This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Arthur Rivoire)
Hello Everybody from Carol Rivoire at Beaver Dam Fam in Nova Scotia
As Lindsay Sweeney said speaking of Solar, it's really hard to know where
to begin describing stallions such as these that have had such an enormous
impact on the breed.
So, I guess I'll begin with the statistics.
* GJEST - Born: Norway, 1977
* Registration - Norway: #1846
Holland: # I 49
NFHR # NQ-124-S
* Sire: Helgas Jarl #1764 3 pr.
* Sire's sire: Vosse-Lars #1674 1 pr.
* Sire's Sire's sire: Enok #1610 1 pr.
* Sire's sire's dam: Ostra #`12168 1 pr. - 1 pr. avk.
* Sire's Dam Helgunn 12850 1 pr. - 2 pr. avk.
* Sire's Dam's sire: Solidblakken #1556 2 pr. - 2 pr. avk.
* Sire's Dam's dam Edunn #12269 1 pr.
* Dam: Rita # 13847
* Dam's Sire: Solidblakken #1556 2 pr.
* Dam's Sire's sire: Malm #1071 2 pr.
* Dam's sire's dam: Orhild #9886 2 pr.
* Dam's Dam: Irma #11838 2 pr.
* Dam's Dam's sire: Ulabrand #1380 2 pr.
* Dam's Dam's dam: Delfina #7595 1 pr.
APPROVED FOR BREEDING IN NORWAY: 1981
Height: 144 cm (14.1 hands)
Canon: 21 cm. ( 8 1/4")
* BLOODLINES: Gjest has a unique bloodline. Unlike most of the other
stallions who trace back to various foundations stallions, Gjest's line
stands alone. Gjest traces back to the stallion, BARONEN, born in 1894.
(There's a picture of Baronen in Van Bon's book VAN "VESTLANDHEST' tot
FJORDENPAARD") He has the same long hip and well let down hocks that Gjest
has. He's also an interesting type - very much like the stallion,
ROSENDALSBORKEN, born in 1863. That's to say, not drafty. When Baronen
died in 1917, he had 30 Studbook approved sons.
Gjest's sire, Helgas-Jarl was also an approved stallion in both Norway and
Holland. Gjest's son, Fjellwin, stood in Holland as an Approved Stallion.
* CONFORMATIION: Gjest is a medium sized stallion with excellent bone and
very large joints (knees & hocks). He has a longish body with well
definined withers, very well sprung ribs, and long hip. He has a beautiful
head which is fairly short, wide between the eyes, large jowel, large eyes,
strong square jaw.
* TEMPERAMENT: Gjest is a horse that takes his duties with the utmost
seriousness, whether it's breeding, keeping his eye on the herd, driving,
harrowing, or jumping. Gjest never shirks. He gives each task his all,
and he's most happy when working. --
When I first saw Gjest in Holland in 1985, I happened to be standing next
to one of the Studbook's Stallion Handlers, and this man had handled Gjest
for a period of three years. He told me two very important things about
the stallion that I've never forgotten. He said, "Gjest has a wonderful
work ethic, and he's a wonderful mover, and both these things he passes on
to his sons and daughters."
First and foremost Gjest is a breeding stallion. He's also a performance
horse, but to him his prime duty is to the mares. Our best performances
from Gjest come at the farm when he's secure in the knowledge that all the
horses are where they should be, and he can concentrate on his work. He's
particularly happy to perform in an arena with his mares. In that
situation he can do two jobs at once, give his all under saddle or in
harness, and at the same time keep his eye on the mares. --- We indulge
him in this.
* MOVEMENT: Gjest has excellent movement, with suspension, reach,and
suppleness.
Chief Inspector of Fjords for Holland, Bob van Bon, once said - "You could
look for a lifetime and not find a stallion that moves like Gjest."
Gjest holds a record in Norway for the fastest time ever in the mandatory
Trotting Test given at the stallion evaluations. This record goes back
over one hundred years. Gjest trotted the kilometre in 2.12 min.
* POTENCY: Gjest was an approved breeding stallion in Holland. This means
he was one of the elite stallions owned by the Dutch Fjord Studbook.
Today, there are only 44 approved stallions standing for the Studbook.
Holland has a total Fjord population of around 13,000 + Fjords. ----
During Gjest's time standing in Holland, he bred around 85 mares a year
live cover.
Since he's come to North America (1987), his breeding duties are greatly
reduced. At Beaver Dam Farm, we never breed more than five or six mares a
year. Normally, we breed three of our own mares, and a few outside mares.
Since Gjest is aging, we've felt it prudent to have his semen tested the
last two years, and the results have been rather astounding. The
veterinarians at the Equine College have been almost speechless at the
quality of semen in this stallion. The College is on Prince Edward Island,
and the comment was - "We could breed half the mares on the Island with
this one ejaculate."
* HIS OFFSPRING: Most of Gjest's sons and daughters inherit his movement
and forwardness, and they inherit his intense desire to work.
They also inherit his large knees and hocks. -- Often they do not inherit
his type, color or head. I think more often than not, his offspring
resemble their dams, but there's always the spirit of Gjest in them. And
there have been a few that very much resemble the sire in
conformation,looks, and color. BDF KANADA KING, for example is the
spitting image of Gjest. I saw a photo in the Herald of a
BDF Kanada King son owned by Lisa Otten, and that colt looked like Gjest.
--- We had a Gjest daughter on the farm for training this Fall, BDF NORA
(Gjest x Maryke - Hjerter-Knaeght), and that 3 yr. old filly looked
exactly like Gjest except for her color. In that, she was dark like the
dam. Everything else was Gjest - conformation, movement, temperament.
Gjest has produced some well known offspring that are doing very well as
performance horses. Some of his better known sons are: BDF IDAR, BDF
KANADA KING, BDF OBELISK (too young to perform much yet), BDF MALCOM LOCKE,
BDF JASON (the fox hunting Fjord), BDF JOELSTRA,
BDF JESS, BDF JUBILEE-CANADA, BDF JOHN ARTHUR, BDF MAGNUM, BDF MAJORDOMO.
--- Some of Gjest's beautiful daughters are: BDF LIZA, BDF MISS NAVETA,
BDF LILLEHAMMER, BDF LIV, BDF NAOMI, BDF NORA, BDF LARA.
One more thing on Gjest's offspring - Bob van Bon, Chief Inspector of the
Dutch Fjord Studbook, said -
"It's remarkable how stallions like GJEST and his sire, HELGAS-JARL
produce offspring of such size and substance."
PERFORMANCE RECORD: Gjest hasn't been shown or competed a great deal. As
mentioned, his Trotting Record of the kilometre remains unbroken. In his
first year in the U.S. ,1987, he was competed very successfully. -- He was
Highpoint Overall Champion at the Amesbury, MA Carriage Show - He was
Highpoint Driving Champion at the Morgan Heritage Show in Vermont. (In
fact, he won the Morgan Trotting Race). - He earned all blues at the Forest
Hill Driving Event - He was the Champion of the "Model Fjord Class",
Vermont - He was the Champion Stallion at the 1987 Fjord Show. He took
first place in the Cones and Marathon at the Marlborough Cup CDE.
In 1990 and 1991, I took him to a couple of CDEs, (Gladstone and Myopia)
and didn't do all that well as I'm a dismal hopeless competitor. I get
nervous and forget dressage tests, cones courses, and marathon routes.
Gjest is coming twenty three years. He's still in good shape, although
his front teeth are very worn, and we're feeding him a lot of mush like
beet pulp, soaked alfalfa cubes, and senior feed. He's in great health as
he's always been, and continues to breed wonderful foals, and to be an
extremely useful horse for our Beginner Driving Vacations. He's still
powerful and forward and a fantastic mover, yet very drivable by absolute
beginners. They all say it's a thrill and a half to drive him.
Arthur and I have owned Gjest now for twelve years. He's getting on in
age, and we have to be prepared to lose him one of these days. That will
leave a large gap in our lives as there'll never be another stallion like
Gjest. He's a remarkable horse for his breeding heritage, his presence,
and his great beauty. I don't know if we'll have another stallion,or if
we'll retire when he's gone. But, in the meantime, we have a wonderful
young son of Gjest in the wings, BDF QUASAR. He doesn't look like Gjest,
but he has all the strong attributes of his sire. We'll see . . .
This Stallion Report was proably way too long, but as I said, there's so
much to say, and those not interested in breeding can delete.
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
