Selle Francais
The Selle Francais warmblood is becoming ever more popular in the show jumping and eventing worlds It is one of the more modern warmblood breeds . The name Cheval de Selle Francais ( French Saddle Horse ) was first used in 1958 and the Selle Francais studbook was started in 1965. The name was initially used to refer to half - bred warmblood sport horses that were not Anglo - Arabs.The breed's evolution began in Normandy in the early 1700s , when Norman mares were crossed with English Thoroughbreds , English half - breds and the now defunct Norfolk Roadster.
These crosses produced three distinct types -- a draught animal , a riding horse and a fast harness horse -- that evolved into the French Trotter. It was the Anglo - Norman riding horse , influenced by Thoroughbred and Norfolk Roadster blood that was the forerunner for the modern Selle Francais.
French stock was seriously reduced during the world wars , but breeding continued under the influence of some notable Thoroughbred sires -- Orange Peel , Lord Frey , Ivanhoe , Ultimate and Furioso. The latter horse topped the sire list for 10 consecutive years , producing top show jumping horses.
The Selle Francaise has subsequently become renowned as a successful show jumping and eventing breed. It is now split into show jumping and racing types , the latter being slightly lighter in build. At the 2002 World Equestrian Games there were more Selle Francais horses competing than any other breed , winning five of the French team's seven medals.
The average Selle Francais stands at least 16hh and chestnut is the predominant breed colour although it can be of any colour. The breed generally has broad quarters and strong hocks hence making it suitable for jumping but conformation varies due to its diverse ancestry.
Equicors initiated the first studbook for Selle Francais horses in Britain in 2004 . It works closely with the French studbook and bases its grading on competition results.
Equicors may be found by visiting their web site : www.equicors.com
Correctly known as Le Cheval de Selle Francais (the French Saddle Horse), the term Selle Francais was adopted to describe the breed in 1958, and the first stud book was published in 1965.
The history of the breed goes back much further. For centuries, testing and perfecting the sports horse was a consuming passion in France, in the same way as horse racing in the UK
As long ago as 1665, France established its first National Stud,which has become the Haras Nationaux, a network of 23 state-run stud farms dedicated to improving the quality of performance horse breeding.
The foundation of an organised, scientific attitude to breeding soon showed up the deficiencies in France's national herd, and a number of thoroughbred and half-bred stallions were imported from the UK to enhance French blood lines.
It was Normandy that was particularly prominent in the development of the Selle Francais, and became part of a magnificent tradition of horse breeding which still continues today.
This quest for the perfect sports horse created two important breeds, the French Trotter and the Anglo-Norman. The Selle Francais traces its roots to these Anglo-Normans. The Selle Francais is not a traditional 'breed' where breed type and the right blood lines are all important.
To understand the success of the Selle Francais you must understand one thing above all else: the grading. For mares and stallions alike, competition success and the success of offspring and other relatives all influence the grading of a horse. These, together with the horse's results at a grading show, form the basis of each horse's grade. A horse can be upgraded if his offspring do well.
It is an unemotional system, driven by an unambiguous search for success, which has produced a magnificent performer in an astoundingly short time. In addition to their supreme physical appearance and athleticism, Selle Francais horses generally have an acutely intelligent and patient nature.
This temperament is a fundamental requirement - an intrinsic part of what it takes to produce a horse which will perform exceptionally in the demanding conditions of top-level competition.
Selle Francaiss happily competein all tests of ability, even beating thoroughbreds in steeplechases; but their home turf is the showjumping arena. Recently, they have begun to dominate the Olympics and other international events.
More and more owners and breeders, wanting that extra edge, are starting to choose the Selle Francais. Until now the difficulty of integrating with the complex French grading system has hampered the growth of the Selle Francais in the UK and Ireland.
EquiCours was founded in the UK, with the full agreement of the French governing body (ANSF), to break this restraint and unleash the performance of the Selle Francais on UK and Irish showgrounds.
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