Story – Chris Hector
Photos – Roz Neave
If you are in a pressroom at any major jumping competition in Europe and you need to know the breeding of a horse ask Frans!
The Belgian equestrian journalist, Frans Pietercil is a walking encyclopaedia of breeding information, or rather, his trusty laptop carries detailed information on just about everything to do with jumping – and in particular the Belgian Warmblood.
Frans is justifiably proud of the way in which the BWP – the Belgian Studbook – has in just a few short years emerged as a powerhouse of jumping horse production. Especially when you think that fifty years ago, the only Belgian horses to achieve fame were the heavy ones that pulled carts or ploughs!

Parco, the current stallion star of the Belgian Studbook.
His sire Darco was also an international jumper before becoming a super sire. Parco demonstrates the rich mix of jumping blook that has porduced such spectacular results for the BWP. Darco is by Lugano van la Roche, Hanoverian breeding from Lugano I, out of a mare by the Holsteiner, Codex (by Cottage Son). Parco's dam is by Attack Z by Almé.
Parco is ridden by Ludo Philipaerts who also campaigned Darco.

Not so long ago, the Belgian breeders were not allowed to breed sport horses…
"As late as the 50’s in Belgium we had the heavy horses – the Brabants – and to protect the breeding of the heavy horses, it was not allowed to breed anything else. That was in the Flemish side of Belgium. But in the southern part that was still French speaking, the ‘Nobility’ had half blood horses – by Thoroughbreds from France or England."
"In 1953, we had the first stallion show with three stallions, but this was illegal. The farmers union at the time had a very long arm with some political influence and they moved to change the situation so in 1955 the first Warmblood breeding association was established."
Now it was just a matter of finding the right blood and the breeders went looking next door – in Holland.
"There they found l’Invasion, a French Thoroughbred who was standing in Holland. A beautiful horse, so the breeders bought l’Invasion mares, out of Gelderlanders. But in two years, they found out that l’Invasion was not a good stallion so they went to France."
"At the time, no one wanted Ibrahim stallions – Ibrahim was covering heavy mares at the time! So the leaders of the Belgian studbook went to France to the big horse market in Cannes, and they found Fantastique, then the next year they came back with Fleuri de Manoir, and the following year with Hedjaz. So at that time, they had in France only Ibrahim, all the stallion sons were in Belgium, and Almé was in Zangersheide."
What did those three Ibrahim sons give to the Belgian horses?
"The perfect outcross to Holstein and Hanoverian blood – strength."
But not such good minds?
"Not such good minds, they were bred for top riders. You cannot name a top jumping rider who does not have a BWP horse in his stables."
"Then the BWP breeders went to Holstein. The only place in the world our breeders still go for horses, is Holstein. They go for the show in Hanover, but for the real world, they go to Holstein. The breeders have gone for the C line – Corrado, Capitol, Codex, the whole C line. Belgium is as much on the C line as Holstein."
And there is no longer a French influence?
"The young stallions in Belgium no longer look French. Even the French don’t like their own horses. The top French riders all ride horses from outside France – KWPN, BWP or Holstein. They have been too protectionist in France – now they have opened their frontiers, but you cannot bring back in one day what you have lost in the last ten years."
It’s a tough road to hoe to become a licensed Belgian stallion. The first round takes place at the Veterinary clinic
"The medical requirements are very strict, so now we have eliminated OCD as a problem for nearly 90% of our horses."
"The second phase is in the third week in January for free jumping. This year only 24 were approved out of 100. Then they come back at the end of March for inspection under saddle. So all the stallions are tested in jumping and dressage, their movement and ability over fences. Then the stallions are approved for five years – after then they have to show the foals, yearlings, two year olds, and if they are not good, the stallion disappears."
"Stallions are approved as three year olds, at four years old they have to jump at 9 events on the cycle classic and go clear at every one – not once but twice. And they come back as five-year-olds, and six-year-olds, and jump the whole circuit again; it is very hard on them. If they get a bad report two years running they are out."
And the Belgian breeders are like the breeders in Holstein, breeding only for jumpers?
"Yes, always jumping horses."
The horses bred in Belgium, are they primarily for the local or the world market?
"I have to be honest, the not-so-good ones stay in Belgium."
Was this part of a plan – like the Hanoverians with their worldwide marketing strategy?
"We don’t need that, we have the best horse dealers in the world in Belgium."
Some Australians have bought from Belgium and they paid very high prices for not such good horses – did they go to the wrong Belgian dealers?
"Yes, the ones you mention are not highly regarded in our country. Our good dealers have the reputation that if they sell a horse and it is not so good, then they provide another one. Nine out of ten of the dealers will give you another horse. The trouble must be that your Australians have come to the wrong ones."
Is it better to go to the Sales in Mechlen, or at Zangersheide?
"It is better to buy from the breeder with a good dealer as the go-between, at the Auction Sales it is too expensive."
And is there any assistance from the BWP, will they provide the buyer with good advice and introductions?
"Sure, just contact the BWP office, they will give you addresses, and arrange for your hotels and everything. The best time to come is at the end of March, at the stallion shows if you want a good horse. All the horses are presented at the second phase so they must have passed the veterinary examination, and they are all good sport horses. And the ones that are not approved as stallions, you can buy them immediately. They sell in the third week in January, for between Euro 10,000 and 25,000, and they have all been shown under saddle for jumping and movement."
Is the basis of Belgian breeding still the little farmer with a couple of mares?
"We have some breeders with 40 mares but the average is 1.2 mares per breeder, most get one foal a year."
Thanking Frans again for his time and patience, we went off to visit one of those traditional Belgian breeders, Jaak Evens of the Van Kiekshof stud in beautiful Limburg.
Jaak is a second-generation breeder:
"My father was always a horse lover. We had horses on the farm and I was a rider, three-day eventing. Then I took over the business – providing machinery services for local farms - and I stopped riding, no time. Seventeen years ago the work was a little bit easier so I started breeding again with Feuergold, when she was a three year old."

Here we go again, that broodmare that starts it all, in this case Feuergold VH Bekersveld (above) – solidly Hanoverian bred, being by Goldschläger Z, a son of Gotthard, and out of a mare of Weingau / Absatz breeding. Her first foal, Janus van Koekshof (by Missouris II) was a winner in 1.50 classes with Johan Philippaerts. Three years later Feuer gave birth to Marygold, who jumped up to international level at Mechlen and in turn was the dam of Queen Mary V’t Koekshof (by Pavarotti V) who like her dam was graded as a BWP premium mare.
Although she is still alive, the old mare has not had a foal since 1994, when she produced Rothfeuer, a filly, by Heartbreaker – her colt foal by Heartbreaker of the previous year, became the licensed stallion, Quickfeuer van Koekshof.
Jaak obviously gets great joy out of his horses and insists it is ‘purely a hobby, but now it is a little bit of a grown up hobby; started with one mare, and now with about fifteen to twenty horses.
"The accent at this point is to breed more modern horses, more blood in the horses. In the beginning it was more a correct and strong horse, now for international competition, you really need fast and quick reacting horses, so we use more blood – it doesn’t mean we directly use Thoroughbred but stallions with some proven Thoroughbred jumping blood in their veins."
"Jumping performance is the first criteria for a stallion. Then a beautiful horse, this doesn’t mean the colour is important, but it should be a nice looking horse. Then soundness is very important and that is something we have really worked on in Belgium, for about fifteen years, we have only used stallions which have been x-rayed and approved for soundness. The breeders are very aware of the fact that you don’t sell a horse that is not sound. Three criteria: performance, looks, soundness."
And in what looks like the equine equivalent of selling snow to the Eskimos, Jaak last year sold a jumping bred colt to Paul Schockemöhle! And given the excitement that has been caused by Helen and Chris Chugg’s Belgian import, Vivant, breeders here in Australia might just start looking to Belgium for high quality jumping stock.
And with Leon Melchoir and his Zangersheide Studbook making serious overtures in the direction of amalgamation, the BWP could just about end up as the world’s number one jumping book!
Caption for the photo of the grey horse jumping straight at us-
Parco, the current stallion star of the Belgian Studbook. His sire Darco was also an international jumper before becoming a super sire. Parco demonstrates the rich mix of jumping blood that has produced such spectacular results for the BWP. Darco is by Lugano van la Roche, Hanoverian breeding out of a mare by the Holsteiner, Codex (by Cottage Son). Parco’s dam is by Attack Z by Almé. Parco is ridden by Ludo Philipaerts who also campaigned Darco.Caption for the old grey mare in the mist:
Here she is – the foundation mare of the Van Koekshof Stud. She had six foals for Mr Evens, her daughter Marygold, then produced two fillies both of whom produced foals at Van Keokshof.
Caption for the grey filly trotting free
This filly . Undola van Koekshof, is bred by Jaak to jump – but she is a pretty fancy mover as well! She is out of Gondola, and is by Quickfeuer van Koekshof, who was bred by Jaak out of that grand old mare, Feuergold and by Heartbreaker, a son of Holland’s great sire, Nimmerdor.

 

This filly, Undola van Koekshof, is bred by Jaak to jump - but she is a pretty fancy mover as well! She is out of Gondola, and is by Quickfeuer van Koekshof, who was bred by Jaak out of that grand old mare, Feuergold, and by Heartbreaker, a son of Holland's great sire, Nimmerdor.