Born: April 3, 2005
Color: Black
Breeder and Owners: Klaas and Mares Vanderploeg, Michigan USA
Approved in: 2009
Inbreeding: 2.73 %
height 1.64 m (16.1 hands) - and he will still grow
Stam: 50
Teade 392 Sport x Ulke 338 Sport
Dam: Bauwina W., Ster
Sipke 450 will be standing at The Friesian Connection for the 2009 breeding season
His stud fee will be $1250 USD

We at Legacy Friesians would like to say thanks to Marc DiLeo and Cally Matherly for all the excellent photos!
And to Janet and Pieter, for selling us Tessa Welmoed, who will be bred to Sipke 450 next year
 

Click here to see a report on him which includes his pedigree and premies he got as a youngster, and his breeding values, which total 106!!!!
Sipke 450 scored 81 points on his riding test! He has an excellent walk (8.0) and is a very talented dressage horse. Willy Arts (trainer for the stallion testing) feels Sipke has a lot of natural talent for dressage, his canter is particularly well developed.
 
 
 

Here are his scores from the final day of the 70 day test, when he got approved on February 27, 2009:

Photo credit  for the following photos goes to  Marc DiLeo
Marc was the official photographer for the testing:

Photo credit  for the following photos goes to Cally Matherly  of www.callyspictures.com
Cally was the winner of the FHANA Judy Knapp Volunteer Award for 2007
These were photos that Cally took at his keuring in Micigan when he was selected
to go to the 70 day test:

From the FHANA newsletter, here is a writeup about this year's stallion selection:
2009 Stallion Selection 
By President Elizabeth Sharp 

This has been an unusual testing because we have only two horses, and they are both owned by the same owners, Klaas and Mares Vander Ploeg, from Michigan.   The stallions are Sylvester P.,  Teade 392 x Ulke 338, and Shamus P., Wander 352 x Tsjerk 328.  They were 164  m.and 163 m. tall.  The judges for this event are the three judges that decide the fate of all the stallion in the NL as well,  Fetze Veldstra, Herman Smit and Bauke de Boer. They have been here 3 times, once in December 2008, again in January 2009 and last week for the finals. 
The horses were ridden on Thursday, and then on Friday, they were driven, first in a large open lot and then in the arena, for the show driving portion.   After the two driving styles were demonstrated, the judges retire to the office above the large horse barn at the DG Bar Ranch. 
In the end,  they called the owners in and explained their decisions, and the owners came out, with a new approved stallion...Sipke 450 is the name chosen to replace Sylvester P.  He is a beautiful stallion and will be standing at the Friesian Connection in Michigan, ( 616/893-2964 for information)  and ready in time for this breeding season.   His stud fee will be $1250 (plus the shipping/handling fees) so now is the time to take advantage of this opportunity. 
Sipke 450 is from the prestigious MareStam 50, and his dam, Bauwina W. ( Ulke 338 x Leffert 306) is a three time first premium mare.  Her full sister Tjallina W. was just made Model in Michigan this last inspection season.  Bauwina W's dam, Douwina W, is a Leffert 306 daughter and a Studbook Star Preferant mare.   Bauwina W. is on track for Preferant status in the future. 
His scores in the testing  (riding) were walk 8.0;  trot 7.0; canter 7.0; CLM 7.5; Transition 7.0 ; Suitability 7.5 for a total of 81.0 
The driving scores were walk 7.5; trot 6.5; CLM 6.0; transition 6.5; effort 7.0; suitability 7.0 for a total of 74.5.
The trainer in Hanford, Mr. Willy Arts, said at the second viewing that Sylvester (now Sipke 450) had "inherent natural talent and skill for dressage;  something that,  if it is not present naturally, is something that cannot be trained in...they either have it or they don't, and Sylvester has it."  He was very pleased with the Sipke's calm, solid nature, combined with the dressage talent he possesses.  He also mentioned that this talent for dressage movement is something that is a very inheritable trait, to be passed to offspring.  Another plus for this new stallion.