Colt foal Kali de Rancho el Frison (Onne 376) with owners, presenters and Jury members (Photo: Mundo Hipico)
The association in Costa Rica exists ten years and presently numbers twenty members and sixty registered Friesian horses. Chairman Rosalba Meza is one of the founders of the society together with Githa Saarberg, originally from the Netherlands, who has lived in Costa Rica for 25 years. Saarberg was the first to introduce Friesian horses to Costa Rica in 2004.
Embryo Transfer
Veterinarian and treasurer of the society, José Rodriguez, has been actively involved in breeding and dealing in Friesian horses for years. Costa Rica is an important transit country to other Central American countries for Friesian horses. Rodriguez has also been practising embryo transfer for quite some time. For this purpose he has his own licensed stud stallion Hayco Star (Doaitse 420 x Sjaard 320) but he also arranges frozen semen of other Studbook stallions to be flown over from the Netherlands. He bred Onne 376 son Kali de Rancho el Frison out of Regina fan Jirnsum Star (Anton 343.) At the inspection colt foal Kali received a second premium and became Reserve Day Champion.
Atlanta Day Champion
The Day Champion also lives in the Rodriguez yard: the 4-year-old Atlanta von Westerau Star (Wolfert 467 x Feitse 293), bred by Mrs J. Tretow-Paulsen. Reserve Champion of the older mares was Ybranda fan Fjildsicht (Hinne 427). Ybranda was outdone by Atlanta in terms of movement. The Title for stallions went to Charlie van ’t Wolske veld Star (Jehannes 484 x Beart 411) owned by Luis Rojas Rodriguez. Charlie was bred by Marleen Moosen in Belgium from the Boszorg line. The fine-looking Charlie danced through the arena with great elasticity.
Plans for the Future
Chairman Rosalba Meza is full of plans for the future: ‘Our main aim is to take breeding to a higher level by importing another licensed stud stallion. We also want to promote the use of frozen semen of Friesian Studbook stallions to improve our horses. From here in Costa Rica Friesian horses go to Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Panama which means we have the responsibility to provide information to horse owners in these countries.’
