Van Langenhove Family – Arthur, Eddy, Guido

The Story

Arthur, founder of Stable "van 't Langhof"

Denderbelle

Denderbelle is a village in the Belgian province of East Flanders and a sub-municipality of Lebbeke. The village is located along the Dender River, with many small branching waterways throughout. On the Dries in Denderbelle, Jozef Van Langenhove had his agricultural farm in the year 1900. For the work in the fields, there were always about three mares present, which were also used for breeding.

Den Dries

Dries is a toponym that already appeared as "driesch" in a 13th-century Flemish document, meaning 'fallow meadow.' Over time, it evolved into the name for a type of settlement in Flanders and the southern Netherlands. A dries typically consists of houses surrounding a central square, which is usually triangular in shape. In some regions, the central square has a more elongated form. During the Middle Ages, this square served as a communal pasture (meent) for livestock and as a place where planting was allowed, meaning construction was prohibited. A dries often also includes a watering pond. source: Wikipedia

Arthur Van Langenhove

May 28, 1924 – January 19, 2007

Marie-Louise Van Der Jeught

March 3, 1928 – April 1, 2020

Guido, Greta, and Eddy Van Langenhove

Bella & Suzy

The youngest of the six children, Arthur, takes over the family farm. He marries Marie-Louise Van Der Jeught, and they have three children, all of whom inherit their parents' passion. After Guido and Greta, Eddy is born five years later in 1963, and he is especially captivated by horses.

The mares present must all work to earn their keep, and Arthur also begins purchasing yearlings, training them, and selling them once they are fully trained. Son Eddy quickly joins in, and warmblood horses—both their own and from the surrounding area—are trained at Langhof for work and ridden under saddle.

The purchase of the mare Bella van ‘t Langhof (born 1962) marks the start of their stud breeding program. The mare performs well at competitions, and better stallions are selected for breeding. From that point on, the foals are registered in the studbook under the stable name “van ‘t Langhof.”

Eddy & Guido

Bea van 't Langhof

Eddy

Dorus d'Opbrakel (Deinze 1997)

Tuur

Marco van de Heirhoeve (1999)

Marie-Louise

Dorus van Damshoek

Arthur

Fara and Atoucha

Eddy & Arthur

Eddy

Medical Examination - Blac van de Wilgen

Apprenticeship at Ecurie de Pontailles

Maertens Family

As a young boy, Eddy Van Langenhove spent his school vacations working for a farmer in Wallonia, where he also mastered the French language. This eventually led him to Ecurie de Pontailles, owned by the Maertens family in Houtain Le Val, where a lasting friendship was formed, continuing well beyond his teenage years.

From Daniel Maertens, Eddy learned the tricks of the trade. His ability to assess horses from just a few hours or days old is a skill that many envy him for to this day.

Knowledge of Every Aspect

A skill that breeders on the road with Eddy have always known: if he asks about your foal, you can be sure you have a good one. For many, it was—and still is—an honor to have a colt raised under his care.

Eddy also gained expertise in grooming and presenting horses as trotters at Stal De Pontailles. Additionally, his first experiences in foaling assistance took place here, including witnessing the birth of the legendary Olga de Pontailles, the dam of renowned horses like Star van ‘t Bloemenhof.