Retirement ceremony for VDL Bubalu in ‘sHertogenbosch….

Jumping evening at the KWPN Stallion Show powered by Massey Ferguson was the perfect occasion to mark Bubalu VDL’s retirement from the sport. As he galloped his final victory lap, spectators showed their appreciation for the talented stallion with their thunderous applause.

All the people who have played an important role in the Bubalu VDL’s life were present for the occasion. Among them was Wiebe-Yde van de Lageweg, who spoke on behalf of the stallion’s breeder and registered party, the Van de Lageweg family of VDL Stud in Bears: “We’re very proud that we could breed this kind of stallion and keep him for the international sport. We’ve always had very good communication with Jur, and we’ve had a lot of really good shows with Bubalu. Caen was incredibly exciting for us.”

The family presented Jur with a beautiful photo collage. Ricardo Villa, the rider who had competed Bubalu VDL until 2010, came from his home country Colombia especially for the occasion and spoke of the wonderful times he experienced with the stallion. Team coach Rob Ehrens called Bubalu VDL “rock solid.” Also present for the occasion were the stallion’s regular groom, Belinda Postma; and a somewhat emotional Jur Vrieling, who had this to say about his beloved mount: “I’ve had lots of very special moments in my life with Bubalu: Calgary, Mierlo, London, Caen, and Barcelona. I’ll miss him in the sport, but I’ll really miss his personality. He had a special stall at our place from where he could look out over the whole property.”

Given his performance-rich bloodlines, Bubalu VDL is likely to be just as successful in his new career as a breeding stallion as he was in his former career as a sport horse.

Source: KWPN