The BMFR visiting the Oosterbaan’s, 26-11-2011

Under the watchful eye of nearly 60 members, a visit was paid last Saturday (26-11-2011) to top breeder and BMFR co-founder Mr A. Oosterbaan.

The Oosterbaan’s received us in excellent accommodation with coffee and cake. After a word of welcome by Mr Oosterbaan, he took us through the history of the farm, the family and the origin of animal breeding and the improvement of tulips, among other things.

After this fascinating presentation, the party split up in two groups and headed for the stables. One group was led past the horse by Mr Oosterbaan himself, and the other by daughter Anke. After visiting the stable, the guests were shown a number of horses in the outdoor arena. They were shown a magnificent yearling, star and crown mares produced by Age Okkema, as well as horses moving around freely in the outdoor arena. They were all top horses, moving smoothly -- hardly surprising with a mother named Phyrra fan Synaeda or Gonda FT. The yearling of Andries could become the 12th star descendant of Phyrra, making her triple Preferent.

After the show in the outdoor arena, the party went back to the reception area where the Oosterbaan’s treated us to a cocktail or soft drink. During the social gathering, buffet hotchpotch was served.

After a superb meal, it was time for an in-depth discussion about breeding. Mr Oosterbaan gave his views on a number of current issues, such as the selection policy for young stallions, central research for breeding stallions and his breeding policy for the Synaeda estate.

The day’s chairman Jan van Weperen moderated the debate that followed. Numerous topics were discussed. A commonly-heard remark was that we do the selection of our Friesian horse when they are too young. Friesian horses mature slowly and, therefore, should be treated as such. Additionally, as was the case with the mare owners previously, in this discussion, too, it was pointed out that there had to better communication during the central inspection of breeding stallions.

Also, an urgent appeal was made to older experienced breeders to transfer their knowledge. Since not everyone masters the art of writing, a working group will be established. The working group will consist of a mix of people from BMFR, young KFPS and, as mentioned, experienced professionals.

After the lively debate, the chairman called it a day. He thanked everyone for coming. He expressed a special word of thanks to the Oosterbaan’s for their great hospitality. This concluded a beautiful day. We look forward to our next event. You will hear from us again soon.

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