KY- WORLD EQUESTRIAN GAMES PREVIEW THE COURIER-JOURNAL | SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2010 | K3

Alltech games to feature variety of horses
Largest group will
be ‘warmbloods’
By Jennie Rees
jrees@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
The 800 or so horses competing
in the Alltech FEI World Eques-
trian Games will come in all shapes
and sizes, from the compact quar-
ter horse that can stop on a dime, to
the durable Arabian that can can-
ter 100 miles in a day, to steady
horses that can carry three acro-
batic vaulters on their broad backs.
The games will showcase some
of the most popular breeds in the
world, including thoroughbreds,
though they won’t be racing. Hors-
es with a variety of sizes, skills and
temperament are required.
The differences between some
breeds are slight, but others are
like comparing an Olympic swim-
mer with an NFL lineman.
The largest single group of
horses competing in the eight dis-
ciplines will be classes of “warm-
bloods,” many originating in Eu-
rope. Such breeds have been re-
fined over decades specifically for
equestrian sport.
Their roots trace to mixing the
blood of big, strong and docile
horses, such as draught and farm
work horses (loosely known as
coldbloods), with lighter-bodied
breeds produced for speed, mainly
thoroughbreds or Arabians (hot-
bloods).
Breeds such as the Royal Dutch
warmblood and Hanoverian are
known for their versatility and are
prominent in dressage, jumping
and driving. These breeds also
compete in eventing, and depend-
ing on the size of the horse, might
even be used in vaulting.
Three WEG events are dom-
inated at the top level by one breed:
the American quarter horse in
reining, Arabians in endurance
and, to a lesser degree, thorough-
breds in eventing.
Some breeds are based on per-
formance as well as pedigree. The
European warmbloods are distinc-
tive by each breed’s unique brand
on their left hip.
“With all these disciplines, it’s
finding the balance between their
physical capability and the mind
they have,” said Joanie Morris, di-
rector of International High Per-
formance communications for the
United States Equestrian Federa-
tion. “With dressage, you need the
movement. But there are some
horses with extremely extravagant
movement that aren’t that traina-
ble or rideable. You need the bal-
ance.
“With eventing horses, sure you
need a horse who can run and
jump. But you also need a horse
who can do dressage on the first
day. It has to be a horse with a good
mind but also has the stamina and
speed and jumping ability. In some
disciplines, you want horses to re-
lax more. In others you want more
pep.”
Unlike horse racing, there is no
requirement to have a purebred or
registered horse in World Eques-
trian Games competition. A sport
such as vaulting might have equine
competitors with unknown heri-
tage. However, a stallion or mare
who is part of an official breed reg-
istry would become that much
more valuable for breeding pur-
poses if it earned a medal in inter-
national competition.
Even for top horses, there is no
template for success.
Morris points out that the USA’s
jumping team for the games in-
cludes the massive Belgian warm-
blood Sapphire and the tiny Dutch
warmblood Cedric. Both were part
of the gold-medal-winning Olym-
pic team in 2008.
Similarly, the short list for the
U.S. eventing team includes the gi-
gantic and snow-white Irish sport
horse named Tipperary Liadhnan
as well as the dark-bay The Fore-
man, a scrappy little thoroughbred
that’s a former racehorse, consid-
ered among the best in the game.
And the dressage team features
the super powerful Danish warm-
blood Calecto as well as the ele-
gant Dutch warmblood Nartan,
who seems to make no sound when
he touches the ground.
“You see horses that are com-
pletely opposite,” Morris said. “…
In a lot of these sports, there’s a big
opportunity for different breeds
and different types of horses. It’s
not like every horse you look at is
the same. That’s a great thing.”
Reach Jennie Rees at (502) 582-4042 or
jrees@courier-journal.com.

DRESSAGE AND PARA DRESSAGE

Common breeds: Hanoverians, Royal Dutch warmbloods, Danish warmbloods (pictured at right), Swedish warm-
bloods, Westfalens.
Almost all top-level dressage horses are “warmbloods,” a group of middle-weight horse types and breeds devel-
oped for equestrian sport. Most originated in Europe. Such breeds feature powerful necks, shoulders and hind quarters
that are important to perform dressage’s technical elements.
Hanoverians and the Royal Dutch warmblood (also known as WKPN) are regarded among the most popular and
versatile breeds for equestrian disciplines. Another highly successful warmblood is the athletic Westfalen, a German
breed that traces back to roaming herds of wild horses in the marshy Westphalia region.
In addition to bloodlines, horses must pass approval tests to be registered as a Westfalen.

DRIVING
Common breeds: European warmbloods such as Royal Dutch warmblood and Hanoverian, Morgans (pictured at left), French trotters.
Large, strong shoulders are essential for driving, allowing the horse to push its weight forward and pull carriages.
Morgans — the first true American breed based on bloodlines, which dates to the stallion Justin Morgan in 1789 — are one of the
premier carriage horses in the world, noted for their stamina and vigor. Their sloping shoulder fits well into a collar, while their short back
provides strength. The breed is known for being stylish and spirited but with a good disposition.
Their agility and big trot make the horses ideal for combined driving’s marathon stage, while their obedience and suppleness is
well-suited to the cones course.
The Dutch warmblood breed has a lot of “hot” blood infused in it over the generations to give it stamina and agility, critical in combined
driving when teams of horses must be able to turn their shoulders and bodies freely to navigate very narrow obstacles on the course.

EVENTING
Common breeds: Thoroughbred (pictured at right), Irish Sport Horse, Dutch warmblood
Thoroughbreds dominate eventing (also known as the Three Day Event) because of their versatility and speed for
the cross-country competition and their agility and strength for the stadium-jumping portion, even though other breeds
are more adept at dressage.
Thoroughbreds also have the endurance to undergo three straight days of strenuous competition. The Irish Sport
Horse, a cross between the Irish Draught Horse and the thoroughbred, is known for its fantastic jumping ability.

ENDURANCE
Common breeds: Arabian (pictured at left), as well as half-Arabian and Anglo-Arabian
Arabians are the oldest breed of riding horses, developed centuries ago as war mounts used over the Middle
East’s harsh deserts. Their small size, light frame, huge lung capacity and incredible endurance are well-suited to the
WEG’s 100-mile race.
The Arabian is notable for its distinctive dish profile, large wide-set eyes on a broad forehead and large, flaring
nostrils to take in maximum oxygen. To protect it from the desert sun, all Arabians have black skin, except under white
markings. They have thin skins and do not grow a lot of hair, which allows the sweat to evaporate.
Anglo-Arabians are a cross between a thoroughbred and Arabian. The edge Arabians might have over thorough-
breds here is that their hooves are famously durable. In international endurance competition, the horse must be at
least eight years old. Arabians set the foundation for many breeds, including the thoroughbred.

JUMPING
Common breeds: Dutch warmblood, Belgian warmblood, Holsteiner, Selle Francais (pictured at right), Hano-
verian, Westfalen, Oldenberg.
International stadium jumping is dominated by the European-originated warmbloods, with their strong shoulders,
neck and hind quarters that allow them to power over fences. One of the world’s best jumpers is the Selle Francais, a
more refined horse than the German and Scandinavian warmbloods and which more resembles a thoroughbred.
The Selle Francais was not named a breed until 1958, but its origins go back centuries to Norman war horses. The
breed is not based exclusively on bloodlines but on the grading of mares and stallions for jumping ability, conforma-
tion and movement before a horse can be registered as a Selle Francais.

REINING
Common breed: Almost exclusively the American quarter horse (pictured at left).
The quarter horse — the fastest breed in the world at running a quarter-mile, hence its name — is known for its
ability to go from full gallop to a stop or turn on a dime before taking off again. These stocky horses are heavily
muscled and compact and feature powerful hind quarters and shoulders, muscular necks and legs that are shorter
than a thoroughbred.
Quarter horses generally are taller than Arabians and shorter than thoroughbreds. They are commonly bred to
thoroughbreds, and while the resulting foals are considered quarter horses, they must meet certain performance
standards to be registered as such for breeding purposes.
The American Quarter Horse Association, with more than 5 million registered horses, is the world’s largest breed
registry.

VAULTING
Common breeds: Most are warmblood-type horses such as the American Sport Horse (pictured at right) or Irish
Sport Horse, as well as Hanoverians.
Vaulting horses typically have descended from heavy draught horses such as Belgians or Percherons that were
carefully upgraded over the decades with the infusion of hot-bloods (thoroughbreds or Arabians) to give them the mix
of strength to hold up to three people, as well as the stamina and agility to canter in a small circle for an extended period
of time.
A strong, broad back and a very calm temperament — including the ability to keep a rhythmic pace no matter what
the human athlete is doing on its back — is essential. The backs of some horses might allow only a six-inch width for
the human competitors, a good vaulting horse might have 10 inches.
Vaulting horses, which can take at least two years to fully train, must be geldings or mares at least age 6 to compete
in recognized vaulting competition.