Following in the footsteps of my business partner Mary Phelps, I was invited to visit Johannes Westendarp's brand new barn in Wallenhorst, Germany, during the 2003 Oldenburg Stallion Licensing.
Mary did a fantastic photo shoot at Westendarp's in June 2003 and now it was my time to meet the incredible Johannes and his lovely wife Ines.
Chairwoman of the American Oldenburg Society, Holly Simensen, drove us to Wallenhorst after the licensing on Thursday to look at two horses for clients in the U.S. Alain and Gale were searching for a nice amateur sport horse and Westendarp had two to present. It was late when we arrived on the property, it was dark and very cold, but despite the darkness you could sense the beauty and great atmosphere at Johannes' barn.
The first horse Johannes brought out in his lovely indoor ring was a 3-year old De Niro mare who had been broken only a couple of months. Johannes worked her for fifteen minutes, loosing her up in walk, trot and canter. The mare, who is 16.1 hh, had a very elastic trot and a lovely scopy canter. Farmost she seemed to have an excellent work ethic and looked uncomplicated to ride.
When Alain got on her, he had no difficulties asking a walk canter transition from her, something she had not really been trained in.
The second horse shown to us was a three-year old Wolkentanz II gelding. He had been quietly waiting tacked up in the grooming stand, while we were looking at the De Niro mare. This black gelding was 16.2 hh and had only been broken two months ago. He looked still quite inexperienced, but he seeled very promising for an adult amateur who wanted to buy an easy tempered, modern sport horse.
Alain, who is riding the Wolkentanz II on this photo, really liked this gelding because of his ground covering canter, which opened perspectives for a hunter career as well.
Johannes Westendarp and his wife Ines Westendarp are very respected trainers of young dressage horses. Johannes is the head rider at all the Vechta Elite Auctions and often receives top quality mounts to compete at the Bundeschampionate. Johannes trained and competed several Bundeschampionate Champions such as licensed stallion Alabaster, Weltspitze, Rendezvous, and Joan Sims' Der Euro. Johannes' wife Ines became German Champion with ponies Di Baggio and Pilgrim's Red.
Besides training horses, Johannes is also a breeder, mostly using his own licensed Oldenburg stallion Wolkentanz II (Weltmeyer x Ludendorff). His barn is filled with foals, yearlings and two year olds by his most beloved sire and he says it always breaks his heart when he has to sell one of his own bred horses. Pictured you see a Wolkentanz II yearling who came in from the fields only a couple of weeks ago. This filly easily let Alain pick up all four hooves and she was excited to parade around in the indoor ring. The photo almost makes you think she's an Arabian.
The driving force behind so many Americans coming over to Europe to buy Oldenburg horses is the director of the American Oldenburg Society, Holly Simensen. Wife of the late renowned veterinarian Marty Simensen, Holly has a passion for horses and animals in general. There was a time that she had eight farrell cats and five dogs at home, but now she only has her Scottish terrier Jason (which she has with her all the time) and a whole bunch of horses in the U.S. and Europe.
Holly has a love for brood mares and foals and is very concerned that she makes the right decisions in matching mares and stallions. Her pride mare is Donna Di Mundi, a beautiful Oldenburg mare who competed in the European Mare Championship in Brussels and is stabled in Westendarp's barn. Simensen is also owner of the Oldenburg licensed and performance tested stallion Rhodes Scholar, currently competed by Kira Wulferding.
Related Links
Ines Westendarp and Pilgrim's Red
Rohdiamant x Sao Paulo Sold for Top Price at 2003 Hanoverian Licensing
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