British Dressage Team Pony Wester Aikema's Adios Passed Away

Dressage

Welsh Pony

The internationally competed Welsh pony breeding stallion Wester Aikema's Adios has passed away on 3 May 2021. He was 26 years old.

Wester Aikema's Adios was by Speksbosch Nelson out of Wester Aikema's Nanette (by Oakley Bubbling On x Gredington Viceroy).

Licensed Stallion

He was bred by the Bokje family in The Netherlands and originally owned by stallion keeper Jan Brouwer.

Adios was approved for the Dutch Welsh pony stud book and stood at stud at Brouwer's Purioso Hoeve.

Brouwer has close ties with the British pony market and ended up sending the young stallion to the U.K. for the start of his pony career.

U.K. Time

Adios made his competition debut in the U.K. as a 6-year old under Alexandra Kipping.

A year later in 2992 he was shown by a string of riders, including Jilly Bird, Emily Jane Austin, Amy Parker, as well as Alexandra Kipping.

Amy Parker formed a steady pair with Adios as of 2003 and they made their international show debut at FEI pony level at the 2004 CDI Addington, followed by CDI-PJYR Duisburg.

They ended up representing Great Britain at 2004 European Pony Championships, winning team bronze and finishing sixth in the consolation finals.

Their last show together was a national at Addington Manor at the end of October 2004. Parker went on to ride horses, such as Orlando JB, Denford Lyric and Rosenthal D, until 2009 after which she quit competition sport.

Lena Schütte in Germany

At the end of 2006 the pony sold to Germany and became the ride for Lena Schütte. She and Adios made their show debut in March 2007 at the local show in Medingen and competed at national and international FEI pony level for just one year. They showed at the 2007 CDI Bonn and finished sixth at the 2007 German Pony Championships in Steinfeld, which was their last show together.

Jasmijn Linthorst in Holland

Jasmijn Linthorst and Adios at the 2009 CDI-P Moorsele

In the autumn of 2007 Adios returned to The Netherlands and was competed internationally by Jasmijn Linthorst through 2010. During this time he was gelded to be focused on sport. Linthorst rode him at the CDI-P Weert in December 2007 after which the 2008 CDI Zwolle, Weert, Pompadour and Moorsele followed. In 2009 Linthorst and Adios campaigned at the CDI Beek, Saumur, Moorsele and Weert, and in 2010 they returned to the CDI ring in Zwolle, Addington, Moorsele.

Retirement

Linthorst ended her time on ponies and on the then 15-year old Adios in 2010. At the end of his sport career Adios sustained an injury to the knee of his right hind leg. Therapy, an operation and one year off in the field could not bring him back to competition shape and he was retired from sport.

He sold to Marjan Wilkens and her daughter Lyanne Evers Wilkens in Germany.

He was a schoolmaster for many pony kids following the "Young Breeders" programme in Germany and was presented in hand at the German Young Breeders Championships in Vechta. His last public appearance there was in 2019.

Since then he enjoyed a full retirement in the field as a pensioner.

"He was a clown, he enjoyed life, he was a friend of children and stable mate for other pensioners," said Wilkens. "We can look back on many nice, educational years with him. He leaves a void."

Marjan added that, "it is a comfort to us to hear from so many people who have his offspring."

Legacy

Wester Aikema's Adios was one of Holland's most successful dressage pony breeding stallions. he was named a sport preferent, "prestatie" stallion for his own and his offspring's success in sport.

His most famous offspring include the Dutch licensed stallion Woldhoeve's Silco and the German licensed stallions Diamond and Wanton's Anthony.

He also sired mares Beukenhof's Helena (which produced the international FEI dressage pony Beukenhof's Ricardo) and Madam's Mirella (which produced British team pony Madam's Miss Maria).