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A 'Classic' Posting of the Norwegian Fjord Horse listserver
Buying Stallions
by Pat Wolfe -----Original Message----- This message is from: Pat Wolfe <pwolfe@istar.ca> I have always liked stallions. I find them really fascinating. I have been to Norway twice and Holland three times attending evaluations. All three stallions were bought on impulse. I was not out looking for a stallion. Hostar was the first. Jane and I spent a year's vacation in France in 1987. We decided we would like to see a little more of Europe so we headed north. I had been at Bob Von Bon's a few years before doing a Fjord tour so when we got into Holland, I suggested we drop in to see Bob. When we arrived, Bob was busy at a curring and we went along with him. That was a mistake! When we were doing a tour of the mares I spotted one I really liked. I said to Jane, "I wonder what her baby looks like?" We looked behind her and there was Hostar. I looked at Jane and said, "We're in trouble!" This little guy really stood out in a crowd. His mother, Viola, was one of the few Elite mares at that time. His father was Brusvein. Hostar had won his first class and was about to go into the ring to be judged for the best baby at the curring. I talked to the owner through his English-speaking son and made arrangements with him that I would take Hostar back to Canada if he took first place. Well you guessed it. He was first over 52 babies at that curring. The next day Jane bought a three year old gelding so Hostar wouldn't be The next was Marnix. This time I went on a shopping trip to Holland to buy two yearling fillies. I came home with a stallion and three fillies. When I first saw Marnix he was trotting in a field with another two year old stallion. There was no comparison between the two. Marnix had something special. Bob trotted him out a short distance for me and I couldn't believe his extended trot, especially over such a short distance. I told Bob I would like to see his father and we were off on a two hour drive to see Holmar. I found out where the great trot came from. Holmar has a beautiful trot. Marnix had also scored very high at his curring as a yearling. One of the fillies I brought home to Canada was Marnix's full sister and the other was a half sister, all Holmar babies. The third stallion was Felix. I was invited to go to the Norwegian Judges' Clinic in May, 1996. The first time you get to see the three year olds is when they are turned LOOSE separately in the arena. You can see a free walk, trot and canter. Felix really caught my eye when he came out, head high in a nice extended trot. A few hours later I spotted Felix in the parking lot. I was quite impressed. I asked if he was for sale and his owner said a syndicate had their eyes on him and they had first choice. I asked him to put me second in line. Later in the afternoon I had heard that the group had decided to buy him. After a little bit of looking I found the spokesperson for the group. I told him I would like to buy Felix and would they be interested in using him that year and sending him to Canada in the fall? He said he'd let me know at the end of the show. During the next day I did a lot of talking to find out Felix's background. Both parents were first place horses. There were judges from nine countries at this Judges' Clinic and seven of the nine placed Felix first. Thank God Norway placed him second. I say thank God because the first place horse is sold for $500 more. The Norwegians have a set rate for the sale price of their stallions. A first place horse is worth more than the second and so on down the line. When the results were announced I found the new owners and they had, not surprisingly, decided to keep him for two breeding seasons. That was a long wait for me, but worth it. (This is not an advertisement for Felix. He is booked up for this year.} I buy a stallion when I see something special that catches my eye. Then Now I will not buy a stallion unless he has been evaluated and is three years old. This is why. The Europeans have a great system. In Holland there around 1500 babies a year. Norway has around 1000. One half of these are stud colts. Every year this group is re-evaluated and only the accepted ones are eligible to be stallions. In their third year only around 12 in Norway are given the right to be breeding stallions and in Holland, even fewer. So in Holland they start off with 750 stud colts and sometimes only 6 will be accepted as stallions. This is why I like to buy a three year old. The chances of getting a good Pat Editor's Note: Felix is at http://www.felixgroup.ca Hostar at http://www.fjordhorses.com/abouthorses.html#hostar |
