Swedish Inspection Report
From a tropical Schiphol Airport, where temperatures reached 35°C, Gorrit Kuipers and I, Barend Damste, flew to Linköping, Sweden, in just an hour and a half. The temperatures in Sweden were also exceptionally high. Remarkably, upon arrival our KLM aircraft was the only plane at the airport, and it was still the only aircraft there when we departed the following day.
From Linköping, we travelled another 40 kilometres to the stables of Caroline Pettersson in Söderköping. The surrounding countryside is beautiful and wonderfully peaceful, with fields of grain and rapeseed currently being harvested. From her home, the owner has a magnificent view of her horses, with forests and a large lake in the background.
We spent the night at B&B Thorstorps Gård, a farmhouse dating back to 1787. It is highly recommended for anyone wishing to explore the area.
The overall organisation of the inspection, carried out by a very enthusiastic board, was perfect, so there is nothing that needs to be changed. Thanks to the many sponsors, nobody left without a prize. In the morning, the judges were still dressed according to protocol, but in the afternoon the hats had to come off because of the high temperatures.
A total of 17 foals and horses, representing 13 different owners, were presented for conformation judging. Remarkably, every horse received either a first or second premium, which clearly demonstrates the good quality.
We started with “Champagne”, an XX colt with a champagne-coloured coat! This was followed by six FB foals, including one with a light-isabelline colour. Foals in different colours apparently prove popular. Nevertheless, we hope to see more black-and-white horses in the future. This time, there was only one BP colt, by Alexander BP13, presented by C. Lind, and he received a first premium.
The two one-year-olds were good. The mare Pearl of Rock (owned by M. Jonsson) received 44 points. Pearl is a very typical representative of the Barock Pinto breed.
The three-year-olds started with N’ Dancing Queen. Caroline once saw her foal dancing through the pasture, which is where the name came from. The FB chestnut mare now measures 1.70 metres. She “danced” her way to an 8 for her trot and shows great promise for the future. She is currently in foal and will probably take part in the IBOP next year, potentially followed by an Elite classification.
The two BP mares Flashdance (Ceasar ter Linden XX05) and Lovelia (Lanos XX14) were also provisionally awarded Elite status.
There was a note in the programme stating that M. Jonsson had been unsure whether she would attend with Melody of Rock (Hermes BP79). This mare turned out to be the highlight of the entire inspection.
With 47.5 points, she was provisionally awarded Elite status. Just a few hours later, she successfully completed her IBOP and was officially declared Elite. She was also named Champion of the Day! Covered in ribbons and wearing a presentation blanket, she left the ceremony proudly accompanied by her owner.
The 4 year old grey FB stallion Mr. Nathan Lew (Rink FB20) was a real macho. He received 43 points and became a Star Stallion.
What did not succeed last year, namely completing the IBOP test, was successfully accomplished this year by the stallion Hendrix BP72. His owner was understandably very pleased with the result.
To conclude the inspection, the stallions Martin FB26, Abel FB51 and Conrad BP68 were presented to the many spectators in the grandstand. Thanks in part to the excellent hospitality, including food and refreshments, they remained until the very end of this highly successful inspection.
All in all, it was a wonderful inspection in Sweden!
Kind regards, on behalf of the judging panel,
Barend Damste
