Sans Souci Friesians ....

Quality Friesian Breeding Stock from the Netherlands

Sans Souci's introduction to the Friesian horse began in early 2004 when Grace became interested in the prospect of crossing the Friesian, the greatest of the medium to heavy warhorse breeds with the greatest of all light warhorse breeds, the Arabian. Already having wonderful Polish bred Arabian mares with the size and genetic strength to carry off this cross, Grace began looking for the right Friesian stallion to utilize. While the Friesian registry does not allow the use of its approved sires for crossbreeding (there are less than 20 in the United States) there are several wonderful and talented non-FPS approved Friesian stallions in the U.S. which can be used. After much research Grace was put in touch with a wonderful lady whose crossbreeding program already included a few client's Arabian mares. Sans Souci would like to thank Arden Liotta of Blackshire Equestrian, not only for her wealth of information regarding Friesian crosses but also for helping us to obtain our first Friesian/Arabian cross the 2003 filly, Countess Bint Vanyel daughter of Arden's beautiful Friesian stallion, Vanyel, and out of a Don Ibn Bask bred mare. This along with a package of breedings from the two Blackshire Friesians, Vanyel (Laes) and Zorro (Eric), began Sans Souci on the path that was to lead within less than a year to the Netherlands, the National Stallion Show in Leeuwarden, Friesland and the ownership of the farms first FPS and FHANA registered Friesians.

Countess Bint Vanyel  2003 Half Arabian/Half Friesian filly pictured as a 2 year old.  Vanna is sired by Vanyel (Laes) and out of a Don Ibn Bask mare

Vanyel (Laes) Sire of Countess Bint Vanyel

Zorro (Eric) will be a sire of Sans Souci Arabian-Friesian crosses

Friesland, Spectacular Stallions and New Friends

As with many new endeavors there is an interesting story about the trip to Leeuwarden. After extensive “internet research” into Friesian farms and importers Grace contacted a farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia that seemed to have the type and quality of horses that she liked and whose references within the industry were impeccable. An e-mail back and a web site address led her to a beautiful yearling Friesian filly for sale and she immediately e-mailed back that she would like to visit to view the filly personally. This is where the story takes an amusing turn; the filly is in Holland and would not be coming over until AFTER purchase. Grace is a little old fashioned, she is just not going to purchase a horse without seeing it first, looking at it from all sides, watching it move and all the other things her judging background demands. Her next phone call was to Orbitz!! As luck, or fate, would have it the price of a ticket to Amsterdam on that day, and that day only, was $400 . An e-mail back to Va. verified that not only could Grace see the filly in Holland but the National Stallion Show and stallion approvals for the FPS were being held the following week in Leeuwarden and Grace could join the group of American Friesian enthusiasts on the trip to the Stallion Show and farms. Grace bought the ticket that afternoon! That was January 14th. Five days, 24 hours of it spent in planes and airports, and thousands of miles later Grace deplaned in Amsterdam, Holland. Waiting for her, but still not believing that this lady whom they had never met and had only talked to for the first time less than a week ago had actually shown up, were two exceptional people, Bobbi Fenderson, President of FHASE (Friesian Horse Association of the South East) and Rick Simonetti, owner of Friesians 4 USA the farm in Virginia and a gentleman without whose help and expertise none of this would have been possible. A special thank you here to both of these very special people!!

Wibe 402 Sire of Melle	Melle Sans Souci's new Friesian colt sired by Wibe 402	Wibe 402 Sire of Melle

Grace and Ait 410 Sire of "Maaike" Sans Souci's new Friesian filly	Maaike van de Wedze Sans Souci's new Friesian yearling filly.	Ait 410 Ist Premie at the 2005 Stallion Show Leeuwarden

	More Photos of Maaike

More Photos of Melle

A whirlwind week followed filled with farm visits, sales presentations, Stallion Show sessions, driving clinics, wonderful new friends and spectacular horses. Grace had gone to look at a filly but in the same barn found a very special full papered colt sired by Wibe 402 with a spectacular “over level” trot. Melle joined his stable mate as one of the first Sans Souci Friesians.

Then, on the day before the group was to leave Friesland for Amsterdam and the flight home, a visit was made to a farm in northern Friesland. Here in a huge thatched roof barn in a pipe walled stall stood a Ster mare sired by the massive baroque Olof 315, she was the epitome of the noble Friesian: elegant headed, strong and balanced in the body, full feathered and strong like a stallion and correct in all aspects of her frame, in addition, she was in foal to the young approved stallion Ait 410 sire of the filly Grace had chosen previously. Viola A. (Olof x Oege x Herke), Ster mare, will arrive at Sans Souci in March her foal by Ait 410 is due in May!

Viola A.	Olof 315 sire of Viola A.	Viola A.

Our Mission

Some things are meant to be! It seems more than fate that a farm whose long history of producing exceptional representatives of the world's greatest light warhorse, the Arabian, should now also be the home of the greatest of the European warhorses, the Friesian.

Here at SANS SOUCI we look forward with great anticipation to our role in the production of these great two great warhorse breeds and in the further responsibility of helping preserve the romance historically inspired by both breeds as we move forward with them into the 21st century.

Sans Souci Friesians
Viola A.
Maaike van de Wedze
Jitske Grytsje
Melle
Victory van Sans Souci
Ytsje W.
2008 Wander x Ytsje W. filly

Reference Sires

• Ait 410
• Nanning 374
• Olof 315
• Tsjalke 397
• Tsjerk 328
• Wander 352
• Wibe 402