a good thing Friesians like rain. Dahlia – 2004 Keuring |
People are starting to talk about the upcoming (as in September) annual breed inspections for the Friesian horses. We still use the Dutch word (“keuring” where “keur” rhymes with “her”) for this big event.
This year our family does not have any adult horses to take, and have decided not to take the babies since we do not have any fillies where one might be willing to haul a little one 5 or more hours (babies can be judged as adults when they are 3 so a foal keuring is nice, but not mandatory).
Anyhow, today I was thinking back to 2004 when Dahlia went as a 3 year old to her adult inspection. We also took Hiltje and daughter Marigold. For these horses, it was a very good result – Dahlia made ster and Marigold was 1st premie, champion filly.
But otherwise, it was a frightful, dangerous event.
The night before the keuring Hurricane Ivan went through western North Carolina with 90 mph winds. This was one of the worse hurricanes in US history. Our family drove 4.5 hours to get there in the rain the day before, and missed the worse of it. But some people drove 10 or more hours to get there. One woman had a limb come through the her pickup truck’s back window as she was coming down the highway with her horse in tow. It is a miracle no one was hurt.
The next day, which was the morning of the keuring, no one knew what the heck to expect. We were just hoping the barn (with our horses) was still standing. Indeed, it was still there and over 30 horses had come. You see, no one expected the storm to come this far west and once you had been on the highway 6 hours or so, what were you to do but continue on? In the barn there was no electricity and thus no lights. And our host was late – her house had been hit by 2 falling trees (yes, a great deal of damage but again – amazingly no one was hurt). Her brother Dan had to get out the chainsaw just to open a lane to drive out of the driveway.
It was still pouring rain and the ring – all we had were outdoor facilities – was a pool of mud. We left it to the judges as to whether or not they wished to continue. It was obviously treacherous for the runners. They all talked amongst themselves and looked over at the faces of all of us. Well, they said, if you call can drive 14 hours to get here, the least we can do is inspect your horses.
During the event everyone pitched in to help each other with prepping horses, leading them, cheering each other on. I have never been so proud of a group of people in my entire life. One fellow pulled his horse trailer over by the ring so the judges had a dry place to keep their notes. A few of us shot video from inside the trailer. Not a single runner or horse slipped or was hurt in any way. The whole thing was, well, surreal. Had I not been there, I would never have believed it.
Tonight I dug through old video tapes and found Dahlia’s. Probably about the only video made that day. I’ll swear, I think if I squeezed the cassette, water would come out.
So, here ya go. A keuring in a hurricane.
The Lord Works in Mysterious Ways
Recently I attended the FHANA Annual General Membership (AGM) meeting, held in Lexington Kentucky. As always, I met wonderful people who dearly love their horses. While there, my Dad and I had the pleasure of getting to know a young couple named Brian and Kendra, and their friend Michelle. They are officers and very heavily involved in the new (and impressively active, I must say) Ohio Valley Friesian Horse Association. These are just delightful people and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with them. Brian and Kendra told me the story of their horse Sierra, and how they all came into the Friesian community. I was so touched and impressed by this story that I thought I would tell it here. So, this is the [short version] story of Sierra.
Kendra is an avid horsewoman whose background is with quarterhorses, though she dreamed of having a Friesian. One day she and her husband Brian heard of some neglected horses who were up for adoption and they opened their hearts and homes to a few of these starving animals. One mare was so dirty and skinny that they did not know what they had, other than a very sick horse. They named her Sierra and began to nurse her back to health. Due to malnourishment and horrible living conditions, Sierra suffered from arthritis. Her coat was in miserable shape, missing gaps of hair. She was so sad and weak that she could hardly lift her head. As the mare began to heal, Brian and Kendra started noticing how this horse sort of looked like a Friesian. They decided to embark on a fact finding mission. The DeBoer family from “The Friesian Connection” (also, the owners of the wonderful stallion Mintse 384) helped Brian and Kendra learn more about Friesians and they loaned a scanner so the mare could be checked for a microchip. Sure enough, Brian and Kendra found that their mare Sierra is indeed a Friesian. But not just any Friesian – she is an A-book KFPS registered mare (I think the breeding is Sjaard x Brandus). Her registered name is Femke. Brian and Kendra now have Sierra’s official papers, and can see their name right there on them.
Next, Brian and Kendra decided to try to do something truly amazing with their recuperating mare. They actually got her well and fit enough to take to a keuring. And this mare – whose movement was still suffering from her arthritis – scored high enough overall that she was entered into the studbook. This means she can be bred and have her foals registered as A-book KFPS Friesians. In fact, her scores were ster caliber, with the exception of some movement scores which will always lack some due to the arthritis. To be able to make studbook under these conditions… What a monumental achievement; I cannot overstate how impressive this is for Sierra and her owners.
Sierra is now pregnant and her baby is due is April.
Today, Sierra is in a safe, happy, and loving home. Brian and Kendra have their Friesian mare, with a little Friesian on the way. From the light I see in Brian and Kendra when they talk about Sierra, I am unsure of who has benefited more from this relationship. In ways Sierra has brought just as much to Brian an Kendra as they have brought to her. Sometimes life does not work out as it should and we often dwell on the negative. But sometimes our compassion and efforts make a difference. Sometimes good deeds are generously rewarded. Sometimes those who suffer are made whole. The Lord does work in mysterious ways, and sometimes dreams really do come true.
Click here to see before and after pictures of Sierra.
To read the long version of Sierra’s story (written by Brian), and to see more pictures => click here then go to Page 4.
2007 Keuring – Morristown TN [Updated with Oeke Video Link]
*** UPDATE 28-Sept: Here is Oeke’s Keur Video!***
We had a great day today. Wikke, the 3 month old baby, was named a 2nd premie. He was adorable and moved very well – just needs more lengthening in his walk. If they had had baby awards for “most beautiful”, “sweetest”, and “most personality”, I think he would have won all those! Sara, his owner, was really proud of him and so was I. Click here for a video of little Wikke’s keur.
The big news of the day was that Carole’s filly Oeke was 2nd premie star and champion mare!! She was absolutely wonderful. There was only one star mare there (Oeke) and one star gelding and that was it for the adults. It was a tough day for the adults, so that made Oeke’s achievement even more special. We were so happy that Walter and Gryt Bruinsma flew in from Friesland to see Oeke, a product of the wonderful breeding program the Bruinsmas have. We missed Ock, who so sadly died two weeks ago, and it was sweet to see Oeke joyfully carry the crown after the sadness of Ock’s passing. Good job Oeke!
Wiebe, Oeke’s trainer, and Richard, who Wiebe has as a runner and employee this summer, also came to see Oeke go. They were immensely helpful in getting her ready and taking her through her paces. We are very grateful to Dragstra Stables. They are tops – as trainers and as people.
I need to process Oeke’s video. Also, I’ll try to get a photo gallery up as soon as we get the pictures back from the photographer. I’ll update this entry as soon as I can.
