October 4, 2022
At the inspection in Tyler, Texas on October 3rd, the 7-year-old Ykje fan Friesian Run Crown AA (Bene 476 x Teunis 332) was elected Champion. Sjouke Plantinga’s mare was awarded a first premium, became Preliminary Crown and completed her fine presentation with an IBOP driving test of 77.5 points, which was enough to be promoted to Permanent Crown. Crown mare Ynskje fan Friesian Run Crown AA (Bene 476 x Tjimme 275) became Reserve Champion.
Late entry becomes Champion
‘A very attentive, cooperative horse’, is how Jury members Willem Sonnema and Jolanda Slootjes summed up Ykje’s IBOP. ‘She has a good walk, active and well through the body, and a trot with a lot of posture, rhythm and bend in the hind leg. The canter shows good-quality strides with a strong, engaged hind leg. Overall, she was better on the left rein.’ The mare was not listed in the inspection catalogue but after her fine IBOP the, still nursing mare was allowed into the ring as a late entry and assessed by the Jury members, who gave Ykje a first premium. ‘She has an expressive head, is high-legged with a good loin section and topline’, the Jury members commented. ‘Her croup is slightly sloping but with enough length. She has dry and elegant legwork.’ Ykje has a good walk and moves through her body with good bend and roomy strides. The trot is powerful and uphill with a good hind leg.
Youthful Crown mare
There was also a first premium for the classy and youthful Crown mare Ynskje fan Friesian Run (Bene 476 x Tjimme 275). She has an expressive head and an attractive, slightly horizontal neck. Still nursing a foal, this mare had a good though a little underdeveloped topline, good stance of the legs and good feet. Her walk was roomy, regular and with suppleness. In trot she showed good rhythm too but she needs to develop more self-carriage. She was given a first premium, became Reserve Breeding Day Champion but for the Model predicate she should radiate more personality across the board. ‘A very good Crown mare’, the Jury said.
Another Bene 476 daughter – prominent sire at this inspection – appeared in the IBOP ring and earned a neat score: Zilke fan Pleasant Hill Star (Bene 476 x Leffert 306), owners Douwe and Maaike Plantinga. Zilke received 77 points for her driving test, in which she was skilfully presented. ‘She has an active, more than satisfactory walk. Her trot is very regular with attractive use of the foreleg but she needs a little more engagement from behind. In the fine, uphill canter she showed good engagement from behind.
Star gelding and Star stallion
In the gelding category there was a Star second premium for Mats van Anke Z. Star Sport (Hinne 427 x Harmen 424). He lacked a bit of facial expression, but this gelding flaunted lavish feathers and a good neck, a good shoulder with a good topline, with the croup being a bit short and sloping. Mats’s legwork lacked dry quality and he was somewhat short and upright in the pastern. The walk was roomy with good-looking use of the foreleg in walk as well as in trot. The trot displayed strong impulsion and good suppleness. In the stallion category it was Clude of Varna Star (Epke 474 Andries 415) who went home with the Star predicate.
Five foals, one first premium
Five foals appeared in the ring, four of whom received a second premium. Tineke fan Friesian Run (Tjalbert 460) was awarded a first premium with an 8 for this filly foal’s breeding type. She became Champion filly foals. Tineke has an expressive head and fine shape of the neck with lots of poll. Her back should be a bit stronger but she has a good loin section, correct croup conformation and delicate, dry legwork. She moves with an active walk from the shoulder, a lot of posture and bend in the hind leg in trot. Forward reach in the foreleg needs improvement. Being the daughter of brand-new Crown mare Ykje it’s obvious who Tineke got her quality from, just like her half sister who’s a year older: Rykje fan Friesian Run (Julius 486 x Bene 476). This yearling received a second premium and became Youngster Champion. She has satisfactory expression in the head but would benefit from slightly more poll and neck length. Rykje’s conformation shows a good shoulder and topline, her croup is slightly sloping, the walk is roomy and regular but needs to develop more bend in the hind leg. Her trot was regular but lacked moment of suspension.
