After a flight of just over an hour to Edinburgh, followed by a drive of just over an hour to the north, Nina Tuinman and I, Barend Damste, arrived in Coupar Angus, Perthshire.
When picking up the rental car, Nina was given a white wristband with the clear instruction: “Ride on the left.” She did this very successfully! However, near our destination the roads became so narrow that there was hardly any question of driving on either the left or the right. Passing oncoming traffic, with high hedges and hills on both sides, is an art in itself.
The weather during the inspection was “windy with some sunny spells.” Our hats flew through the inspection ring several times.
The surface of the ring consists of shredded car tyres, meaning there is no dust even in dry weather, while the surface also provides excellent resilience.
There were seven participants, with a total of 22 foals and horses presented for conformation inspection: two Friesians and 20 black-and-white Barock Pintos.
The majority of the horses were owned by Janine O’Connor, who had organised everything around the inspection perfectly on the day.
First into the ring were the ten foals, all bred by J. O’Connor. There were seven colts and three fillies. She would have preferred it the other way around!
Most of the foals, seven in total, were sired by her stallion Julius BP78. They formed a lovely group to inspect, with six foals receiving a first premium.
The best of them was Romeo of Friesians, by Julius BP78 out of a Constantijn BP18 mare. A foal with the desired Barock Pinto type.
The five yearlings and two-year-olds showed a varied picture, with one clear winner. This was the beautifully presented BP yearling colt Prophet of Friesians (s: Julius BP78), owned by J. Reynolds. A very noble young stallion who scored comfortably above average in all sections. Hopefully, he will develop well and we will see him again in two years’ time.
Among the group of six mares and geldings aged three years and older, there was also a clear standout: the three-year-old mare Nobella of Friesians, by Julius BP78, owned by S. McLean.
This mare became the Overall Champion of the Day, while the yearling colt became Reserve Champion of the Day. Both horses were bred by J. O’Connor.
This naturally raises the question: why were both of these horses sold? Her first reaction was: “It is a mistake!” Looking at it from another perspective, however, it is excellent publicity for her Barock Pinto breeding programme!
Also presented for inspection was the four-year-old stallion Mr Starry Skies (s: Falco van de Adrianushoeve), owned by F. Stewart. The stallion measures 1.65 m and was presented in excellent condition. He showed sufficient movement at walk, trot and canter, scoring 7 points in each of the three gaits. For Barock Pinto breed type he received an 8, along with two 7s for conformation and legs.
With a total of 43 points, he was awarded the predicate Ster Stallion and received a breeding licence. Hopefully, he will now be given an opportunity in breeding in the UK.
Finally, J. O’Connor entered the ring as rider, owner and breeder with her stallion Luther BP103 for the compulsory IBOP performance test, following the breeding licence he received two years ago.
The stallion performed with great enthusiasm and flair, achieving a score of 63.5 points, resulting in a positive outcome.
Overall conclusion: a very successful inspection!
Best regards,
Barend Damste.
On 28 August, a re-inspection was held for five horses because the owner was not satisfied with the presentation of some of her horses. Geertje van de Veen and Gorrit Kuipers travelled there and reassessed the horses, with positive results. The complete results following the re-inspection can be found here.
