Trakehner
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (February 2011) |
Country of origin | Prussia |
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Breed standards | |
Trakehner is a light
The Trakehner typically stands between 15.2 and 17
Characteristics
Owing to its Thoroughbred ancestry, the Trakehner is of rectangular build, with a long sloping shoulder, good hindquarters, short cannons, and a medium-long, crested and well-set neck. The head is often finely chiseled, narrow at the muzzle, with a broad forehead. It is known for its "floating trot" – full of impulsion and suspension. The Trakehner possesses a strong, medium-length back and powerful hindquarters.
Trakehners are athletic and trainable, with good endurance, while some are more spirited than horses of other warmblood breeds. Trakehners breed true to type, due to the purity of the bloodlines, making it valuable for upgrading other warmbloods.
History
for their cavalry and stud horses, crossed on local animals.In 1732 King
Between 1817 and 1837 the stud added
East Prussian farmers were encouraged to bring their mares, by then known for their hardiness and quality, to Trakehnen's stallions. This enabled the rapid transformation of the breed into much sought-after army remounts: sure-footed, intelligent and athletic. By 1918 60,000 mares per year were bred to East Prussian stallions.
In 1919 the Treaty of Versailles limited Germany's army to 100,000 troops and so the breed's focus was again turned to producing horses suitable to farm duties. For this purpose, sires of heavier conformation (build) were used, the most successful being Ararad, Dampfross, Hyperion, Pythagoras and Tempelhüter. These stallions, while refined, possessed much substance and bone. Their influence is still seen on the modern Trakehner.
It was during the 1920s and 1930s that the breed was recognized for its performance abilities in competitive disciplines. Trakehners won gold and silver medals in two Olympics, including six gold medals in Berlin in 1936, and won Czechoslovakia's notoriously challenging Velká pardubická steeplechase nine times. In the 1930s there were more than 10,000 breeders and 18,000 registered mares.
In the 1930s and early 1940s Hauptvorwerk Trakehnen and its 15
Refugee convoys were bombed while on the ice by the
True pure-bred Trakehner show the Ostpreußische Elchschaufel (East Prussian moose horn) branding (see Image above).
The modern Trakehner
Today in Germany the breed is considered a federal responsibility, with its governance falling under both the Trakehner Verband and the Trakehner Gesellschaft mbH; the latter handling all business operations.
Stallion inspections are held in Neumünster, Germany, each October and approved stallions are required to complete extended performance tests, which rate the horses' gaits, temperament, jumping ability, and suitability over a cross country course, before being given full breeding licenses.
The Trakehner is used as a "refiner" of other breeds, allowing an infusion of Thoroughbred and Arabian blood without the risks often involved in first generation outcrosses. Influential stallions include Abglanz for the
While Trakehners compete in nearly all equestrian disciplines, they are particularly prized as
Famous Trakehners
- Abdullah (horse) (1970–2000), on the USA's gold medal-winning show jumping team at the 1984 Olympics
- Lloyds TSB's iconic TV adverts in the UK
- Windfall II (1992– ), in the USA's bronze medal-winning team eventing team at the 2004 Olympics
- Larissa (1989-), 4-star event horse with many top placings both nationally and internationally. She won the team silver at the Pan-American games in 2003.[3]
- Beatos (1976-1998), By Kosmos x Beatrine. Trakehner Stallion. Bred in Germany, became the iconic Lloyds Bank Black horse in 1989. Competed in Dressage and Showjumping.
References
- ^ "TSF Dalera Bb (105AH62)".
- ^ https://inside.fei.org/media-updates/it%E2%80%99s-brilliant-back-back-double-jessica-and-dalera
- ^ "Larissa". BruceMandeville.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2014.