Gjest was born in Norway in 1977, and in 1983, was purchased by a Search Committee sent out from the Dutch Fjordhorse Studbook.  The Dutch wanted Gjest to be part of their Elite group of approved breeding stallions. Holland has about 12,000 Fjordhorses.  The Studbook’s Approved Stallions do almost all the breeding in the country, and there are only about 45 approved stallions at any one time.  Gjest was brought to Holland to be in this group. Read More....

Photos Of Gjest
The following photos of Gjest were taken in July 2006 when Gjest was 29 years old. Can you belive it? You can see that his vigor has never diminished. What a stallion!
Sons and Daughters of Gjest

The Full Story

Every five years, the Nederlandse Fjordenpaarden Stamboek (Fjord Registry) holds a huge show for Fjords from all over Holland.  There are usually more than five hundred Fjordhorses competing, and the competition encompasses just about everything an equine can do.   In 1985, Carol Rivoire from Beaver Dam Farm was there. 

A highlight of this Anniversary Dutch Show is the Stallion Presntation.  The official stallion handlers bring approved stallions into the ring to introduce them to Fjord lovers from all over the world. 

Holland does everything to encourage quality breeding, and make enormous efforts to safeguard the strength and quality of this breed.  To do that, the Fjord Studbook, chooses and handles the breeding stallions.  Holland is smart!  They don’t make it impossible for owners to keep a backyard stallion, . . . . They just make it impractical and unnecessarily expensive.  They do this by making the best quality stallions available to mare owners at a low stud fee.

At the 1985 stallion presentation, most of the stallions were presented in hand, but some of them were ridden, and some driven.  --  The handlers had the option of presenting their stallions in the manner the horse showed best. 

The show was held at the Warmblood testing grounds at Ermelo, and it’s a wonderful facility with a big oval racetrack.  --  The Studbook stallion, Gjest, was shown in a racing sulky with his driver in silks.  --  Gjest was allowed to trot full out, and Carol was blown away by the way this horse moved.  --  He had a huge trot!  Not only reaching, but tremendously regular.  It was at that moment that Carol knew this was the stallion that would make the reputation of Beaver Dam Farm. 

Very luckily, she found herself standing at the rail next to a man who’d been Gjest’s stallion handler the year before.  When Carol asked about Gjest, the man told her that Gjest had a wonderful work ethic, and of course, the fabulous trot. The important news was that Gjest  passed on this trot to his offspring.

Gjest, was thrilling to watch.  There wasn’t another horse, including all the approved stallions, that  moved like he did.  It was like watching a machine.  The movement in his shoulders matched the great push from his hindquarters.  ---  Many years later after Beaver Dam Farm imported Gjest to New Hampshire, Carol was competing him in a trotting race at the Woodstock, VT Fjord Show.  --  Later, she talked to a couple of old guys at the rail who were totally wowed by this horse.  It turned out they were Standardbred breeders, and they told Carol that if only Gjest could change his breed, he’d be one of the most famous Standardbred sires in history because Gjest’s shoulder movement was what all trotting horse breeders strive for. 

After seeing Gjest at the Anniversary Show in 1985, Carol talked to the Chief Inspector of Fjords for Holland, Bob van Bon.  She asked if they would consider selling Gjest so that he could breed at Beaver Dam Farm.  The answer was a definite “No”.  --  Van Bon said the Studbook needed him in Holland, so Carol returned home disappointed, but at the same time elated, because now she knew what Fjord breeding was all about, and she knew what direction she and Arthur wanted to take Beaver Dam Farm. 

Two years later, the phone rang one day, and it was Chief Inspector Bob van Bon, asking if Carol and Arthur still wanted to buy the stallion, Gjest.  – The answer was a very quick “Yes!”.  --  Then, Van Bon asked Carol how much they were willing to pay.  --  Her answer satisfied the Studbook’s Board of Directors, and Gjest arrived at Beaver Dam Farm in July of 1987, just about two years from the day Carol had first seen this wonderful stallion in Holland. 

It was too late in the breeding season for Gjest to breed that year, but starting in 1988, Gjest started to breed Beaver Dam Farm’s mares, and some outside mares as well.  --  He was well mannered, but he was extremely potent and all business.  His goal was to get the business done quickly, and he was remarkably . . . . I mean remarkably efficient about it.   

This has always been Gjest’s modus operandi, and even last year, at age 29, Gjest continued to amaze experienced breeders, particularly of other horse breeds.  He’s fertile, he’s potent, and he has never had any lack of libido.  --  To sum up, Gjest is the ideal breeding stallion.  This year, 2007, Gjest is expecting five foals here at Beaver Dam Farm. 

While Arthur and Carol were still at their farm in New Hampshire, Carol competed Gjest at several Combined Driving Events.  --  Gjest was all business about competition as well.  In fact, this “get the job done” attitude characterizes Gjest in all he does  --  everything from breeding to driving, dressage, jumping, and hauling logs. 

Gjest is a gorgeous stallion, as you can see by the photos on this page.  He has a lovely head with sensitive eyes.  --  His coat color is a rich golden hue.  His conformation is excellent in every respect.  But, what makes Gjest stand out against any other stallion anywhere in the world is his movement. 

Where movement is discussed by horse people, not many would dispute that Gjest has it all --  He has reach.  He has regularity, and he has rhythm.  He has a forward, workmanlike attitude.  He’s the ultimate performance horse.  But, perhaps nobody has said it better than The Dutch Chief Inspector of Fjords, Bob van Bon, who said . . . .

“You could look for a lifetime and not find a stallion who moves like GJEST.” 
B.J. van Bon, Chief Inspector of Fjords

“It’s remarkable how stallions like Helgas-Jarl, and his son, Gjest, sire offspring with such size, body, and movement.”
B. J. van Bon

“We can no more find stallions like Gjest.  They don’t seem to exist in these days.” 
B. J. van Bon, Chief Inspector of Fjords