Frankie Chesler Begins Showing in Holland

By Brigitte O'Neill

Last month, Frankie Chesler of Orangeville Ontario loaded up her horses and ventured over to a land populated with tulips, windmills, and cheese. Settling in was easy as the local people were friendly and Chesler is now on her way to mastering the Dutch language, or at least learning how to ask where the washroom is!

Having attended many local shows and two major shows (The Blom Horse Show and The Nunspeet Horse Show) here in Holland, Chesler has won many ribbons. Most notably was a first place ribbon in the 'ZZ' Class with VDL Nuit de Pomme (by Olympic medalist Jus de Pomme) and a third with VDL Oscar (by Indoctro). Chesler has also placed well in other levels of competition with some of Schep Waldman younger horses. The show grounds in Holland are beautiful and are decorated with fresh cut flowers and potted plants, a gardener's wonderland.

Chesler commented, "There are local horse shows every week here that have separate four five and six year old classes with their entries exceeding 100 horses per class. Some days we will take twenty or more horses to a local regional show and by the end of the day, as you can imagine, I am utterly exhausted. This is the horse business here in Europe, and although it is very different from the life I am used to at home, I am enjoying it. It reminds me that there is no right or wrong ways of doing things in this business, just your way and then their way!" Chesler also noted that good breeding is so common among the horses she has seen that you come to expect nothing but the best. Also, the list of resident stallions in Holland are a 'who's who' of the breading world, almost like the after party for an award show in Hollywood, but with stallions instead of movie stars.

Chesler is competing against some of the best riders in Holland like Angelique Hoorn, Ben Schroder and Piet Raymakers. "I sometimes need to pinch myself as I prepare to enter the ring," Chesler remarked, "especially if Ben Schroder or Piet Raymakers has just completed the class. I think to myself, am I really here, is this really happening, then I quickly focus back on the task at hand and then later on after the show I marvel at where I am and who I have met."

Chesler is hoping to qualify for the Young Horse Championships of Lanaken in Belgium at the end of September. Chesler mentioned, "An invitation to the Lanaken Horse Show would really be the icing on the cake for me as I will have worked very hard all summer for this kind of opportunity." Chesler is also planning to attend the CSI Zandhoven in Belgium next month and a horse show at Den Haag in Holland.