The Importance of Breeding Eventing Horses

A multi-discipline education is important to riders in the world of eventing.  Many top riders who later became specialist in a specific discipline were, at one time, eventing riders.  From Reiner Klimke to George Morris, each one rode in multiple disciplines before settling on their chosen specialty.  Likewise many eventing bred horses have gone on to perform at top levels in more than one sport.

A great eventing horse must be the all around sport horse in order to take his or her rider to the top.  They must have the even temperament and steadiness to accomplish a top level dressage test, the courage of a lion and extreme intelligence to maneuver jumps that are technically difficult and unmoving, and the attention to detail, scope, stamina and soundness to clear a difficult show jumping course after having galloped and jumped a mile course the day before. 

There human counterparts are the triathletes who receive accolades, while often the amazing abilities of the equine athletes go without recognition.  The ability for these horses to excel in not just one or two but three difficult events, makes them the ideal breed for the majority of riders even if they may only want to compete in one discipline. 

Top level show jumping and dressage horses have a value that is generally three times that of a top level eventing horse, and the fee for a well known sire is sometimes 15 times higher than for an eventing stallion.  The commercial viability is what drives 80 percent of the sport horse breeding market today.

One notable rider competed on his horses not only in eventing, and show jumping, but also in steeple chase.  His name was Bill Roycroft of Australia.  When Bill was 50 years old he took one of his three multi discipline Thoroughbreds, Stony Crossing and competed him at Badminton.  Remarkably this 7 year old horse had just given Bill the thrill of his life the month before by finishing third in Britain’s premier race, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, a three and a half mile steeplechase.

Only a small number of breeders are specializing in breeding specifically eventing type horses.  However, it should be noted, that doing so benefits the sport horse world in general.  With willing temperaments, the ability to change and adapt quickly, stamina, soundness and the litheness to compete on grueling courses year after year, this makes them top athletes!  All of this is combined with the fact that often these horses go on, years later, to have other careers in different disciplines at top levels of those competitions as well.  For example, many top eventing equines have gone on to be Grand Prix jumpers or Grand Prix dressage horses.

Breeding top sport horses that excel in eventing, gives everyone the opportunity to own a superior athlete, even if they only want to compete in one discipline.

The History of the Spanish Arabian

The beautiful graceful Arabian horse can trace its genetic history to the seventh century.

It is known that the Arabic people, otherwise known as the Moors, were pushed out of Spain in 1492.  The Moors had occupied this country for eight hundred years.  It is known that they brought with them Arabian horses, and left them behind when they fled.   Columbus and Cortez brought horses with Arabian blood to the New World, and left them behind rather than make them suffer the arduous journey back to Spain.  Although the lineage of these horses has been lost, as early as 1847 a stud book was established by the Queen of Spain.  These old bloodlines are written in Arabic and kept in the “Golden Book” in Madrid.  The book is called:  Importado de Desierto por S.M. la Reina D. Isabella II.

In the early days of importing these horses to Spain by the government, they were considered an important war machine, and the selecting, buying, and breeding of them was done by the Department of War.  This is still true today at the Yeguada Militar of Spain.  Often the Arab blood was used to improve native stock; however, purebred horses were also produced.  From 1905-1927, groups of military officers and veterinarians were sent to Egypt, Turkey, Polish-Russia, and France in search of top bloodlines. 

From 1927-1930 the Fifteenth Duque De Veragua imported horses purchased from Lady Wentworth at Crabbet Park, and also horses bred by Cecil Hough. 

The Duque was fanatical about producing and breeding the best purebred Arabian horses, and would go to great lengths to achieve this end.   In her memoirs, a note was written that stated that Lady Wentworth regretted selling her finest Skowronek daughters to the Duque.  In 1936, during the Spanish Civil War, the Duque, his family and servants were killed, and his palace and papers, including breeding records, were burned.  Unfortunately, Veragua Stud, the all important breeding facility met the same fate.   More than seven hundred Spanish Arabians lost their lives during this war; however, some of the mares and foals were moved to safety.  Because the pedigree records were lost, many of the dam lines that can be traced back to that time, will begin with the words “Veragua mares.”

Today, Spanish Arabians are bred in breeding programs all over the world.  Because of their small gene pool, the emphasis has been placed on outcrossing them.  Spanish and Egyptian crosses are prevalent, and both the purebred and Spanish/Egyptian crossed horses have gone on to become National Champions on the Arabian Horse Show Circuit. Spanish Arabians are known to have quiet temperaments, large eyes, athletic conformation, and are highly intelligent.