Selle Francais Horse
Modified: 30-11--0001 00:00:00
The Cheval de Selle Francais (French Saddle Horse) is one of the more versatile and accomplished of the European warmbloods. Like all warmbloods it is the result of a mixture of breeds and strains, but it differs in that there is a significant use of fast trotting stock. In the early, formative years this was supplied by the Norfolk Roadster.. the greatest trotting horse of all time.
The term Cheval de Selle Francais came into use in December 1958 to describe French "half-bred" competition horses. Before then, all French riding horses, other than Thoroughbreds, Arabs, and Anglo-Arabs, were simply called demi-sangs or "half-breds".
CREATION AND DEVELOPMENT
The development of the modern Selle Francais began early in the 19th century in the horse-raising districts of Normandy, where the local and rather common Norman mares were crossed with imported English Thoroughbreds (see pp.120-21), English half-bred stallions, and some very important Norfolk Roadster lines. Indeed, at that time the English half-bred stallions would have had a pronounced Norfolk Roadster background and character.
With their usual acumen, Norman breeders were soon producing discernible types suited to the requirements of the day. They created two cross-breds: the first, the Anglo-Norman, could be divided neatly into two distinct types ? a draught cob and a riding horse; the second was a fast harness horse, bred to satisfy the great interest in trotting races. In time, the harness horse split away from the mainstream to become the French Trotter.
It was the active Anglo-Norman riding horse, influenced by Norfolk Roadster blood almost as much as by that of the Thoroughbred, that was the prototype for the Selle Francais. In fact, the Selle Francais stud book is a continuation of the old Anglo-Norman one.
Although the two World Wars were to cause a serious depletion in the population of native Norman mares, the breeders managed to conserve some of the best stock. They were also able to make use of Thoroughbreds standing at the National Studs, to meet the new demand for a quality riding horse that would combine speed, stamina, and jumping ability.
The great Thoroughbred sires responsible for the present-day Selle Francais were otably Orange Peel, Lord Frey, and Ivanhoe. In the years after the Second World War there were also the stallions Ultimate and Furioso ? Furioso being a name that occurs in the greatest half-bred nes of Central Europe. This latter-day Furioso was bought in the UK soon after the Second World War, but he was exceptional in terms of conformation, balance, and movement. Until the 1970s, he had a brilliant stud career at Le Pin in Normandy, where he topped the sire list for 10 consecutive years, producing world-class showjumpers.
The principal area of specialization today is showjumping, although a lighter Selle Francais, carrying a lot of Thoroughbred blood,is bred specifically for racing under the old appellation AQPSA (autre que pur-sang Anglais, i.e. horses other than Thoroughbreds). Some of these horses may compete in horse trials via the sport of cross-country racing, which remains a feature of the French equestrian scene.
CHARACTERISTICS
Most Selle Francais horses are chestnut, and stand over 1.63 m (16 hh). Until the 1980s, the breed was officially split into five classifications. There were three medium-weight horses ? small (1.60 m/ 15.3 hh), medium (up to 1.65 m/16.1 hh), and large (over 1.65 m/16.1 hh); and two heavyweights ? small (under 1.63 m/ 16 hh), and large (over 1.63 m/16 hh). The breed is now divided into the lighter racing animal and the showjumper, although the difference is far less pronounced.
In general, 33 per cent of modern Selles Francais are sired by Thoroughbreds; 20 per cent by Anglo-Arabs; 45 per cent by Anglo-Arab/French Trotter; and Thoroughbred/Anglo-Arab, providing there is no more than 25 per cent Arab blood.
An outstanding example of Selle Francais breeding is provided by the remarkable jumping stallion Galoubet(pictured). He was sired by the Selle Francais Alme, out of the trotting mare Viti. Aline, a grandson of Orange Peel, was predominantly Thoroughbred but also had some Anglo-Arab blood, and Viti's pedigree contains many top-class trotting horses.
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