HOY ENTRIES

COME IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES!

TEXT: AMELIA CAMPBELL-HORNE PHOTOGRAPHY: MERLYNN TRICHARDT

One of the highlights for our team at Horse of the Year is always the breed classes. It’s so wonderful to see Shires competing alongside Miniature Horses, or Appaloosas with Boerperds, or Nooitgedachts with Welshies. Here we have a look at the breeds that featured at this year’s show to find out a little bit more about the history of each one, and exactly what each breed is being judged on.

DID YOU KNOW?

The sport of horse racing has a long history in South Africa, with official racing having been recorded as far back as 1795 – when British rule first came to the Cape.

THOROUGHBRED

The Thoroughbred is a horse breed whose ancestry can be traced back to three foundation sires –the Darley Arabian, the Godolphin Arabian and the Byerly Turk (all named after their owners). These three stallions were imported from the Middle East to England and bred to the stronger native horses. This resulted in horses that could carry weight and sustain a high speed over long distances, qualities ideal for the then-developing sport of horse racing. What followed was over 250 years of selective breeding of the best-performing stallions and mares, meticulously recorded in the breed's records. The breed is known for being quick, agile, hard-working and intelligent.

Thoroughbreds in South Africa have a long history of successful second careers after racing, with many excelling in dressage, showing, showjumping and eventing. One of the most recent Thoroughbred success stories is that of Jessica George and Wrap Up, who recently achieved their final MERs to qualify for the Olympics this year.

WELSH PONIES

Welsh ponies were first imported to South Africa in 1948 when Mrs Rosalie Lasbrey imported five topquality Section A mares and a stallion. In 1956, a winning Section B stallion, Valiant, was imported by Ida Illingworth with the aim of improving children’s ponies in South Africa. Thereafter, the first Section C and D cobs were imported.

THE WELSH MOUNTAIN PONY (SECTION A) (HEIGHT < 1.22M)

Bred in the harsh environment of the Welsh mountains and described as the most beautiful of the British native breeds, the Section A is known for his strong, sound limbs, intelligence and renowned Welsh temperament. They make the ideal child’s first pony but are equally at home in a driving harness.

In terms of showing, the head of the Welsh Mountain Pony should be small, with neat pointed ears, big, bold eyes and a wide forehead tapering to a small muzzle. His action must be straight, free, up and out in front with the hocks well flexed.

THE WELSH PONY (SECTION B) (HEIGHT < 1.37M)

In the past, these ponies were the hill farmer’s means of transport, herding sheep over rough, mountainous country. They needed to be hardy, fast on their feet and balanced in order to survive. These qualities, together with their natural jumping ability and their ideal Welsh temperament, make them the perfect all-round child’s pony.

Regarding breed requirements, the general description of the Welsh Mountain Pony is similar to that of the Welsh Pony. The breed standard looks for hardiness with substance, and emphasis is placed on riding pony qualities.

THE WELSH PONY OF COB TYPE (SECTION C) (HEIGHT < 1.37M)

The Welsh Pony of Cob Type is the sturdier version of the Welsh Pony and contains a large percentage of Cob blood. These ponies are natural jumpers and ideal dual-purpose ponies for both riding and driving.

THE WELSH COB (SECTION D) (HEIGHT OVER 1.37M WITH NO UPPER LIMIT)

The Welsh Cob is strong, hardy, agile, and competitive across all equestrian sports worldwide.

The head should show great quality with bold, prominent eyes and neat, well-set ears. They should be strongboned with straight, free and forceful action. The knees should be bent, and then the whole foreleg should be extended from the shoulder as far forward as possible at all paces.

SA WARMBLOOD

The South African Warmblood is a sporthorse bred specifically for the three Olympic Disciplines: showjumping, dressage and eventing. Due to the different requirements of each discipline, the Warmblood's type and size can vary considerably. All should be rideable, with good limbs, a well-proportioned body, balanced, light and energetic paces, and a steady temperament.

The SA Warmblood breed base generation originated from a crossbred population of Warmbloods that had been imported from Europe along with local Thoroughbreds that were performing well in the showjumping arena.

DID YOU KNOW?

Mares must be over 15.1hh, but the preferred height is 16hh+, while stallions must be over 15.3hh, but the preferred height is 16.1hh.

NOOITGEDACHT

The Nooitgedachter is a rare breed native to South Africa that was developed for the unique climate and mountainous terrain of Lesotho and the surrounding regions and in an effort to preserve the related Basuto pony that was facing extinction in the 1940s. This effort produced a rugged riding horse whose function is prioritised over his appearance.

The Nooitgedacht pony/horse has a minimum height of 138cm with an ideal height of 153cm. They must be rideable, hardy and surefooted (with hooves that don’t require shoeing), with good joints and strong bones. They should be easy to keep. Their conformation fits their purpose with their compact build, which suits them to carry heavy weights over long distances. Their deep girth indicates increased lung capacity for endurance work, and they have wide nostrils to take in large amounts of air. They are normally bay or blue, brown and chestnut roans, with white markings being frowned upon due to the predisposition to sunburn, which is considered a hindrance to practicality. Other coat colours (e.g. piebald/spotted) and blue eyes are not allowed.

This breed is trainable, intelligent, brave, and loyal, making it a perfect family horse!

DID YOU KNOW?

Nooitgedachters have five gaits: walk, trot, canter, an ambling gait and a speedy four-beat gait, which provides a more stable, comfortable ride.

MINIATURE HORSES

Undoubtedly one of the crowdfavourites at Horse of the Year, the South African Miniature Horse is exactly as its name suggests. These Miniature Horses are small, striking and well-balanced to the extent that if all references to size were removed, they would have the same conformational proportions as other full-sized lighter breeds. When mature (five years or older), their height at the withers cannot exceed 95cm.

Their build is symmetrical and strong, and all coat colours and markings are accepted. They are athletic, agile and alert individuals who should be gentle, sensible, willing and trainable. They can be seen in the in-hand breed classes, utility classes, U10yo child’s riding classes, and the driving classes!

APPALOOSA - (WESTERN/ ENGLISH)

The Appaloosa is an originally American horse breed with a ‘colour preference’. They are known for their colourful spotted coat patterns, often accompanied by white sclera in the eyes (like humans), partly coloured skin around the muzzle, and vertically striped hooves. However, due to the extensive outcrossing over the past several hundred years, it is not possible to breed 100% coloured horses.

The Appaloosas are best known as stock horses and used in multiple Western Riding disciplines, but they are versatile all-round family horses suited to a variety of other equestrian disciplines. There is no maximum height, but mature Appaloosas must be a minimum of 14hh, and their height and weight should be proportional.

DRAUGHT HORSES

The importation of Draught Horses to South Africa dates back to the 1880s when recognised draught breeds, mostly geldings, were introduced by the transport system to coastal regions. Due to the AngloBoer War and the extension of the railways, heavy draft breeding suffered a decline and only a few studs developed before the government established small Clydesdale and Percheron studs at the Colleges of Agriculture.

Draught horses are generally large working horses. There are a number of breeds with varying characteristics, but all are strong, easy-going and docile. They are extremely muscular, with broad, short backs and powerful hindquarters. They typically have heavy bone and extensive feathering on their lower legs. While most are used for driving, they are capable of performing under saddle and have been crossbred with Thoroughbreds to create Warmbloods and Sporthorses.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Shire gelding Samson (aka Mammoth) was the tallest horse ever at 21.2 ½hh, while the Percheron, Dr Le Gear, was the heaviest, weighing 1359kg.

SA BOERPERD

The SA Boerperd is a truly South African breed with a history dating back to 1652 when the first horses (cross Berber-Arabian ponies) were imported from Java. They were later bred with Andalusians and Persian Arabs and developed into the ‘Cape Horse’ Breed. In the late 1800s, the Cape Horse was bred with other breeds, such as the Flemish Stallions, Hackneys, Norfolk Trotters and Cleveland Bays and developed into what is now known as the SA Boerperd. From 2002, no new or estranged bloodlines have been introduced into the breeding programme.

The SA Boerperd is known for his even temperament, bravery, intelligence, stamina, versatility, hardiness, rideability and desire to learn and please. He can be seen doing showing, dressage, driving, showjumping, equitation, eventing, saddle seat, Western Riding, endurance and even equine archery!

PUREBRED AND PART-BRED ANGLO ARABS

Due to South Africa being geographically isolated from other Arabian breeding nations, the South African Arab population is unique and based on imported bloodlines from England, Europe, Egypt and the United States.

The Arabian is a horse of beauty, bravery, gentleness, intelligence and endurance. They are easily recognised for their naturally high tail carriage and unique triangular, relatively short head shape, with a slender lower jaw and larger upper half of their head.

They are renowned for their soundness and hardiness, as well as their free, stylish, unrestricted, powerful movement.

These breed characteristics mean pure and part-bred Arabs are well suited for a wide variety of purposes, including both English and Western Riding and Performance classes for both children and adults. Due to their conformation, hardiness and stamina, they excel particularly in the discipline of endurance. In South Africa, although any breed can participate in Endurance Races, the pure and part-bred Arabians reign supreme.