| Breed History |
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Page 3 of 6
The Blood Lines...
1.] The Cloete Horses: [By Mr. Jan v.d. Wath] The Cloete family's ancestor, Jacob Cloete, was one of the first Free Burgers to settle in the Cape in 1652. He received some of the horses that Governor Jan van Riebeeck made available to the settlers. Progeny of these horses became known as the Cape Horse until the Anglo-Boer War. With the settlers' excursion into the interior, these horses were selected for hardiness, intelligence and temperament with the help of Mother Nature and the vigilant eye of the farmers. The Cloete family was horse breeders proud of the achievements and performance records of the horses they bred. For this reason it was important to keep their studs pure and to ensure that the horses' unique characteristics must be retained. Mr. J. A. N. Cloete owned a large herd of these horses. During the Anglo-Boer War of 1899 - 1902 all the usable horses from this herd were confiscated by the British. The rest were shot on the farm Doornhoek. Two fillies however escaped over the holding pen wall and fled into the thorny veldt. One of them was named Ou Bes. She belonged to Mrs. M. M. Cloete, the wife of J. A. N. Cloete. Ou Bes had a tremendous impact on the development of the Eggo-horses as well as the SA Boerperd of today. After the war the two mares were found and bred to a stallion called Punch. He was owned by J. J. Cloete and was used for a while to breed with for a rental fee. Punch was a crossbred between an Arabian stallion and a Basutu mare. The Basutu mare came from Basutuland and according to the owners she was an exceptional horse. Punch was described as a 14hh, dark dapple grey stallion, with very good conformation. He could do all 5 gaites correctly and without effort as well as having had an easy free trot in harness. The description of his conformation is unquestionably similar to the present SA Boerperd as described in the” SA Boerperd Breed Standard Manual.” A Stallion called Vonk was bred out of Punch and Ou Bes and Mr. J.A.N. Cloete used him in his stud until 1935. With the passing of J. A. N. Cloete, his son, W. J. Cloete (Oom Willem) of the farm Excelsior in the Molteno district, continued with the horse breeding. The Eggo Stud of Oom Willem was and still is well known. From 1934 to 1955, Oom Willem bred with the stallion, Eggo I. Eggo I was bred out of the stallion Fort (Vonk x Ou Bes) and the mare Bouwer Bessie. (Her mother, Lady, came from a farm in the Swellendam district that belonged to Cloete Free burgers.) This mare was a dark liver chestnut pony of 14.2hh, finely boned with high quality. Mr. Bouwer who bred Bessie, used her as a riding horse for 18 years. She was blessed with exceptional intelligence, spirit and stamina. Her strong and hard upright hooves were never shod. Eggo 1 was responsible for the change in characteristics of the Cloete horses from the Vonk type (broad heavy necks and light hindquarters) to the more athletic and balanced Eggo type. Eggo I was a much debated and discussed horse. Oom Willem Cloete was apparently instructed by his farther to geld the “rubbish” or to leave the farm with him. Apparently, because he was bred out of Bouwer Bessie. Oom Willem did not adhere to this demand and left the farm with Eggo I to go and sink boreholes. However, his farther allowed him back on the farm on one condition that he had to, for a certain predetermined period, do a daily inspection of the herds of cattle on several farms, with Eggo I. During a jackal hunt, on the farm Vrolikskraal in 1939, Oom Willem on Eggo 1 was challenged by his companions to chase a Mountain Reedbock ram that was already 100m ahead of them. Within 400m he caught up with the ram. When the ram jumped, Oom Willem grasped it by the horns, pulled it over the saddle and released it. After the demise of Eggo I, one of his sons, Bismark I, took his place (1956 - 1969). The following studs used Bismark 1's colts for breeding: * Job : Calela Stud (Jacobsz Partners) * Bismark II : Ammarel Stud (Kootjie Conradie) * Bismark II : Sweeplag Stud (Chris Coetzee) * Bismark II : Lang Carel Stud (Jan van der Wath) * Robyn : Lang Carel Stud (Jan van der Wath) * President : Klipfontein Stud (K. P. Steenkamp) * President : Lang Carel Stud (Jan van der Wath) * Markus : Suiwer Stud (O. T. van Niekerk) Tempel and Klinker were also used to a lesser extend. Klinker only sired six foals, amongst who was Jas (sire of Lang Carel Basta) that played an important role and had a huge impact on the Lang Carel Stud. As from 1970 and up to the passing of Oom Willem in 1982, stallions like Bismark 11 were used extensively in his stud. Both Eggo II (son of Eggo I) and Afheup (son of Klinker) were only used for one season. Fort II (Eggo II x Ou Kol) and Glips (Afheup x Wille Vos) were also used for breeding up to Oom Willem's passing. During the 1970 drought Oom Willem moved his horses from Molteno to the farm Welgelegen in the Ermelo district which belonged to the van der Wath's. These horses were in a very bad condition and some of them died on the train during the trip. Only 12 mares survived. This small group, in the end had a profound and lasting influence on the current SA Boerperd population. Oom Willem Cloete was one of the founder members of the Boerperd Breeders Society of SA in 1973. He served this noble cause with enthusiasm and full commitment until his passing. Descendants of his horses are living monuments in service to the SA Boerperd studs to breed with and to enjoy. His son, Deon Cloete of Molteno, still owns and breeds with direct descendants of these horses and is a member of the SA Boerperd Breeders Society. We pay homage to the Cloete Family whom not only left us with the legacy of this noble horse but also the insight to carry on breeding. 2.] The A2 Horses: [By Mr. Lomon Terreblanche] The early history of the A2 or van Niekerk horses is the same as the rest of the SA Boerperd bloodlines. From testimonies, stories and farm records it seems clear that Oupa Jaap van Niekerk of the farm Kaalpoort, district Utrecht in Northern Kwa-Zulu Natal, already owned an established horse stud during the 1870's. These horses were then already well known and it was here that the foundations were laid. During 1879 a farmer from the Cape Colony who farmed in the Ermelo district decided to trek back to the Cape with his sheep and horses. He stayed overnight at Kaalpoort. One of his colts was to weak to carry on with the trek and after long discussions and reasoning Oupa Jaap bought the dark bay colt for £20. (A pretty penny). This is how the colt David, became the first well-known ancestor of the van Niekerk horses. The origin of the A2 Stud name came from Oupa Jaap's son, A. P .D. (Albert) van Niekerk of the farm Rietvlei in the Wakkerstroom district. His brand was A2. He was also the inheritor of Oupa Jaap's horses. These horses thrived under the watchful eye of Oom Albert and became sought after and respected. He followed a policy of line breeding and only used his best colts. As a result he created a strong prepotency for the A2 horses. According to Mr. Piet van der Merwe of Honymoon, Wakkerstroom his breed policy was as follows: 1. To breed a horse with unsurpassed stamina that could do all 5 gaites with refinement and with ease. It must have been able to do its work on the farm from dusk to dawn and through thick and thin. 2. It must have been able to be put in harness to take his family to town for shopping and to church on Sundays. 3. He also had to breed a horse unsurpassable, for the purpose of courting. The horse had to impress an eligible maiden and her family with presence and pride to help the bachelors find wives. It had to have had enough stamina to last 10 hours a day under saddle. 4. He strove to breed show horses with excellent temperaments, tame but with spirit. They must have had high knee action, pride and should never be ridden with spurs or whips. From the basis of Oom Albert van Niekerk's stud, 2 other studs had their origin. Dwarspruit Stud of a brother as well as Dageraad Stud, another brother, Oom Jaap van Niekerk. Piet Smuts from Wakkerstroom, a son-in-law, inherited Oom Albert's horses in 1949. Oom Albert van Niekerk had one daugther and she recalled that during the Anglo-Boer War the British confiscated a large portion of the stud, from the farm Dwarsbalk. Oom Albert saved a few through hiding them in the mountains. One of the saved mares, Malie, bred outstanding show horses by a stallion, Fairplay. Mr. J. F. Kemp and Mr. (Jannie) J. A. Kemp of the later Janri Stud from the midlands of Kwa-Natal recalled the role the A2 horses played during the Anglo-Boer War: “We as a family have very high regard for the A2 horses of Wakkerstroom. My great grand father, Hendrik Daniël Sassenberg, a Field Marshall in Wakkerstroom at the time, was riding one of these horses called Welkom during the battle of Talowa near Dundee. He was one of the unlucky ones who fell in battle.” From the fruitful and happy tie between Oom Albert and Oom Jaap van Niekerd as well as Aunt Matty of the Dageraad stud the Kemp's breeding developed. True to Oom Jaap van Niekerk's ancestor's tradition these horses were kept pure through using only stallions selected from there own breeding. Because of ill health Oom Jaap and Aunt Matty were forced to abandon their breeding and these horses were dispersed of during the 1970's. If it were not for the interest Mr. William Bondesio showed towards the A2 bloodline very few would have remained. Mr. Jan van der Wath of the Lang Carel Stud encouraged Mr. William Bondesio and so the long and arduous task to find these horses started. With valuable assistance from Mr. Frikkie van der Merwe, Mr. Boetie Meyer, Mr. Gertman van Rensburg and others he managed to save outstanding breeding material, which he utilised in his Lekkerkry Stud where they thrived. It is important for us to know that some of the original A2 horses have remained in present day SA Boerperd Studs such as : * The Lekkerkry Stud of Mr. William Bondesio, * Pivaanswaterval Stud of Hubert Lens, * Pandan Stud of Lewis and Sonja Smuts. * During the early 1990's William Bondesio left South Africa for Paraguay. The nucleus of his Lekkerkry Stud remained with Magiel Burger of the Burgerstrots and A2 Studs, * Lomon Terreblanche of the Roemryk Stud. * Seun and Elmarie Davel of the Mooihoek Stud. The modern day A2 horses excel in showing, pleasure rides and other equestrian sport in the same way its ancestors did and they are making their presence felt. Thank you to our ancestors who left us with such a historic and valuable bloodline so that we can utilise and enjoy them in the gene pool of the SA Boerperd. 3.] The Hancke Horses: [By Mr. Manie Hancke]
The Hancke horses' history can be traced back to the years just after the Great Trek in 1836. My great grand father, Carel Hancke, as well as my grandfather, Hendrik Hancke, were devoted and knowledgeable horse lovers as well as breeders. The Hancke horses were well known throughout the then Transvaal and in other parts of the country. The majority of these horses were grey. They were well sought after by big game hunters because of their outstanding stamina and endurance. One of these horses was called Grysbok, a roan. A big game hunter recalled that they first ran an Eland to ground before they shot it. The Anglo-Boer War proved the Hancke horses' hardiness, endurance and mobility. During the war, my grandfather, Hendrik Hancke was a dispatch rider for General Botha. During the time that Paul Kruger was overseas my grandfather was dispatched to the interim government with the request that they must be placed in the care of General Botha. According to the book about the Generals of the Anglo-Boer War (De Wet, de la Rey, General Botha and others) mention was made of my great grand father, Carel Hancke, as one of the largest horse breeders, supplying Boers during the war. He bred with 700 mares but many of them died and many were confiscated by the British. After the Anglo-Boer War a few horses were retrieved that had the H-brand on the hindquarters and the breeding of these horses continued. In most cases stallions selected from this herd were used. Individual stallions were purchased and the first one was called Don, a grey. My grandfather bought him from Mr. Campher. He sired exceptional foals. In 1912, at the first show after the Anglo Boer War, my grandfather received the trophy for the best pair of horses in harness as well as a medal for a roan mare, Vrystaat. The trophy and the medal are still prize possessions of our family. Another stallion was purchased from George Louw of the farm Eensaamheid in the Colesburg district. The horses of George Louw were an isolated herd for 70 years and were known as the Hantam horses. However, the stallions that had the greatest impact on the Hancke horses came from their own breeding nucleus such as King, Sam, Rooster, Soldaat, Bangkok Sierraad, Geepad, Sweep, Wegvat, Rebel, Tom en Klip. The tradition of breeding and excellence in performance of the Hancke horses is being continued today. Several Championships in breed- and ridden classes are testimony to the above of which some of the most important are: 1987 : Interbreed Champion : Carel Hancke Geepad - Pretoria International Show 1991 : Interbreed Champion : Carel Hancke Geepad - Pretoria International Show 1995 : Transvaal Dressage Champion : Carel Hancke Soldaat 1997 : Interbreed Champion : Carel Hancke Soldaat - Pretoria International Show Presently the Hancke horses are still renowned for their movement, hardiness, endurance and excellent temperaments. The mares and foals are still grazing on the grassy hills and marshes of the farm Sierfontein in the Bethal district of Mpumalanga's eastern highveld. 4.] The Steenkamp Horses: [By Mr. Jan v.d. Wath] According to oom Karel Piet Steenkamp this bloodline dates back to 1847. Willem Steenkamp, with the nickname Voortrekker had three sons. Willem, Lang Carel Steenkamp's father, Carel Gert, Karel Piet Steenkamp's grandfather and H. N. F. Steenkamp, Theuns Steenkamp's grandfather. They moved with their horses from Calvinia in the Cape Colony to Witkoppe close to Harrismith (Free State) and later to Orighstad in the Eastern Transvaal. Many horses died of African Horse sickness in the Eastern Transvaal and therefore they decided to move the remaining few to the Steenkamp Mountains and settled on the farm Houtenbek in the Lydenburg district, in approximately 1864. From there they moved to the farm Welgelegen in the Ermelo district. Willem Steenkamp moved into the old farmstead of Welgelegen and Karel Gert to Klipfontein. The 2 Steenkamp brothers of Ermelo owned a combined stud. Karel Piet lived there in later years. H. N. F. Steenkamp trekked to Natal and settled on the farm Holkrans in the Skurweberge, district Utrecht. The eldest son of Willem Steenkamp, Theuns G. N. Steenkamp, was born on the farm Holkrans in 1886. He again managed to obtain some horses from the Cape Colony. These horses thrived on the plato on top of the Skurweberge due to it being free of African Horse sickness, and they bred prolifically. Some of these horses were brought down from the mountain during wheat harvesting. They had to thresh the wheat on a threshing-floor especially handmade out of anthill soil. During the years prior to the Boer Wars, Arab and Thoroughbred stallions were used for breeding. Stories were told of the nimble and sturdy Steenkamp horses' achievements in the Kommando's during the Boer wars. The endurance and loveable nature of the Boerperd was also the reason why they were used to inspect farm borders where the going was sometimes too tough to do it on foot. The Zulu King donated ground to the farmers after they helped him to retrieve his stolen cattle. During the Rebellion of 1914 some of these horses were also commandeered. Most of them were progeny of the renowned Klinker stallion. General Koen Brits also rode one of these horses on his quest to Ovamboland. In 1934 these horses were almost extinct, but Karel Piet Steenkamp managed to preserve the remaining few. He married a young lady, Totie Hancke of Bethal and her father gave the couple some horses as a gift. One of these horses was the stallion Brandwag, he had excellent stamina under saddle and in harness. Later a Hantam stallion, as well as the stallions Rooipeer and Duiker, was used in this stud. Duiker was bred from a Hantam mare of George Louw of Colesberg. As from 1948, Dr. J. G. van der Wath who was married to Mawiek Steenkamp, daugter of Carel Gert Steenkamp continued breeding these Boerperde on the farm Welgelegen in the Ermelo district. During the 1950's about 40 mares were selected in the mountains by the Steenkamps of Ermelo as well as Carel Hancke of Bethal. On Welgelegen a stallion called Fleur from the Steenkamp horses were used. As from 1955 to 1962 and later, the stallion Maritz and others obtained from oom Willem Cloete of Molteno in the Cape Province were used with the Steenkamp mares. These horses formed the basis of the bloodline, which we know today as the Lang Carel SA Boerperd Stud. 5.] The Odendaal Horses: [By Mr. Michiel Burger] At the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War in 1899, Mr. H. P. Odendaal of the farm Sterkfontein in the Harrismith district (Free State) was renowned for his horses. Only 6 mares and a stallion, Rusland, survived the war. They were hidden in the mountains of Witsieshoek. He continued breeding with this nucleus until 1912 when he purchased a stallion, Napoleon, from Mr. Fred van Zyl of Colesberg. Napoleon was a black flea bitten (small white spots) Boerperd stallion, 14.2hh, that could do 6 gaites viz walk, trot, canter, slow gait, rack and saunter. He also excelled in double and single harness. Mr. W. A. Odendaal, grandson of Mr. H. P. Odendaal inherited six mares and a stallion from him. Prins, a foal of Napoleon was used until 1927. In 1943, a purebred Boerperd stallion, Absalom was purchased from Mrs. Pistorius of Hofmeyr. The progenitor, Sikspens, was born in 1959. He was a palomino of perfect beauty, 14.2hh that could also do 6 gaites. Sikspens was used for breeding until 1974. Six of his colts were selected for registration in the breed register of the Boerperd Breeders Society of SA. Koper, Nantes, Voorslag and Frank were some of his renowned progeny. Koper was a well-known 5-gaited horse and was ridden by Mr. At de Villiers. His progeny was also known to have been able to do 5 gaites such as his son, Dweper, his grandson, Geelbooi and great grandson, Rokker. They all possessed excellent movement and were Champions in dubble and single harness. Mr. Stefan Fourie used Voorslag and Frank in his stud with excellent resutls. Unfortunately very few of these horses remained after the stud closed down. In 1980, after numerous difficulties and lots of effort, Mr. Mof Grimbeeck, discovered Nantes and two chestnut mares, in Carltonville. Later other mares were found and he could continue breeding with this bloodline. Through Mr. Mof Grimbeeck's efforts and vision this bloodline survived. To reinstate this bloodline to its former glory, he made use of Mof Grimbeeck Spokie and Dweper. Presently the Odendaal horses are a well known sight at shows and pleasure rides where they excel in 5-gait-, harness- and children's classes. A foal of Dweper called Sikspens, is the first SA Boerperd that achieved two SA Championships viz SA Eventing Champion and SA Equitation Champion. He is also a CA-grade jumper. A German author, Ursula Brüns, in her 1970 book “Pferde der Erde: Süd Africa” sung the praises of the Odendaal horses for their excellent temperaments, hard hooves and comfortable riding ability. These horses are presently still conforming to these standards and fulfilling the promise for the future. May these palomino and chestnut horses survive forever! 6.] The Middleton Horses: [By Mr. Michiel Burger] These black horses of Brindisi had their origin on this farm between Ficksburg and Fouriesburg in the Freestate on the Lesotho border. They were sought after and renowned for their endurance and their comfortable riding ability in the Republic of South Africa as well as in Lesotho. Mr. G. M. Middleton, born on 4/4/1889, testified that his father started breeding horses during the Anglo-Boer War. The British used the farm as a horse depot. A grey mare with a foal at foot was purchased. This colt, named Black, became the first breeding stallion of Brindisi. The breeding stock was later substantiated with horses from the Riemland. Horse traders used Brindisi as a thoroughfare to cross the Caledon River into Lesotho. Mr. Middleton selected mares from these traders. Chips, a foal of Black, was subsequently used as breeding stallion. Like his father, Chips could do a comfortable rack (“trippel”). Mr. Middleton was predominantly a big cattle farmer and bred the horses mainly for his own use. As a result of that, not much information or photographs are available about these horses. Not withstanding this, there is ample testimony to the comfortable riding ability and stamina of the Middleton horses. The Border Police, especially the Stock Theft Unit, preferred the Middleton horses because of their surefootedness in the mountains. In 1964 these horses were used extensively by the Police. Another outstanding example of the ability of these horses is borne out by the journey of Mr. Naysmith who bought a stallion and rode from Maseru in Lesotho, through Africa to Austria in Europe. The horse and journey is described in detail by his wife in a book titled “My ryperd, my man en ek.” After the establishment of the SA Boerperd Breeders Society in 1973 various breeders obtained some of these horses and the Middleton horses became a recognized bloodline. They became sought after Children's riding horses and achieved accolades in Endurance rides. The Smit brothers of Slabberts utilised the stamina of these horses and excelled in Endurance Racing. Their stallion, Opstal Kweper, was the first stallion to complete 300 miles through the Kalahari dessert. The Middleton horses were also registered as marathon breeding stock. Christo Smit also obtained his Reserve Springbok colours for Endurance riding on the stallion Opstal Kweper. Unfortunately very few of these horses remained or are still registered at SA Studbook and the SA Boerperd Breeders Society. 7.] The Streicher Horses: [By Mr. Andries Streicher] In 1973, Thys Streicher of Swellendam, bought two Nooitgedachter mares from Gerrit le Roux for his two sons, Erich and Andries. Initially they bred with a Nooitgedachter stallion, a son of Predikant. The two brothers were impressed with their temperaments but they wanted to improve the movement and riding ability of their horses. To achieve their goal they purchased two stallions, Klinker and Rubi, from Gerrit Cloete of Molteno. The progeny of both stallions inherited good movement with knee action and were all comfortable riding horses. The subsequent stallion the Streichers bred with was Cloete Eggo Klinker, son of Cloete Eggo Glips of Dawid du Plessis of Kokstad. Cloete Eggo Klinker was purchased from Willem Cloete. Excellent progress in the right direction was made and subsequently they bought and bred with Snap, a son of Cloete Eggo Klinker. Presently there are 7 studs in the Swellendam district breeding with the Streicher horses. These horses are known for their excellent temperaments, movement and comfortable ride ability. 8.] The Namib Horses: [By Ms Martinette Esterhuize] According to research, the Namib Horse originated in about 1900. It is unclear exactly how these horses originated. One theory is that the Germans had a military base at Garub where they used al lot of European horses, as well as horses from Africa. The other theory is that the Namib Horse originated from Baron Hans Heinrich von Wolf's Dawisib Stud. In one of his writings he mentions that he had 350 horses in 1912, and that he bred with horses from Africa as well as Hackneys, Thoroughbreds and Trakehner Horses. After the First World War and his death, the horses roamed free and wild. In July 2001 the number of the wild Namib Horses between Aus and Lüderitz was 96, of which only 34 were mares. The breeding herds were small with up to 2 stallions per mare. Stallion herds were also found. Due to the harsh conditions, only 40 percent of the foals survived. The Namib Horse is renowned for a calm, steady and honest temperament. The conformation is known as muscled, athletic, short backed, with sloping shoulders and fine and dry legs. Under good conditions they can grow to 15.2 hh. The horses are only found in brown, bay, black and chestnut, there are no white or grey horses. Originally there were 48 pure Namib horses at 10 breeders, 10 horses were marked as SA Boerperde and 4 were noted by the Breeder's Society (and are used as foundation horses). This line is cross bred with good results with other SA Boerperd lines. The result of this cross is a dependable, naturally tame horse that is suitable for any horse discipline. There are already quite a few of these horses. The unique gene pool given by the Namib Horse, is making an important contribution to the development of the SA Boerperd. |
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| Last Updated ( Friday, 23 April 2010 21:27 ) |