Educational Tour Belgium and The Netherlands, 2015
A group of 49 breeders and producers from all around the country set off on a very early flight from Dublin to Brussels on Saturday September 19th on a long planned and awaited trip to Lanaken for the consolation classes and finals of the WBFSH young horse show jumping championships, and three days visiting farms in Belgium and The Netherlands with Teagasc Equine Specialists as guides.
There was great diversity amongst the group themselves and a wealth of knowledge to share in the interactions which ensued over the five days. Lanaken provided tremendous opportunity to view a diversity of some very nice young horses from across Europe in the one location and indeed many offspring of sires that may be of interest for future matings. John Ledingham and Jacques Verkerk lent their wisdom to the group at the show in sharing valuable thoughts on the competition itself; the demands on young horses; and indeed the selection process for the championships. It was fabulous to witness Irish Sport Horses in the medals on Sunday before leaving for the evening and spirits were high on departure.
Monday brought visits to Duyselshof Stud of VDL Groep ownership which was a glimpse into stunning surroundings, no expense spared environment leaving a few chins on the floor. But the message was loud and clear – clear rounds are required; there are a variety of excellent riders riding the farms horses but results are demanded. Marelines are queen if not king for both the mares and the stallions. The comment made was ‘Jumping genetics breed jumping genetics’. Constant assessment of stock and results are required for best decision making
Onward to the highlight of the trip for many which was a visit to Ashford Farm home of the inimitable Enda Carroll and his team, including his lovely sister Elaine who helps keep the show on the road. Enda in his disarmingly modest way left all with the message that quality not quantity is the goal; whilst also focusing on customer satisfaction. The relaxed but workmanlike atmosphere on the farm was evident and attention to detail as expected was second to none.
Monday concluded attending the preview of sales horses for the Dutch Sport Horse Sales. Greeted on arrival by a view of red carpet; mood lighting; sport cars decking the entrance doorways; and inside the division of the VIPs with hospitality tables; and suitably comfortable viewing for the rest of us. A huge screen on one end of the arena with video clips running of all the horses; and music over the speakers was present. Commentary throughout the viewing was by one of the selectors Paul Hendrix in English so all could follow, as many prospective buyers attending were from abroad. The top price on day of sale was €380,000 for a 5 year old Cardento x Ahorn mare and average price of no less than €120,000. It was a very select bunch of horses sold in superb surroundings and spirited atmosphere.
Tuesday brought the group further north west to the KWPN Centre at Ermelo under the excellent stewardship of Jacques Verkerk for the day. This fabulous centre now sees both breeding and the sport housed alongside each other. There are acres of ground under arenas; simply phenomenal to see the expanse of stabling, indoor and outdoor arenas with top class footing and cross country facilities also available. The facility is built by the members for the members. We were also informed that all shows/events across Holland are under the rules of the Federation without exception. The centre hosts training events; shows; mare inspections; online auctions and much more. The group were able to witness a training session for mares at the centre for mare performance testing and learned the parameters under which they are assessed. Costing just €1,600 for a mare to be broken by professional riders and assessed, as an example, it would appear to offer value for money.
The afternoon saw a surprise visit to Florijn Paarden home to the dam of Womanizer amongst others. This was a small farm akin to many here at home and permitted the group a chance to see the normal everyday farm with regular surroundings. But even here the overriding emphasis was on quality. Some foals were sold at auction and others from the yard but with good returns, as all are out of mares with strong damlines. The farm has already produced eleven approved stallions and it all began back in 1971 with the purchase of a 3 year old mare by Sportman covered by Lucky Boy xx. They were gracious hosts demonstrating that with a focused goal and selection of good stock, produced quietly great results are achievable.
Final visit for Tuesday was Nijhof farm where there were simply so many horses that it was a little overwhelming and hard to take it all in with such a short time. There were so many different types of stallion to view and a commercial approach to business. Here horses must pay the bills as there is no other financial backing or sponsor company supporting it. The group were thrilled to meet stalwart stallions Clinton and Heartbreaker at close quarters.
A little tired but still enthusiastic, Wednesday saw somewhat Irish weather conditions prevail for a morning viewing of Emerald and others at the farm of Euro Horse. The group were delighted to see Emerald in work under Harrie Smolders . The message again was the importance of damlines; not doing too much with the young horses and giving them time to develop, looking to the long road. This echoed the views of others who spoke over the five days warning of the perils of exposing young horses to too much competition. Axel and Nena have a fantastic reputation for sourcing horses with a view to developing competition horses. With their own young horses they don’t ask too many questions early on but groundwork in rideability is crucial.
The final visit provided another warm welcome in terms of the hospitality spread (the norm at all the farms leaving a need for exercise and diet on return) at Tilleman & Lenaerts home to the well-known Toulon amongst others. Again the message of not asking too much too soon of the young horses, allowing them make mistakes at shows in the early years and never presenting the questions too big was driven home. Also the focus on genetics was clear. This was another 'show house' of a farm with superb facilities, and horses presented with utmost professionalism. But make no mistake, the objective is always selling. The marketing button is always on. Comfortable surroundings, well-presented promotional materials, hospitality, a suitable selection of quality video clips from shows of stallions and offspring aid greatly in the marketing process. There is definitely another lesson to be learned from that.