This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Arthur Rivoire)
Hi All, from Carol Rivoire at Beaver Dam Farm in Nova Scotia - Thanks to Lori and Jean for their kind congratulatory words regarding BDF IDAR'S and Elaine Olsen's accomplishments. Thinking about Idar got me thinking about his brothers and sisters, and that got me thinking about breeding. BDF IDAR is a son of Gjest, out of Maryke, who was imported in utero from Holland. Her sire is my all-time favorite (aside from Gjest, of course), stallion, Hjerter-Knaeght. H.K. was born in Denmark, and imported to Holland. He was a terrific breeding stallion. In fact, he was the longest standing breeding stallion in Holland's history. He finally died after being kicked by a mare while breeding her. He was 24 years old. Hjerter-Knaeght (pronounced something like "yet-to-connect" - funny name for a breeding stallion) was an interesting horse. He was very famous for the quality of his daughters. His daughters were all good sized, dark color, elegant, clean looking heads and legs, and they were excellent workers. YET! Hjerter-Knaeght was something of a problem horse. I remember seeing him at a Stallion Show in Holland back in 1985. It took TWO MEN to lead him around the ring. I've got a photo of that. One on each side of him, with two lead ropes, as in cross-ties. That was one of his little peculiarities. If one person tried to lead him, the stallion would dance around, whirl around. --- However, he could be driven in company. I saw that, and have a photo. Anyway, my point is that despite what some would call "very bad manners," this horse was one of the top breeding stallions in Holland, and was used for twenty years to excellent results. The Dutch were experienced enough horsemen to judge the stallion on WHAT HE PRODUCED, not on his peculiarities of behavior. Well, that stallion, Hjerter-Knaeght has always been a favorite. When we first started, we had a H.K. son, imported in utero, that we thought a lot of. He wasn't perfect, and eventually gelded, but he had a lot of good qualities. He was tall, dark, gorgeous head, beautiful eyes, excellent legs. As a matter of fact, he and almost all the other Hjerter-Knaeght offspring look very close to the stallion, Rosendalsborken, born in 1863, and now the symbol of FJORDHORSE INTERNATIONAL, the Fjord association in Norway. --- Take a look at their site --- The H.K. son I just mentioned was BDF TOROLF. He was a similar pain in the neck as his sire. Then we got Gjest, and being unable to sell Rolf, we gelded him, and then sold him, along with one of his sons, BDF EINAR to Janet Voeltz in WI. She drove them as a pair in lots of competitions, even did the Milwaukee Circus Parade. Both BDF Torolf and BDF Einar were good workers. There have been other H.K. offspring. There was a mare named Ylanda, a H.K. daughter. We imported her and sold her to Byron Ramsing in Wyoming. I'm not sure where she is now, but Kathy Rollins has her daughter by Gjest. Ylanda was a superb working horse. Then there was a mare called Zilverschoon that we imported and sold to Ken Chamberlain in N.H. She was just like all the others. -- It's really a SPECIAL LOOK. You should see it. Not at all like other Fjords. The color first of all. Really dark and rich. And always excellent zebra stripes. But most of all, it's the head. Very big jowel, and huge eyes, dark forelock. And the legs are always very dry and clean. --- The gelding we just sold, Didrik, (he's on our website) is a H.K. grandson, and enjoys all the same great characteristics. Jowl is so big we can hardly close the throatlatch. I hope other people enjoy hearing about these traits of certain bloodlines. If it's boring, say so, and I won't go into it again. Personally, I find it absolutely fascinating. Our H.K. daughter, Maryke, has had quite a few foals, and they all share the same traits, to a large part. BDF Idar was her first. Then BDF JUBILEE CANADA. We sold him as a weanling to a woman in MD. She trained him to ride and drive, and then we resold him last year to a young girl who now has him at school with her in the riding program. He's a sweetie. Jumps, does it all. A great horse for a child. Great work ethic. Mryke didn't have a foal the next year, but then she had BDF LILLEHAMMER, now owned by Sue Banks in VA. We knew Lilly was a performer right from the beginning.Has the same ability as Idar, and luckily she's owned by someone capable of bring her along. Sue is also interested in dressage, and has shown Lilly to good results. Lilly has a wonderful temperament, and a good work ethic. She went to Equitana as a three year old, and rode in the Grand Parade. Then BDF MISS NAVETA (named for my mother) was born. We sold her as a yearling to Betsy and Michael Scott in Minneapolis. The Scotts have done a wonderful job with her. They've competed her in pleasure driving shows, doing really well for such a young horse, and they took her to the Blue Earth Evaluation. -- BDF Miss Naveta shows all those same H.K. characteristics - dark, elegant, pretty face, excellent work ethic. The next foal from Maryke was BDF Nora, and she went as a weanling to Donna & Bedford Ward in New Brunswick, Canada. Again, the same gorgeous physical characteristics - dark; pretty; big eyes; elegance; hard, dry legs. I don't hear much from the Wards, unfortunatley, so can't report on Nora's performance. Last year, Maryke foaled BDF PHOEBE, who is sold, but still with us, and Phoebe has more of those Hjerter-Knaeght physical traits than any of the others. Her head is absolutely sublime and very, very dark. And her eyes are huge and dark. Fabulous zebra stripes. She also has excellent movement, as do all the others . . . a fact I've neglected to mention. BDF Phoebe is proving to have a good attitude and work ethic. She's willing and learns fast. -- SHE WILL HAVE A GOOD WORK ETHIC. Phoebe is owned by Suzanne Egan and Cheryl Tortoriello from New York City. So, my point in all this is if you have a stallion that has all the physical characteristics of conformation, type, movment, but he's a PAIN IN THE BUTT, don't be too quick with the knife. His offspring are unlikely to inherit these traits. --- Now, before I'm jumped on for saying this ---- Let's be clear that I don't mean a stallion that has a screw loose and/or has a really nasty temper. Remember Hjerter-Knaeght, one of the best Fjord stallions that ever stood in Europe. This horse needed two men to get him into the ring to show in hand. HOWEVER, when H.K. was given a real task to do like pulling a wagon, he was all business. In my opinion, the "in hand problem" probably had more to do with the stallion's experiences as a breeding stallion. Whatever the cause of his misbehavior, the fact was that stallion was a treasure to the breed, and I can tell you absolutely that the breed would be significantly diminished if this stallion hadn't been a contributor to the gene pool. -- I can also tell you from personal experience, that if Hjerter-Knaeght had been shown in the U.S., it's likely there would have been plenty of "ringside experts" grumbling about how if they owned him, he'd be a gelding right quick. And that would have been a damn shame! Best Regards, Carol Rivoire Carol and Arthur Rivoire Beaver Dam Farm Fjords II R.R. 7 Pomquet Antigonish County Nova Scotia B2G 2L4 902 386 2304 http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/beaverdf
