During the Stallion Inspection many a person could be seen wiping the occasional tear from their face. How wonderful it is to see so many people being actually moved to tears by our beautiful Friesian steeds.
And it felt so great to meet up in person again. Especially at the WFHO meetings, to which all foreign societies are invited, we get a true feeling for how special our KFPS is in fact. From all corners in the world, Friesian horse lovers flock to Leeuwarden to bask in their love for the Friesian horse. Bursting with pride they talk about what’s going on in their country and what activities are being organised for the members. Our members from overseas aren’t just here for the horses but certainly also to meet up with people who have the same passion. Then it shows how the Friesian horse connects people all across the world and that fills us with huge pride.
Sure, it was a good thing that we were able to organise an online Stallion Inspection in the past few years, but being able to experience a physical version after all this time made it ever so clear how much we had missed it all. And then, having to walk through heavy rain showers for fifteen minutes before arriving at the entrance of the WTC is not such a big deal, people simply take in in their stride. It is and remains fantastic to feel how ‘grutsk’ or, proud, we are of our wonderful Friesian horse. It’s something we can all feel, notice and sample in a heaving WTC. We are often asked: ‘How do you do that?’ But that’s not a question that can be answered in just a few words. But the pride we feel for our Friesian horse and our members who time and again respond with such passion and emotion when another black pearl enters the arena, is definitely part of it. With fifty years of experience in the pocket speaker Bert de Ruiter like no one else knows how to fire up the audience, at home as much as in the arena. An audience that reacts so enthusiastically and exuberantly is hard to find and it strikes me that even the Friesian horses themselves love it all.
We collectively shed a tear during the tribute for Jasper 366, the hearts of many melted on seeing Germ Aise Bouma’s emotion when Nane 492 was elected Horse of the Year 2022, we all enjoyed watching the proud Okkema family march in line as Breeders of the Year 2022 and felt overcome with pride when Jurre 495 was pronounced Champion for the fifth time.
For the 12th time the Stallion Inspection could be followed live on Omrop Fryslân and never before did we have so many people who joined in the fun. This time even in six languages with the live broadcast on TV attracting the most viewers. Then when people who are watching it send us Apps and enjoy it all via the screen, it makes us feel ‘grutsk’ that we as the Society of the Koninklijk Friesch Paarden-Stamboek we were once again in a position to organise this event.
Marijke Akkerman
Director KFPS
