Please call.... Yorick Wormgoor

Each week, Dieke Slingerland tries to take a few moments to call a Welsh breeder, user and/or enthusiast for the ‘Just a call with ...’ with whom she calls depends on what is current at the time.

Last week, a ‘behind-the-scenes’ video of the latest Penny was posted on Facebook. And how great is it to see the studbook stallion Amity’s Ocean King in it? King was bred by and is still owned by Yorick Wormgoor.

How does King end up in the penny?

Last year, we were approached by one of the photographers from *De Penny*. This was just before the stallion inspection, and she asked if she could photograph King in the snow.

Right before the stallion inspection, it didn't seem like such a good idea to me. We agreed to do it on April 16. We went out to the heath then, and those photos were published in *De Penny* half a year later.

The penny is, of course, for kids—but is King really a suitable pony for children?

King is definitely a children's pony, but of course he's still a stallion. He has the playful nature of a stallion, but he's actually super docile. My 8-year-old son, Brentley, takes him out for a walk, and he always walks along very nicely.

What does King himself think is the most beautiful thing in the world?

Showing is really King's hobby; he absolutely loves it when he gets to run his own little lap first. He always makes sure to break away first so he can trot along and warm up!
Besides, he doesn't really like going for walks outside; he'd much rather stay in his stall and be king!

King is a real show pony—will we see you again at the stallion inspection?

Absolutely! Even though a lot of people would say you're crazy, we did, of course, win the Section A championship in 2018 and finish as runners-up in 2019.

Basically, we have nothing to lose at this point. But that doesn't really matter to me. For my part, I'm doing everything I can to make sure King looks his best, and of course, we'll make it our own show.

What's the best thing you've ever accomplished?

That was in 2018 at the stallion inspection; King was walking in the ring with his sire at the time. And it was really special for me that we were ranked above his sire. But the Royal Welsh is, of course, still a wonderful experience too!

Are there still plans to sell King someday?

No, we would never do that! King will always remain mine! Next year he’ll be leased to England, and maybe even more often after that, but I’ll never sell him!

Just how special is King?

King is a total Facebook icon; he has his own Facebook page. He does a lot of photo shoots, so my page is full of photos of King, too!

To be continued…