The matriarch: Berkenhorst Blanche

Melissa Mol handed over the relay baton of ‘The Pedigree Mother’ section to Alfred Askes of the Wheemhoeve stable last week. Askes answers five questions about Welsh section B foundation dam Berkenhorst Blanche. “With her and her progeny (and especially through her daughter Wheemhoeve's Marissa), my father Jans Askes has built the main part of Wheemhoeve breeding with us,” Alfred Askes said.

CV

Name: Birchhorst Blanche
Welsh section: B
Color: Palomino
Date of birth: May 5, 1988
Father: Woldberg's Bart
Mother: IJsselvliedt's Beatrix
Maternal father: Tethworth Icarus
Predicates: Elite, Crown

Five questions about Birchhorst Blanche

1 What are her main achievements?

• 1990 Youth Champion Stadskanaal
• 1993 Champion Stadskanaal
• 1994 Champion Stadskanaal
• 1997 Reserve Champion Stadskanaal
• 1999 Reserve Champion Ommen

2 How and when did she come to you?

Alfred: “My father Jans Askes bought her as a yearling at the inspection in Hengelo. He is crazy about palominoes; beautiful yellow with snow-white manes. Earlier he had tried to buy her mother IJsselvliedt's Beatrix, but she was too expensive for us. Blanche's breeder sold everything he had to family Postma at that keuring. My father asked if he could take over Blanche, but at first he couldn't. Postma wanted to keep her for the pedigree inspection of Woldberg's Bart himself. My father promised him to get the mare ready for that inspection and put her up spotless. Then he could take her over. With that mare we built a lineage and she and her progeny have given us a cupboard full of trophies.”

3 Can you talk briefly about some of the ponies in this mare line?

Alfred: “Blanche herself produced seventeen foals between 1991 and 2010. After that she went to a little girl as a riding and cuddling pony. She is dam of the studbook stallions Wheemhoeve's Robbin and Wheemhoeve's Icarus. Wheemhoeve's Marissa may have been the most valuable mare for us. I unfortunately had to put her to sleep last year at the age of 22. Marissa was multiple champion and earned, among other things, the title reserve day champion in Stadskanaal in 2004. She is a daughter of ’t Hogeland's Ferdinand and she brought us the three studbook stallions Wheemhoeve's Nijinski, Zifron and Marko. In addition, three more sons reached the second viewing. The studbook stallions Wheemhoeve's Gamekeeper and Stella Calvin (both by Marko) also go back to Berkenhorst Blanche. She is primarily a stallion dam, with fourteen sons and three daughters. Meanwhile, we also have another new Blanche who goes back to Berkenhorst Blanche through her sire line. This is the now seven-year-old keur mare Wheemhoeve's Blanch, a daughter of Marko out of a star daughter by Eyarth Tacoma. She is also so beautiful yellow with white mane. Recently her fourth foal was born; Wheemhoeve's Cliffhanger, a son of Woldberg's Rossini. Berkenhorst Blanche and her daughter Marissa are very important to our Welsh breeding, not only for the fine keuring results we have already achieved with them and their offspring, but especially because they are such fine children's and sport ponies.”

4 Which stallions does she combine well with? And why?

Alfred: “From Blanche always came a good one. You could put a donkey on her, so to speak. At the inspection we were often told that she could have more width and depth. But her conformation and character were always more important than those five minutes of judging. Blanche had a golden character and that is what the Wheemhoeve ponies are known for. That you can confidently let children ride them, that's the main thing.”

5 What makes Berkenhorst Blanche so special?

Alfred: “Everything you did with Blanche was a 10. She was beautiful, had a super sweet character and was hardy. Really everything was special about her. When she was 20 and no longer wanted to get pregnant, she went to a little girl as a riding and cuddling pony. Marissa was also such a pony. Actually like all Wheemhoeve ponies always sweet and gentle. My father harnessed her for the cart and rode St. Nicholas with her. The ponies bred here are always very popular for the sport.”

Name: Alfred Askes (52)
Stable name: The Wheemhoeve
Number of years breeding Welsh ponies: “Since 1972, so 48 years.”
Do you do the breeding under this stable name together? With whom?: “My father Jans Askes started it and I have been walking among it since I was very young. It's a real family affair. My son Jorn now shows the ponies at inspections. My brother Bert also breeds with a mare. Besides that, there were always girls coming over to ride and cuddle the ponies and sometimes to help at shows. Hedwig van der Spoel was a neighbor girl who came here from an early age. She was my right hand in the barn and always helped at inspections. Now a mother herself, but at the stallion inspections she is always there and also always jumps in when I ask for her help. What we hold highest with this hobby is friendship. No whining and jealousy, but cozy together enjoying the Welsh ponies.”

Relay

Now which breeder do you like to give the word about his Welsh progenitor?

Alfred Askes: “Fré Kuper of Cordial Stable. Together with his family he breeds Welsh section A ponies with ‘Cordial’ as the stable name. Very good ponies and actually you read far too little about them.”