KWPN North American ambassador Betty de Groot has passed away
Elizabeth “Betty” the Great. Photo: DG Barr Farm
Elisabeth “Betty” De Groot, Founder of Dutch Warmblood Breeding and Training Center DG Bar Farm And the North American chapter of the KWPN is defunct. Along with her husband Tony DeGroot He established the DG Bar Farm in Hanford, California: the first major support point for the Dutch chapter of the KWPN in America, NA-WP.
Betty de Groot immigrated to America in 1955 and focused on dressmaking with her husband. Together they imported KWPN breeding stallions, organized inspections and competitions and were great ambassadors for the breeding of Dutch dressage horses in America. DG Barr Ranch is currently the largest stable of KWPN horses in the United States.
In 2015, her husband Tony de Groot (80) died in a tragic plane crash. He is survived by his wife Betty, to whom he was married for 59 years, five children and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Betty passed away on Friday 4th May aged 87. Her love for horses is undeniable. She was in the saddle every day, and even after a knee and two hip surgeries she never stopped riding.
Source: eurodressage
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