ASWYN van de PLUUM

FPZV Elite Preferent Stallion
(Naen 264 x Anne 5638 Star)

IN MEMORIAM
~May 10, 1981 – September 1, 2009~

ASWYN van de PLUUM in his prime

I have tried to write this since my beloved Aswyn van de Pluum passed on from the complications of old age in September, but I simply thad not been able to find adequate words to express the loss of such a magnificent horse and such a kind, sweet and loving friend until now.  I take comfort in knowing that his life was filled with the love of so many all around the world and that he left so many of us with the gift of a son or a daughter to carry on his shining light.  To have spent the last years of his life with me was the greatest gift he could have ever given me…and I like to think he thought so too.

Aswyn lived to an amazing 28 1/2 years of age and he truly was a King among his breed!  I have never before experienced a horse with such regal presence.  At first, he just took my breath away with his masculine beauty and his powerful, yet graceful movement, then he looked at me with the kindest and wisest of eyes…and I was a goner!  It was as if he fully understood the effect he had on mere mortals, yet he would never take advantage of that power.  He was just so incredibly gentle and kind…and I will miss his nuzzles so very much.

Aswyn van de Pluum was foaled in the Netherlands on May 10, 1981. From there he was exported to Germany where he was registered and approved as a breeding stallion in 1987 by a joint KFPS Dutch and FPZV German Approval Committee after he completed and passed the 50-day Stallion Performance Test.

He was the Stallion Performance Test Champion in 1987. Aswyn van de Pluum holds the distinction of being the only jointly approved KFPS & FPZV Friesian breeding stallion in the history of both Dutch & German registries.

Aswyn has a record of over 170 duly registered, premium offspring (KFPS + FPZV). In 1989, Aswyn sired the FPZV Champion Friesian Colt and Filly in Germany and continued his success as a breeding sire in 1993, 1994, 1999, and 2000 by siring the FPZV Champion Friesian Colt in North America. Two of his sons, in October of 1997, successfully completed the 50-day Stallion Performance Test (conformation, performance, and temperament) for approval as breeding stallions. Son “Foster v.V.” achieved his approval here in the US and his son “Woodstock” in Germany.  Years 2000, 2001 and 2003, found three of his sons passing the “Stallion Keuring” for approval, and two 3 year old Aswyn daughters received ‘Prel. Star’ status.

And in January 2002, Aswyn’s 7 year old daughter ‘Josephine de Mona’ passed the MPT and received the prestigious title ‘Model Mare.’  Aswyn’s sons ‘Van de Pluum’ and ‘Romeo de Rosa’ completed and successfully passed the 50-day Stallion Performance Test in March 2003 for approval as breeding stallions. And in 2004, WEF’s own ‘Wyn de Pluum v.V.‘ received approved Stallion status. Also in 2004, two of Aswyn’s daughters received Star status and in 2007 another received Model status. Upon his passing, Aswyn van de Pluum has sired five FPZV approved breeding Stallions! Rightfully, he was awarded the prestigious ‘Preferent Stallion’ status in March 2003 and was entered into the ‘Elite’ Stallion book. He has also received the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ for his outstanding Progeny Record.Aswyn van de Pluum’s contribution to the Friesian breed has been one of tremendous influence and we are very proud to have had him as the honorable patriarch of WEF.  That mantle now passes to is splendid son, Wyn de Pluum v.V.  I only hope I have the same privilege of spending the rest of my life with him by my side. Aswyn was laid to rest under his favorite Oak tree after spending some time nuzzling and loving two of our mares, Rozalinda and Holly.  He passed peacefully and with mercy.  He will be missed every single day by those of us that were lucky enough to have lived to serve him and may every single one of you that own a magnificent Friesian know the tremendous bond, love and joy that we experienced with our beloved, Aswyn van de Pluum.

RIXT H.

FPZV Preferent/Elite & Star Mare
Gaije 295 x Homkje, Star 6061

IN MEMORIAM
~May 20, 1989 – December 30, 2008~

It is with such great sadness that we at Wyning Edge Friesians, LLC announce the loss of our precious 19 year old FPZV Preferent/Elite mare, Rixt H., after a prolonged illness. She was a beautiful, loving mare that was not only loved so much by our WEF family, but by so many Friesian lovers worldwide.

RIXT H. began her life in Holland as a KFPS First Premium Friesian mare. After her importation into the U.S. by Evelyn Vollmer, Rixt was re-registered into the FPZV Registry (Friesenpferde Zuchtverband e.V.) where she eventually achieved the status of the only Preferent/Elite Friesian mare. She completed and passed the Mare Performance Testing (Dressage Under Saddle and Driving in Harness) in 2000, receiving the status of “Star” and in 2004, she was awarded FPZV Premium Mare status.

In 2005, Rixt H. was presented the title of “Breeding Performance Mare” by the FN (Federation National) and also received her prestigious FPZV ‘Preferent/Elite’ status based upon her High Premium Foal Record.

Over the last ten years or so, Rixt has been bred exclusively to our FPZV Preferent/Elite Friesian stallion, Aswyn van de Pluum. Every young stallion the pair has produced that has competed in the FPZV Stallion Performance Testing has gone on to achieve the coveted FPZV Approved Breeding Status and 99% of her female offspring have received Star or Model status. Their achievements and contributions to the breed have been unsurpassed. Rixt H. was truly a once in a lifetime mare…especially when bred to her one and only Preferent/Elite stallion, Aswyn van de Pluum.

Rixt will be so missed by us and we are so proud to have been given the gift of caring for her in her later years. She was a dedicated and loving mother giving each of her foals a most spectacular start in life. We will miss watching her frolic with her precious foals in the pasture, groom and love her fellow mares and lastly of course, asking so sweetly for her cookies.

RIXT, OUR BEAUTIFUL GIRL,
YOU WILL FOREVER LIVE IN SO MANY HEARTS…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our beautiful and oh so sweet mare, Rozalinda passed with quiet dignity and grace.  She was bright eyed, still full of joy and eating like a champ.  However, as she aged, it became more and more difficult for Rozalinda to get up and down and we had exhausted all practical means to restore/maintain her abilities and she was deteriorating quickly.  I felt it best to let her go before she could no longer rise on her own without suffering and while she was still able to enjoy a good quality of life each day.  As many of you know from your own experiences, their is no more difficult a decision than to let a horse go, yet we hold the power to grant our beloved horses the greatest gift – a gift they have both earned and deserve…the ability to ease them from this life with a peaceful passing filled with the love and devotion of those around them.

I was blessed to find Waller Equine Clinic – this Texas clinic cremates horses for a very nominal fee including the pick up of your horse and the delivery back to you of their ashes.  Rozalinda has now returned to me and a portion of her ashes have been spread over the pasture she so loved to roam and also over Aswyn’s grave, so he is never again alone. The clinic also returned a portion of her ashes in a beautifully engraved box along with freshly washed/braided mane and tail hair.  I am having a brass plaque engraved now for her ashes and she will always be near to me.  I only wish I had known of this clinic before Aswyn and Rixt passed.  I know Rozalinda now runs free and easy alongside her best friend, Rixt and in the shadow of her stallion protector, Aswyn van de Pluum.  May they know only the joy and freedom of Heaven for eternity…

 

In  June 2011, our beautiful Rozalinda presented us with a magnificent filly named Laralie de Pluum WEF by our 2006 IFSHA World Champion Stallion, Wyn de Pluum v.V.   Laralie is the epitome of beautiful Friesian femininity and she is going to so closely resemble her mother – Long of leg, lots of mane and feathering and full of sweetness and light!  We are very excited to note that Laralie, along with our handsome young stallion, Arawyn van de Pluum WEF, both registered with the Friesian Horse Studbook of North America (FHSNA) are currently slated to become the first Friesians to be imported into Ecuador!  To have a filly of Rozalinda’s become the foundation Friesian mare in Ecuador is an honor and we are very proud of every contribution Rozalinda made to Wyning Edge Friesians…but even more important is the way she touched our lives every day here on the ranch.  Her sweetness and joy, her loving nickers and nuzzles will be greatly missed…and never, ever forgotten. 

 

Rozalinda also delivered a very handsome colt in March 2009.  Echo van de Pluum WEF is by our famed Elite/Preferent, Aswyn van de Pluum and was awarded the prestigious 2009 FPZV North American Champion Colt!  He is now living the high life with Jean and Mike Spires in Pennsylvania!  And from his recent photos, is developing into an incredibly handsome young stallion!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Rozalinda was a Star and Model Mare, exceptionally beautiful and with an outstanding FPS pedigree. She was renowned worldwide for her refinement and flowing tresses, all of which she passed along to her exceptional foals.  As a broodmare, she was the epitome of a loving mother and possessed one of the highest premium foal records for the Friesian breed. Many of her foals have gone on to Champion status in Dressage, Driving and excellence of Breed.  In 2000, Rozalinda passed the MPT (Mare Performance Test) with excellent scores to become a Model Mare.