Wim van der Zalm, "Orchard" Welsh Pony Breeder, Passed Away

Breeding

Welsh Pony

Wim van der Zalm, the founder of the Dutch Welsh pony breeding farm Orchard Stud, has passed away on Saturday 27 November 2021. He was 94 years old.

Wim and his wife Jo van der Zalm began Orchard stud in 1973 and became the breeders of several significant Dutch Welsh pony stallions and sport ponies.

International Dressage Ponies

The Dutch Welsh pony studbook stated that Van der Zalm made bold choices for his breeding programme and relied on the English thoroughbred Cocky Dundas for his foundation lines.

Van der Zalm's most famous sport product was the licensed stallion Orchard Boginov (by Veronas Bo-Gi x Vita Novas Golden Boris), who competed at international FEI pony level with Rachell and Reece Fokker and Bo Fijma.

Boginov is the sire of several FEI ponies, such as Blokland's Hoeve's Amor, Campsterhoven's Baldato, Sandokans Pardo, and Dutch young pony champion Nero van den Hout.

Numerous internationally competed ponies came from his barn. Orchard Fendt (aka Woodstock - by Wengelo's Ricardo out of Orchard Wielkanoc (y Verona's Bo-Gi) is competed in the children's classes by Lilli van den Hoogen. Orchard NL (by Brouwershaven Diamond Hit out of Orchard Jr Anna Palowsna (by Orchard red Prince) became the 2016 French Young Pony Champion as a 4-year old.

Orchard Stud

Van der Zalm's Orchard stud is located in Rossum, The Netherlands. Since 2006 his daughter Gosewien and her husband Willem van Klaarbergen continue the breeding programme.

Orchard stud produced many more licensed Welsh pony stallions, such as Orchard Glasnost, Orchard d’Avranches, and Orchard Limp Lopper.

Vegelin's Goya

One of Orchard's most famous dressage ponies often goes uncredited as being bred at Orchard stud as he does not carry the Orchard prefix: Vegelin's Goya (by Verona's Bo Gi x Leuns Veld's Darling Boy). Willem van Klaarbergen is registered as breeder of this pony.

Under Danish Louise Fauerholm Christensen he was the 2016 Danish Pony Champion and competed at five times European Pony Championships under Marie and Louise Christensen (2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017). In the last two Europeans he got double silver and double bronze!