This year I came prepared!  I brought 3 extra batteries for my video camera, and about 10 blank tapes.  I just barely made it... the third battery was running low just after the champion class.  I arrived on a Thursday morning and my main goal was to get to the FPS clinic. 

The clinic was really informative.  It started out with how to pick a good stallion for your mare, based on her shortfalls.  It is a numeric system based on breeding values of stallions.  Being an engineer, I am all about numbers and metrics, so this was great fun for me.  Click here to see more detail on how to pick the right stallion for your mare.

Next Piet Sibma gave a lecture on how he prepares horses for a keuring.  He was the guy I hired to train Gooitzen when Gooitzen was a stallion candidate last year.  He is the best in Holland, in my opinion.  Take Gooitzen as an example- that horse knows his stuff when it comes to keurings, thanks to Piet.  Gooitzen came alive at the Oregon keuring this year and you could tell he loved being around the runners in white.  This is partially because Piet Sibma trains these stallions to enjoy their work.  He believes a happy stallion will perform better, which is nice as not all trainers here do it that way.

Then we got a lecture on the proper way to lunge a horse so that they move better.  There were some unique attachments to change the angle of the pelvis so they have more reach with their hind legs. 

We also got to listen to Peter Spahn talk about training a young horse in dressage, as he rode one of his Friesian stallions.  He really believes in taking it slow with Friesians.  Instead of cantering them around and around he believes in a lot of transitions to help them gain strength.  He thinks the young horses need a good 6 months worth of transition work and easy training before they build up the muscle to get more serious.

The next day the stallion show started.  We watched all the young stallions.  39 were chosen to go on to day 2.  There were also some shows, like they brought out all the women who rescued the horses that were caught on the Island in the North Sea.  These women are heroes for saving the lives of so many stranded horses.  They had a tear-jerking tribute to these women and their mounts, and they all rode again around the arena to perhaps relive the experience. 
 
 

On Saturday the 39 young stallions were shown again.  Out of the 39, only 23 were chosen to go on to the 70 day test in Drachten.  Who knows how many that will further eliminate.  It was funny to see that 2 of the stallions were named "Nimrod".  I asked if this is a Dutch name? 

Then the real fun started as the approved stallions came out.  First the older stallions were shown. Tsjerk 328 was the only one shown in hand.  The rest were shown in the long lines.  Stallions over the age of 12 are not required to come and they are no longer judged.  This is just an exhibition for the audience to pay tribute to the older champions of our breed.  I loved seeing Brandus 345.  I also went back to pet him in his stall.  What a sweet horse!!!

Then, groups of stallions were shown and judged, with the youngest group of stallions first, and then steadily moved to older groups.  The first and second place stallions of each group qualified for the championship round. 

Finally it was time for the championship round.  The qualifying list was made up of Jerke 434, Jense 432,  Harmen 424, Gjalt 429, Dries 421, Doaitsen 420, Aan 416, Beart 411,  Teeuwis 389, Mintse 384, Onne 376.  Teeuwis 389 did really well- we were shocked when he didn't make it into the final 5.   The final 5 were: Jerke 434, Harmen 424, Beart 411, Mintse 384, and Onne 376.  Mintse had the support of a lot of the crowd, but didn't make it to the final two.  Onne 376 and Harmen 424 were chosen as the best.   Next year Onne will be shown only in exhibition with the older stallions, so what a way to end his career!  He was on fire during the class, and the crowd was behind him all the way. 

During the last day of the show, there were also some fun exhibitions.  They actually played "Friesian Football."  I would have loved to be on a Friesian Football team in college.  Basically a team is made up of 4 riders (all on Friesians of course!).  It started with a big oversized 'balance ball' in the middle of the arena, on a small piece of sod.  The object was for each player to run their friesian into the ball and move the ball into the opposing side's goalposts.  So the Friesians had to kick the ball around with their front legs.  Only the Friesian breed would think that was fun!   There were a few star football players and the game ended 3 to 2.   Maybe we could start a US league???  It could catch on!!! 

I will have more video and will add to this writeup as I have a chance!