On the 13th April 2024, the Welsh pony and Cob world has lost a tremendous breeder, lover of Welsh Cobs, as well an honoured life member of Welsh Belgium, Mr. Walter Van Kerschaever. He was the founder of the Ring stud, the home of many beautiful Welsh Cobs. With sadness, we announce that Walter has passed away.

He was well-known to many Welsh cob breeders, from UK and other countries. Walter was born on the 26th April 1941 and he was married to Jacqueline Vercauteren; they had 5 children and several grand children. For most of us, his youngest son, Kurt, is known because nowadays, he breeds on with the prefix of his father.

For the last few years, Walter wasn’t able to visit Welsh pony and cob shows, through health circumstances.

For many years, Walter was a member of the WPCS and, since 1976, he was a member of Welsh Belgium. We knew Walter as a very active owner and breeder of Welsh Cobs. From the beginning of his Welsh cob passion, he went every year to Wales to visit studs and the Royal Welsh show, to get the knowledge about the Welsh Cob in the country of its roots. Later, he participated regularly at the Royal Welsh Show and his son, Kurt, showed the home bred Welsh Cobs successfully. The most well known Welsh Cob of the Ring stud is Ring Danielle, who was a daughter of his foundation mare, Cascob Delight by the well known Nebo Daniel. Cascob Delight won the Royal Welsh show in harness in 1990. Danielle won an enormous amount of shows, as well being several times overall supreme champion at the National show in Belgium and many times abroad she carried the sash of the overall supreme champion. Some highlights of her career are winning the Centenary show in 2001, she won the Royal Welsh show in 2009, as well as coming reserve for the Prince of Wales cup. She gave birth to some very nice foals. Her daughter, Ring Delight, became 5th in her class at the Royal Welsh Show in 2013. Ring Rosebud, another daughter of Danielle, became 5th in the young mare class at the Royal Welsh Show in 2012; in 2014 she became 7th.

The Committee of Welsh Belgium sends their condolences to the whole family after the loss of this very kind man, Walter.

R.I.P, Walter. We will never forget you!

Anita Aerts, for the Committee of Welsh Belgium