Welcome to the site featuring Gail's Friesian   

 "Sjaantje, Ster"

      She was imported from the Netherlands with the help of Rick & Ellen of Pleasant View Friesians as the foal part of my 3 in 1 package. In June of 2005 I retired from a teaching career, and with the extra time in my daily schedule, it seemed only natural that I fill it with more Friesians! She is registered with both FHANA [the Friesian Horse Association of North America] and the Dutch FPS [Friesch Paarden-Stamboek (Friesian studbook)], which is the world-wide authority on the Friesian horse and recognized as the European Mother Studbook of the Friesian Horse.
       Sired by Tsjerk, her dam, "Wietske Janke V,  is a  "ster" Ritse Friesian mare. When Sjaantje arrived here at Dreams Come True Farm, she was still nursing. As a weanling, she was put together nicely, leggy, friendly, and very pretty. See her pedigree.
       In her yearling year, as she grew, we thought that her foal 3e did not do her justice, so we took her to the 2005 Coatesville Keuring where she earned a 2e and the admiration of the crowd. From then on Sjaantje only improved in beauty, conformation, and movement. In January of 2008, she went to Swiegart's Stable for a few months, where Brook started her driving, came home that summer, so I could get her started under saddle and hand walk her as keuring prep, and then went back to Sweigart's for 3 weeks of tune up for her 3 YO keur. I had been successfully using Parelli Natural Horsemanship techniques, and although I rode bareback as a child, now being 57 YO myself, I could not envision myself riding w/o a saddle, as the Parelli advocates do, but had been  toying with the idea. My dear friend, Gloria, who also had a young Friesian mare that needed to be started, provided the example and the encouragement, so we spent the summer of 2008 successfully starting our young Friesian mares w/o saddles!
      In 2008 Sjaantje was keured at Leesburg, VA, and when she was awarded her 2nd Premium, the judges said she was the prettiest and best built mare there, but needed more power behind! In 2009 she went to Griffin Sport Horses with  Bruce and Staci for keuring repeat prep and show driving training. Under the auspices of Bruce & Staci, Sjaantje won 3 World Championship and 2 National Championship titles in 2009, and I rode Sjaantje to 1 Reserve World Championship and 2 Reserve National Championship titles. Staci is always telling me how much this mare loves me, and I can honestly say that I love her, too.
      2010 will find Thomas and me taking Sjaantje to several shows to compete mainly in driving classes.


One of her World Championship Ribbons
Our 1st solo driving class
Photo by Doug Shiflet
Our 2nd solo driving class
Photo by Doug Shiflet

My first public solo drive
 
Socks to keep her mane full
I'm riding bareback--just like a kid!
  
Gloria and Sjaantje
Action and power!!!
  
Brooke Sweigart Training
 Sjaantje & Bruce Griffin May 2008
   
2008 MAFA Training Prep Clinic
2008 MAFA Training Prep Clinic
  
Winter 2007

As a little girl
    
      
      
  
 
Her 1st turnout at Dreams Come True Farm
                                     
                                       
               
                   



                                  		 
3 MO and in CEM quarantine
  
This was taken the 1st time I saw her!




Created on October 3, 2005  by Gail Aumiller, the owner/photographer, and last updated June 6, 2010.