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Meet Hercules(R) and Samson(L). Two strong names for two strong boys.
Their registered names are Jites and Johannes fan de Woestenhoeve.
They are pure bred Friesian horses and were born at the only permitted Friesian stud in the Netherlands
before being exported to the UK. The reason the stud is restricted is due to the breed having nearly died out through cross
breeding. By the 1960s there were only a few known pure breed stallions in the Netherlands (the home of Friesians) and desperate
attempts were made to save them from 'extinction'. As it happened, many hundreds of Friesians were sent out to America in
the early 1800s to New Amsterdam, later renamed New York, as they are such hard working horses and required to haul the building
materials for the now famous New York skyline.
A small number of pure Friesian stallions were found and they were able to mate with the Dutch mares
via artificial insemination.
A controlled system was set up to ensure that every single pure bred Friesian horse from then onwards had
to be registered in the one existing stud book held at the original stud in Friesaland, Netherlands.
All Friesian horses should be absolutely black. There are some brown ones but these have cross breeding
in the genetic chain. Some may have white markings on the forehead but again these are not the purest of the breed.
Hercules and Samson are as black as the ace of spades with the characteristic long black wavey mane and
tail.
Only four years old, they have some further maturing to do before they become like the majestic beasts that
their fathers have become over in the USA.
Incidentally, Hercules is the 'uncle' of Samson though Samson is older by four months!
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