About Stam 38

The following text is quoted from R. Geurts, Merriestammen van het Friese Paard, Koninklijke Vereniging “Het Friesch Paarden-Stamboek” – Drachten, 1997, pp 358-370:

Wietsche 4507 Ster-Preferent (Stam 38)

"Wijkje [ie, Maike's great grandmother] began her career as breeding day's best foal, taking the youth championship title as a two-year old. Her daughters followed suit. ...She left behind two servicing sons...three model daughters, and six star daughters."

In 1983, I went to Tjerk Benedictus for the first time. I met a very special person, at a very special place, Bakkeveen, and saw two monumental breeding mares: Nanne's daughters Ouk and Wijkje; the former was to be declared star – preferent, the latter model, preferent and performance mother. A special feature of this pedigree is the grandmother's father Tyres, a son of Ynte, from the then very familiar prize-winning generations of model mares of pedigree 18, how, via an official national inspection, was approved and later went to circus Jos Mullens, where he was ridden by Otto Shumann. On the photo Tyres is a luxuriant stallion.

Benedictus bought Wietsche as a foal in 1957. At the breeding days in Bergum, she brought him many prizes. Wietsche could pride herself on having the best breeding group on the breeding days of 1972 and 1973. She gave birth to eleven foals. Of her seven daughters, two were designated model and five star.

Wijkje continued along these lines, being awarded with the best breeding group prizes in 1974, 1975 and 1977. As late as 1988, then owned by the Schuurmans family of Mantgum, Wijkje was again granted this prominent award at the Blauwhuis breeding day. Wijkje began her career as breeding day's best foal, taking the youth championship title as a two-year old. Her daughters followed suit: Geeske, champion in the half-year olds category in 1974; Jelkje in 1976 (1/2 year-olds); 1977 three year-olds and over; 1981 and 1982 general champion in Blauwhuis. Wijkje died after an attack of colic in 1992. She left behind two servicing sons: Djurre and Tsjerk, three model daughters, Jelkje, Metsje and Marrit, and six star daughters.

Owned by Franke Schuurmans, Jelkje and Metsje made a unique team as show horses in 1982, 1983, and 1984. They also won the NHS pairs championship. Jelkje took the singlehorse draught title in 1983 and became breeding mare's champion in 1986. Kjurre scored a mark 9 for show driving in the performance tests and Tsjerk was marked 8.

Elscke, youth champion in Peize 1984, reached the Z-2 dressage level. The model mare Marrit was youth champion in Blauwhuis in 1988 and in the following years scored high at many breeding days and Central Inspections. Also Anke, star and preferent, mother of Ludse as well, supplied horses that performed well at inspections. The same applies to Hesseltsje B, whose daughters Ylse S and Trude S led the field at breeding days and Central Inspections for quite a few years.

As to Ouk, her daughter Fobckje came to the fore as champion of the Central Inspection 1991 and as Z-dressage horse (IBOP 88A). Jelkje is also the mother of Rindert, who, with Dirk Zwanenburg in the carriage, took several show driving titles in Friesland and at Levade in 1983 and 1987. The Central Inspection's championship for young horses was won by Bynke (Oepke x Jelkje), who received various other medals as well.

D.G. Wiersma (1997).