Stal De Wiemselbach, situated in the rural Twente area of The Netherlands, is the sort of yard you wander around in a bit of a daze. From the dreamy facilities to the top stallions who call the stud home, it feels just a tad other-worldly. Among the stud’s residents are the likes of leading KWPN jumping sire Numero Uno, and his son Van Gogh, a hugely successful dual-purpose sire himself. Stud manager Daan Horn shows us around…
There’s no toss up between getting wet or cold or subjecting you and your horse to a dark, dank indoor school here. The 20x60m arena feels even larger thanks to the pristine cream walls and extensive windows, and it is accessible directly from the yard.
Both the stud’s indoor school, and it’s two enormous outdoor arenas feature an ebb and flow surface, offering automatic drainage and irrigation from the system installed beneath the arena. Humidity levels are constantly measured and controlled by sensors, and the surface can be made softer or firmer as required.
Everywhere you look around the stunning red brick yard you’ll see a variety of beautiful bronze statues by equine sculptor Erna Visser, including one particularly eye-catching exhibit depicting a mare and stallion.
In addition to its arenas, De Wiemselbach boasts two large lungeing pens, including a spacious, well-lit indoor one complete with smooth concrete walls to minimise the risk of an injury to the horses.
Seeing world-famous stallions up close at home is a huge privilege, and meeting Numero Uno was quite special. The Libero H son, whose offspring include Tamino, Tyson, Ammaretto and Van Gogh, is full of life aged 23, and is still ridden every day.
As if multiple arenas, lunge pens and a huge horse walker under construction wasn’t enough, De Wiemselbach also has its own gallop track winding through its nine acres of beautiful grounds, which helps to give the horses a change of scenery and some added fun.
We defy anybody not to feel a pang of envy when imagining living on site here, like Daan, international showjumper Caroline Muller and their three-year-old daughter Lisa.
And just when you thought it was all over… overlooking the vast indoor arena is a cosy bar, decked out with trophies, framed photographs and brightly coloured sashes, and featuring the Horn family’s ‘Libero H’ wine from their own vineyard.
Don’t miss H&H’s sport horse breeding special issues, out 1 March and 5 April.
