By Adriana van Tilburg
Photography: private collection
It is over 50 years since Eloma (Wagner - Wiloma x Radboud) came to the farm of Sietse van Dellen Snr. In fact, the farm was named after her, Stoeterij Eloma-Hoeve. Fifty years of development in breeding and sport with the stud farm as a stopover.
In 2006, Sietse van Dellen Snr was KWPN Breeder of the Year in riding horses, before the introduction of specialisation in dressage and jumping horses. Stallions like Furore (Ahorn - Sjaloma x Lucky Boy xx); Nourejev (Cocktail - Babette x Ramiro); Whistler (Holland - Saloma x Iroko) – 1m60 under the saddle of Candice King from his own breeding; Tygo (Numero Uno - Domine x Purioso, breeder: T. Kraan Muskens); Quasimodo Z (Quidam de Revel - Caloma Z x Carthago, breeder: J.L. Laamers) were breeding in Opende, although no longer with a stallion farm since 2019.
Sport and breeding go hand in hand
The family business developed further into breeding and sport, and with his own breeding products, Sytze van Dellen Jnr achieved success in showjumping with Ibalia EH (Tygo - Vybalia x Cavalier). With this mare, he previously took the bronze medal at the national championships in the 1m30. According to Sietse van Dellen Snr; “The rearing, and breeding mares and sport horses are all separate. All our sport horses except the sport pony come from our own breeding. They come from our three mare lines: the Loma line, the Balia line, and the Locia line.
“In 1959, the first mare from the Balia line came to us, Rubalia (Commandeur - Cebalia x Edelknabe). She was not so much for breeding as a sport horse, but she was a utility horse. She was eventually covered by Sinaeda, who was then the up-and-coming stallion. With her offspring, we didn't have much luck yet.
“I then bought the mare Pybalia (Marco Polo - Ybalia x Soliman, breeder: P.K. de Boer and sons) as a three-year-old and had her covered by Stuyvesant xx, who became Wybalia. She was Z-level jumping so I continued breeding with her. I then sold Pybalia and via a diversion she ended up with Phillippe Guerdat, jumping together at two Olympic Games and finishing fifth in the Grand Prix of Aachen. Ibalia EH also goes back to Wybalia. She now jumps 1m35 with Sytze Jnr... To read the complete article you need to be a subscriber
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