This message is from: "Carol Riviore" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hello Everybody from Carol Rivoire at Beaver Dam Farm in Nova Scotia -
I just returned from the Ontario FJord Show, and I wanted to add to what Lori had to say --- This message is from: Lori Albrough <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > I just wanted to share with everyone our experience from the Ontario Fjord > Show held this weekend just past, in Cedar Valley, north of Toronto. > > We had a great show and found it a wonderful, worthwhile experience. Show > organizer Cheryl Beillard of Wake-Robin Farm Fjords had invited Bob van Bon, > Chief Inspector of Fjords in the Netherlands, and his wife Joke (Yoka), to > be our show judges. The depth and breadth of knowledge and experience these > two possess is immediately obvious. The halter classes were operated in a > european evaluation format, assessing each horse individually on the > triangle and giving each animal a score in the five categories of breed > type, conformation, legs, movement, and overall impression. The judge also > talked at length about each animal's strong and weak points. I was really > pleased to receive such detailed expert feedback on my horses at a horse > show - very different from a usual horseshow where the class is pinned and > that is that. My only regret is not bringing more horses to this show! . . . . . . ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lori's right! It was a WONDERFULl show, and Cheryl Beillard should receive bouquets of roses for a month for all the organization and hard work it took to achieve. This was not a simple little show. It was well-organized. This was a classy show --- Class with a capital "C" (Norwegian Consul General presenting top prizes) , good food, wonderful European judges, great stabling, fabulous facility including a huge indoor and extensive cross-country course, prizes, ribbons, social time, enthusiastic, kind and friendly competitors. ---- What more could anyone ask for? -- I enjoyed myself tremendously. Enjoyed meeting new (to me) Fjord people from the States and Canada. -- Cheryl kindly lent me one of her mares to drive, and that was great fun! -- Also had fun visiting with Pat Wolf who continuously reminded me that he and I were the "oldest" Fjord folds:" Not sure how I feel about that "old" stuff, but nonetheless, it was great spending time with Pat. --- I was so enthused at the show I told everybody that next year I'd bring my own horse. One of the highlights of the show was Saturday night when Chief Inspector Van Bon presented gold medals from the Dutch Fjord Studbook to some horses he thought were of special quality. -- And I was especially thrilled to hear that three of the recipient horses had come from Beaver Dam Farm. Lori Albrough's 6 yr. old mare, Sparrow, sired by Gjest received a gold medal as Champion mare. --- Another of Lori's horses, Villi, a 12 yr. old gelding also sired by Gjest, received a gold medal as the best riding horse. . . . . The third horse from Beaver Dam Farm to receive a gold medal was the 8 yr. old mare, Riena, owned by Maggi Sullivan, and shown by her mother, Ann Sullivan. --- Riena was hand-picked by Carol Rivoire in Holland and imported by Beaver Dam Farm. -- She was a Champion filly in Holland, and since being imported to the States, and subsequently purchased by the Sullivans, Riena has received a Blue in her Evaluation, as well as Champion Mare at the Woodstock Fjord Show. So, those three prestigious gold medals went to horses all either born and bred in Europe, or sired by European imports. The Gjest son and daughter, Sparrow and Villi, were out of the mare, Cindy, also imported by Beaver Dam Farm. It's times like these that make this business worthwhile. Worthwhile because you know you're doing something right. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Two other Gold Medal horses at the Ontario Show were sired by the Norwegian imported stallion, Felix, who is proving himself an outstanding breeding stallion with a breeding record in Norway that is very impressive. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I think these results should be a 'Heads Up' to North American Fjord breeders. I mean the message is pretty clear! And the message is . . . . . BREEDING COUNTS! Best Regards, Carol Rivoire Other highlights from Lori's post . . . . The full results will be posted on the show website but I just wanted to > post a few "brags" here on the list. The Overall Champion Halter horse was a > 2 year old Felix daughter Felicia out of Nagia, shown by Beth Gerst, and the > Champion Gelding was a 4 year old Felix son Uvaer out of Dora, shown by > Nathan Vallilee. Our own 6 year old mare Sparrow, by Gjest and out of our > mare Cindy (an Ostar daughter), was Champion mare. On the Saturday evening dinner, Mr. van Bon gave a most interesting talk and > presented gold medals from the Dutch studbook to recognise the special > horses at the show - one to the best stallion, best mare, best gelding, best > younghorse, best driving horse and best riding horse. Felix's offspring > received the gold medals for best young horse and best gelding, Sparrow > received the medal for best mare and her full brother, our 12 year old > gelding Vili, received the medal for the best riding horse. Vili also had > the highest score for Training Level dressage where he scored 75.3% in test > 2 and 72.4% in test 4.
