Special sports pony: Compass Gerwin

Everyone knows a special sport pony from competitions or because it has gone through the whole family and won prizes with everyone. Therefore, these ponies deserve their own section.

This time it is the turn of Onne and Natasja Verheul's men's pony Kompas Gerwin.

Passport

Name: Compass Gerwin
Welsh A
Age: 19
Pedigree:
father: Sumrin Thor
Mother: Gwenny vm: Revel Paul-Jones
Breeder:A.M. Maat
Owner: Onne and Natasja Verheul

How long has Gerwin been in your possession?
Since 2005 we bought him as a 4 year old.

How did Gerwin come across your path?
We were looking for a span mate for our other Welsh pony Lady Tessa. We had already looked at several ponies, but there was not one pony among them that appealed to us and matched our other pony. We wanted a gray, because our other pony is a bay.

An ad on Marketplace offered Gerwin. The family he belonged to had a daughter who had started riding him, but she grew so fast that the pony was actually already too small for her. We went there and rode him there in front of the wagon. He immediately appealed to us.

At what point did it become clear that Gerwin was very special?
From the beginning it was clear that Gerwin had a very strong character and was a very special pony. In the beginning we mainly rode two-in-hand and participated in the Eper vierdaagse for several years. Especially at the entry we had our hands full with Gerwin. He enjoyed the attention and on the other hand he found it very exciting. Especially the noises he found very exciting and became very hot.

During trail rides he could be startled by the craziest things and then he could react very violently. A shetlander running up, a tree stump along the road or in a meadow. Because of this we regularly went full gallop in the other direction. Not entirely voluntarily.

During competitions he was very tense in the beginning and this manifests itself in him by tightening his lower lip. This often makes it look like he has his mouth open. In the beginning it was mainly competing that was important, but after a year or two we were winning more and more often. By then we had already realized that Gerwin was a very special pony. He is very serious and knows when it is important to go the extra mile.

What are your biggest successes?
Gerwin competed for the first time in 2011 at the Hippiade in the L class. That was with Onne Verheul at the reins. In 2013 followed the first Apeldoorns Championship with Onne Verheul. Also in 2014 he won the Hippiade in the skill class ZZ with Natasja Verheul and the Apeldoorns Championship with Onne Verheul. In 2016 he repeated this handsome performance once more.

And also in 2017 he won the Hippide with Onne Verheul, in 2018 he was 2nd and in 2019 he won again the hippiade and the Apeldoorns championship. In dressage, Gerwin competes in class Z. In this, too, he has achieved several good results. He is still getting stronger and also likes dressage more and more.

Besides the many successes, Gerwin is also just a family pony?
Gerwin has had several riders on his back in the past. Under saddle he has not competed, but has ridden many outdoor rides and he has been taken to the club.

Gerwin, however, is not really a child's pony. He didn't really make it easy for his riders. Unfortunately, most children were soon too tall for him. In recent years, he has only been commuted.

What is the fondest memory you have of Gerwin?
We have always only ridden dressage and skill with Gerwin. Since about 4 years we have been riding 1 indoor marathon competition with him in the winter. Really just for fun. The first time was in Wenum-Wiesel in the Oranjehal. One of the obstacles consisted of large wine barrels with pumpkins and other things on them. Onne very enthusiastically sent Gerwin into the obstacle and there the confusion began. Onne wanted to go left and Gerwin wanted to go right. So it became straight ahead and there stood a large barrel. With emphasis on stood. When they finished, this obstacle looked a little different than at the beginning.

Gerwin got the hang of it and later that year Onne competed for the first time at DAP in Utrecht and at the end of the day was allowed to compete in the Grand Finale. Gerwin saw the obstacle to be ridden and took off like a rocket. There was almost no stopping him. And the grin on Onne's face showed that he enjoyed it just as much. Since then we ride 1 mini indoor marathon every year.

Anything else you would like to add or have additionally mentioned?
Gerwin is now 19 years old and still we see him getting better and stronger every year. Not only in skill but also in dressage he shows more and more what he can do. We have been riding at Z level for a year now and it is getting better and better.

Gerwin is finding it more and more fun himself. Going to competition with Gerwin is always a treat. Onne washes him from head to toe the day before and then he goes into his super clean and thickly littered stable. The next day he still comes out snow white. It then seems as if he is very proud that he stayed clean.

He always goes first on the truck and when we arrive at the competition, he always has his halter off. While riding loose, he can be a little lazy and laconic, but as soon as you go into the ring, that's completely gone. Something that doesn't always make riding the first dressage sections and gates at the skill there easy.
We have a very nice contact with his Breeder. He attends important competitions and is super proud of his breeding product.