“At next year’s Paris Olympic Games, Thoroughbreds competing in any of the equestrian disciplines – dressage, show jumping and eventing – will, for the first time, be recognized in the starting lists and results. In past Olympics, the retired thoroughbred racehorses competing were listed only as ‘breeding unknown’.”
Last week, a press release was published on the agreement reached between the European and Mediterranean Horseracing Federation (EMHF), the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI), the International Stud Book Committee (ISBC) and the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH), to officially recognize thoroughbreds in the Olympics and FEI competitions.
It is no secret that many thoroughbred stallions have significantly contributed to the development and refining of warmbloods over the years, to produce the athletic and modern sport horses we have today, accounting for this well deserved recognition.
A few thoroughbreds that have had a major impact on the development of our warmbloods are Ladykiller xx, who sired prominent HOLST stallions such as Lord and Landgraf I & II lines that produced top show jumpers or Rantzau xx, founding sire of outstanding show jumpers as well. Furioso xx, who was licensed Selle Français and was a founding father to today’s F-line in dressage breeding through the stallion Florestan I, as well as Sacramento Song xx, who sired an international jumping stallion Sandro, whose grandson Sandro Hit is one of the most influential sires in dressage breeding, the exceptional S-line. Heraldik xx, who sired numerous eventing horses excelling at 4* and 5* level, and the list goes on!
The thoroughbred has proved itself successful not only in our sport horses’ pedigrees, but also as competitors in the Olympics disciplines. And this new acknowledgement will offer them new opportunities, for their sucess off-the-track to be officially recognized. This is great progress in terms of welfare perspective and for maintaining the social license to operate.
While the thoroughbreds are a non-WBFSH breed, and thus not eligible for participation in the World Breeding Championships, nor for inclusion on our WBFSH rankings, they will from now on be recognized and stated on Olympics and FEI competitions starting lists going forward.
