November 26, 2022
Roelof Bos, Detlef Elling, Martine Breedveld and Jan Veldhuis
On Friday evening the 25th of November a vast majority of the Member Council approved the four-year research programme ‘Preservation of the Friesian Horse’. This meeting of the Member Council was also the moment of farewell for Board members Roelof Bos and Detlef Elling, the latter being the first-ever foreign Board member as well as the first foreign executive to be honoured with the title of KFPS ambassador. The new Board members to be welcomed were Martine Breedveld and Jan Veldhuis.
Detlef Elling appointed KFPS ambassador
The two new members of the KFPS Board are Martine Breedveld and Jan Veldhuis. Roelof Bos received his send-off in Zwolle, but he continues his activities in the Structure Committee of the Studbook. ‘Two years ago Roelof stepped forward at the time of the Board crisis’, Chairman Member Council John Boot memorised. ‘It took some time to get familiar with being on the other side of the table.’ Together with Jan Raaijmakers and Anita van Kempen they all succeeded in keeping the KFPS on track when only two Board members remained. One of those two was Detlef Elling, who took his leave at this Member Council meeting after his 8-year service on the Board. Chairman Member Council John Boot sang the praise of Elling’s commitment. ‘He kept the KFPS manageable, and in all those years has clocked an enormous amount of kilometres travelling between Germany and the Netherlands.’
Elling resolutely guided the society through very taxing times and as a token of appreciation was awarded the function of KFPS ambassador. In his farewell speech Elling recalled the moment of his appointment as Board member in 2014. ‘Being the first foreign Board member, it took the meeting a long time to discuss. I had to wait in the corridors for three quarters of an hour before finally being appointed.’ However, the ‘Vom Friesenhof Almark’ breeder had already served a long time on the foreign Board in Germany and had been a Council Member for a period of seven years. Even though his recent years have been dominated by governing the KFPS, he has no worries saying goodbye. ‘There is a team I have full confidence in. I’m proud I have been in a position to be of service to the Friesian horse and its breeders.’
Paul Wijnands was appointed on the Appeals Committee, Sander Putman and Esther Liano were re-appointed on the Breeding Committee.
Unanimous approval funding
The breeding research programme was widely discussed at three online meetings as well as three thematic meetings in the Netherlands. Wageningen UR researchers Marije Steensma and Bart Ducro received the green light from the Member Council to start their research programme. In the coming years all DNA information of the 80k snp tests of foals will be collected and analysed. This new DNA technique, EU-prescribed for Studbook validation, will also give breeders certainty about the identity of the foal’s sire as well as potential carrier status. ‘The approval of the research programme is good for the Studbook and cause for congratulations to us all’, according to KFPS Chairwoman Tineke Schokker. ‘This research is a step forward and at the same time quite a challenge.’
The Member Council whole-heartedly and unanimously (100 %) agreed to the funding of the breeding research programme, although the co-funding of this four-year € 300,000 project is not yet fully in place. Funding for this project will be dealt with by using the reserves of the Studbook’s own capital.
Membership fees remain the same, fees foal registration adjusted
Faced with the generally-known cost increases and the imminent recession the Studbook has taken a conservative stand for next year’s budget. In order to take this budget to the desired zero bottom result, the Member Council has approved a series of cuts to prevent the addition of the 14.5% consumer price index to rates and fees. For instance the society magazine Phryso will be published ten times instead of the usual twelve in 2023, although the option remains open to increase the number of pages per edition. The Member Council managed to keep higher expenses for members in check by limiting cost increases for services. In the end the motion was approved to keep membership fees the same and to drop the 3.5% increase in foal registration fees, primarily with the eye on stimulating breeders to go on breeding foals, the Member Council argued. Other rates and fees however will go up by 12%. The Budget 2023 is estimated at a € 50,000 negative result.
