BUDENNY horse
Modified: 30-11--0001 00:00:00
The BUDENNY horse (or Budyonny) was named after Marshall Budenny, who was one of the most famous Bolshevik cavalry commanders of the Russian Civil War (1918-20). In essence, the Budenny is a Russian "warmblood", created by crossing native mares with Thoroughbred stallions. Among the Russian stud-bred horses this breed is of particular interest, as it is a product of he complex cross-breeding programmes that were first instituted at the state studs after the Russian Revolution in1917, and which still continue. It is now bred in the Ukraine, and in the Kazakh and Kirghiz republics, in the southern part of the former USSR.
SELECTIVE BREEDING
In the early 1920's preliminary selective breeding of the Budenny was begun in the Rostov region, at what later became the Budenny and First Cavalry Army Studs. The breeders' aim was to produce enduring cavalry horses, in order to compensate for the enormous losses sustained during the First World War and its aftermath. Subsequently, horses from these studs formed a great part of the Russian cavalry divisions that operated throughout the Second World War, and were retained or some years afterwards.
The first step in creating this new breed was to cross selected Don and Chernomor mares with Thoroughbred stallions. The Chernomor a Cossack horse very similar to the Don, but smaller, lighter, and more active. It was originally bred around Krasnodar, north of the Caucasus Mountains, and is descended from the horses raised by the Zaporozhian Cossacks, who settled on the north bank of the Kuban River in the 18th century. At one time, breeders used Kirghiz and Kazakh horses but the progeny either inherited the worst conformational faults of these steppe horses or lost their hardiness. Later, the Budenny itself was used to improve the two breeds.
The results of the first crossings were known as Anglo-Dons. The best of these horses were inter-bred, and the foundation stock for the Budenny was carefully selected from their offspring. Great care was taken with the brood mares, which were kept on the best pastures, housed in winter, and fed liberally. From the beginning, young stock between two and four years old were performance-tested both on the racecourse and on cavalry equitation courses.
Of the 657 mares used to create the fixed type, 359 were Anglo-Dons, 261 were Anglo-Dons crossed with Chernomors, and 37 were Anglo-Chernomors. These mares were mated with Anglo-Don stallions, and thereafter any mares with insufficiently definite Thoroughbred character were put back to Thoroughbred stallions. The breed was officially recognized in 1949.
In the early days, three types of Budenny were recognized: "Massive", "Eastern", and "Middle". Later, demand for an all-purpose competition horse led to the production of a single type, which had a greater proportion of Thoroughbred blood than earlier varieties. Modern Budenny stock has good bone, a strong build, and is distinctly Thoroughbred in appearance. They usually stand at around 1.63 m (16 hh). About 80 per cent are chestnut, and their coats have a golden sheen that is inherited
from the Don and Chernomor. The conformation is occasionally marred by offset cannon bones in the forelegs and overly straight hind legs, which result from the unsuccessful Kazakh and Kirghiz crosses, but it is generally of good riding horse type, with an elegant, high-quality head. The breed's stamina is beyond question, and it is also said to have a calm, sensible temperament.
SPORT
The Budenny is known to perform well in long-distance events and in dressage, and it has also been successful in steeplechases and cross-country competitions. It is a fast horse, although its speed is not comparable with that of the Thoroughbred.
Two-year-olds are tested for speed over a distance of 1,200 m (1,318 yd), and their average time is 1 minute 16 seconds. Three-year-olds are tested over 2.4 km (PA miles), and average 2 minutes 38 seconds. The Gran Pardubice in former Czechoslovakia has been won by a Budenny and the entries for this grueling steeplechase usually include some representatives of the breed.
The majority of Russian horses are renowned for their endurance ? a highly prized quality throughout the Asian republics, and the Budenny is no exception. It is recorded that one stallion, Zanos, covered 309 km (192 miles) in 24 hours, resting for only 4 hours, and with a companion traveled 1,800 km (1,118<< Previous Brumby | Back to Horse Breeds | Next >> Camargue
