The location inspections at the end of the season have given us three more Model mares. Gea v.d. Slothoeve (Maurits 437), Riemkje van ‘t Oostende (Tsjalke 397) and Susanne (Norbert 444) made sure the final count for the number of Model mares in 2020 reached sixteen.
Gea v.d. Slothoeve Model Sport AA
Gea v.d. Slothoeve Model Sport AA (Maurits 437 x Gradus 356) has a remarkable inspection career: from third premium Studbook via excellent ABFP Tests to second premium Star and ultimately Model. Her English owner Kirsty Baldwin describes Gea as being uncomplicated. ‘She has very calm contact manners, a one-in-a-thousand horse.’
Gea was bred by Cees Breimer out of Anneke v/d Roazebosk Star Preferent (Gradus 356), a mare from pedigree 15, one of the bigger and more high-quality pedigrees within the Studbook. Breimer bought Anneke – who is just one Star short for Crown Jewel – as a foal. She harks back to Tsjollie Star Preferent (Fokke 217), who via her daughter Femke van Dedgum Star Preferent Performance (Oepke 266) is the granddam of Jehannes 484. Anneke completed an ABFP Test with 82.9 points and an 8.5 score for showdriving. Even though the combination with Beart 411 proved successful – five offspring became Star – Cees Breimer paired Anneke to Maurits 437, more showdriving genes still. In 2010 this resulted in Gea, who received a first premium as a foal. The Star predicate came her way only after fine ABFP scores of 79 and 80 when she was a 3-year-old. Gea was sold off to the UK where she was competed in dressage ‘And won everything where she appeared at the start’, Kirsty says. Preparations for further promotion took place in the Netherlands. In 2017 she became Crown, in 2019 she gave birth to a colt foal by Beart 411 and last summer she was declared Model. ‘A modern, longlined mare demonstrating lots of hardiness’, was the Jury’s compliment.
Riemkje van ‘t Oostende Model AA
Riemkje van ‘t Oostende Model AA (Tsjalke 397 x Olof 315) was this season’s last Model mare. She was bred and is still owned by Henk and Johanna Brinks and the viewers on livestream showered her with praise. Riemkje comes from a strong breeding line: pedigree 25, with heaps of Preferent blood. For breeder Brinks it all started at the end of the 80s when he purchased Pearel, who was born in 1977. The first foal to be born at Stal van ’t Oostende was Oege 267 son Tieme, who was approved as Tieme 330 at the age of three. Unfortunately however, the stallion died in the course of his first stud season. Brinks continued breeding with several Pearel fan ’t Sud daughters, among them Hilde van ’t Oostende, a full sister to Tieme 330. Hilde was inspected as a foal and subsequently on nine more occasions. The last time in 2010 at the age of sixteen, but the Oege 267 daughter never progressed beyond a third premium. According to the Jury members her trot was allegedly not worthy of the Star predicate. But Hilde did become Preferent: daughter Finneblom van ’t Oostende (Olof 315) received the predicates Star, Preferent and Performance and daughter Twirke van ’t Oostende (Olrik 383) became Crown and Sport AA. ‘Hilde was an Oege 267 daughter and therefore not expected to be an easy character, but Hilde herself was a very easy-going mare. Daughter Finneblom has a much more difficult personality so apparently this trait has skipped a generation.’ Finneblom van ’t Oostende turned out to be an excellent broodmare: the tally is now at two Model daughters: Beitske van ’t Oostende Model Sport AA (Jerke 434) and Riemkje van ’t Oostende Model AA (Tsjalke 397) as well as five Star offspring.
As a 3-year-old Riemkje got her Star with a second premium at the re-inspection. An IBOP Riding Test produced 72 points, not enough for further promotion. But an IBOP Driving Test of 81.5 points secured her a promotion. After foals by Rindert 406 and Tsjalle 454 she is now in foal by Auwert 514. After receiving the Model predicate Riemkje was much in demand, we hear from Henk and Johanna. ‘But as it stands, we’re not even remotely thinking of selling Riemkje.’
Susanne Model Sport AAA
Susanne Model Sport AAA (Norbert 444 x Wikke 404) came very close to spending her life in a nature reserve in Romania. Lammert de Boer saw Susanne when she was a foal and he was impressed with her agility in movement. Susanne’s breeders are Durk and Margriet Reinsma and they bred Susanne out of Zetske van de Oergong Star (Wikke 404), the half sister of Tsjitse 387 (Brandus 345), whose stud licence was later revoked.
With Udo de Haan at the reins Susanne achieved an 84 AAA IBOP score in 2017,
which made her Permanent Crown. Lammert de Boer says: ‘Susanne is an exceptional mare from a very interesting pedigree. She goes back on Gona and Lokke Star Preferent (Bjinse 241), the granddam of Tsjitse 387. Pedigree 103 is a successful breeding pedigree and it’s not a coincidence that this pedigree has produced another two new Model mares, Pleun van ’t Lansink and Summer from Stal de Berkmeer.
Susanne has contracted a resistant bacteria which is why we have not succeeded in getting her pregnant again. But Lammert de Boer is not ready to give up yet: ‘We are now going to try OPU. With this technique not fully ripened egg cells are retrieved from the mare and then
fertilised afterwards.’ Meanwhile lady rider Pietie van den Berg starts Susanne in Z2 dressage. ‘Susanne is a very alert mare with enormous willingness to work.’ Owner and rider intend to ride this Model mare up through the levels as far as the sub top.
