Thirty-one sport horse breeders from Northern Ireland spent three days in Holland last week.

The trip was one of the educational initiatives run by the Half Bred Horse Breeders Society Ltd of Northern Ireland with the support of DARD It was organised by Janice Stevenson, project officer for the HBHBS, and led by Mr Ken Bolton, who is a committee member of the society as well as a member of The Horse Board of Northern Ireland.

Ken a former Master of The South Tyrone Foxhounds has for some years now built up close contacts with sport horse breeders all over Europe particularly in Holland.

Mr Erik Naberink, a breeder and trainer of sport horses as well as an advisor to the KWPN was always on hand to answer any of the visitor's questions. In all five studs were visited and a show on the last day. The comprehensive performance testing and use of scientific principles in the rigorous selection of stallions was most impressive. Interesting also was the way in which the stallions seemed so

laid back at all the studs visited. The hosts explained that this was due to the fact that all the horses were treated as 'horses' where exercise, competition and breeding was part of their daily life.

At all the yards combined breeding, young horse production, stallion management and semen collection with competition. Young stock, a percentage of which was bought in were, typically kept in doors in groups of between fifty and a hundred in large sheds which allowed them ample room to move about.

Bedded on straw with ad lib haylage and one hard feed a day the young stock were without exception in great order and well accustomed to human attention. At one farm the young animals were taken as yearlings to a farm in Poland where they spent two years. While the Polish farm was a twenty-three hour drive away the horses could be kept there for one euro per day. All the yards visited bar one kept both jumping and dressage horses. While the acreage at these studs was relatively small the indoor facilities were of a very high standard.

Among the yards visited were Stal De Wiemselbach on the German border. Here horses varying from foals to Grand Prixhorses ere kept. Among them are such influential stallions as Libero H, Numero-Uno, Lupicor and LÌesprite. At the Eurocommerce Stables Dutch international show jumper Wim Schroder conducted the guided tour. Team Nijhof for many was the highlight. Here the great Clinton who was second last year at the Grand prix in Aachen stood along with such other luminaries as Calvados, Burggraaf, Heartbreaker, Voltaire and Johnston who became the overall dressage champion at the 2005 KWNP stallion show.

The last farm visited was the Van Olst Stables in the south of the Netherlands some ten minutes from the city of Breda. This stables offer top quality animals from foals to Grand Prix horses in both showjumping and dressage. Ran by the husband and wife team Gertjan and Anne van Olst the yard is a model of professionalism. Anne who was born in Denmark and has Danish nationality is a member of the countries national team for twelve years. She has competed in dressage at the Seoul, Barcelona and Athens Olympics. She rode three world championships, six European championships and has been twice Danish National champion. Stallions standing here included the great Negro a 1.70cmÌs of presence and elegance as well as the jumpers Revenge W, Franco and Animo.

Many of the Northern Irish breeders are considering using Dutch stallions on their mares this season. Gary Orr from Ballywalter was so impressed by the superior confirmation, excellent movement and presence of the eyecatching Clinton that he committed his ID hunting mare of eleven seasons to covering by him. Much debate on the merits of traditional Irish breeding as opposed to the Dutch system took place. The consensus was that both had merit. Ian Mc Kenna, father of working hunter competitor Elaine who won last years show of the north final at Balmoral, was very impressed by the young stock on view and the training methods. There was a feeling that the changes recently introduced in eventing would favour the use of more warm bloods. Not totally convinced by the Dutch horses was William Skelly a keen supporter of traditional Irish breeding. William along with his wife Louise and daughter Ester have enjoyed considerable success with ConnamaraÌs , Irish Draughts and sport horses. Ken Bolton was strongly of the opinion that in order to protect the integrity of the traditionally Irish bred horse, the Horse Board should have a separate category for Irish horses crossed with European Warm bloods.

The educational value of this experience, the interaction with other local breeders and the opportunity to see first hand how the breeders and producers in the Netherlands have brought themselves to such a high position with the production and marketing of show jumping and dressage horses cannot be over emphasised. Experienced horse producer Heather Allen from Portadown was of the opinion that making a study of Dutch sport horse breeding methods was essential for any person seriously considering the enterprise. The HBHBS are anxious to promote further opportunities for Northern breeders to expand their knowledge and skills. To this end they will be organising future trips and would welcome suggestions any one interested should contact mailto:hbhbs@ hotmail.co.uk for further details or call Janice on 028 97563838.