The story

A prestigious horse

la-perle-noireIt is a saddle horse race and a native trait of Friesland province of the Netherlands which it takes its name.

This is a prestigious horse very old, valued for the show because of its elegance and charisma, who always wears a black dress. It is also nicknamed “The Black Pearl”.

The Friesian horse is a native of Friesland, a province of the Netherlands which it takes its name.

The Friesian is probably the result of a cross between the old continental horse heavy type and lighter Celtic horse, the Tarpan. Since ancient times, the race suffered Andalusian blood flows and Castilian, caused by wars and trade. The Friesian was a workhorse suited to pull the plows to work the land. He gradually lightened and refined to measure thanks to the Spanish blood. Julius Caesar appreciated, as evoked “the great warhorses of the Friesian people.” In his time, some of these horses were taken to England by the Romans. They thus participated in the development of recognized breeds like the Fells pony, Dales and Clydesdales. In the Middle Ages, it benefited from the popularity of the nobility for white or black horses with long manes and high stepping.

It was then exclusively reserved for lords.

Aux XVIe siècle et XVIIe siècle siècle, il reçut du sang andalou qui lui apporta son trot gracieux et son port d’encolure altier. Ses allures hautes et légères lui valurent une bonne réputation pour la haute école. Au XVIIIe siècle, les officiers supérieurs de l’armée profitèrent de ses allures relevées, de son trot léger et rapide, de son port d’encolure et de son allure sombre pour intimider l’ennemi au combat.

In the nineteenth century, with the new fashion of trotting races, the Friesian races mounted or hitched to the Friesian chain became very popular. This walker was paradoxically endangered. Indeed, deemed the fastest in Europe, Friesian was a victim of its own success: to improve its performance, breeders did not hesitate to cross the Orlov Trotter with Russian and US Morgans, from which was born the Oldenburg. The modernization of agriculture eventually jeopardize the race. Thus, in 1865, the law designed to protect breeding Friesian was repealed and heavy importation of horses, more able to tow agricultural machinery, were allowed.

It is in the heart of the crisis, in 1879, the studbook Friesian opened with two nostalgic noble, C. Van Eyzinga and A.J Velligen that followed loyal to their traditional peasant horses. In 1913, they regrouped Friesian stallions the only three who remained in a vast building Prins 109, the first standard approved by the FPS, Friso 117 and 113. Alva Despite their best efforts, there remained in 1913 only a few hundred mares and three stallions older, including 113 Alva, who died in 1915, was the first stallion “prefer” (predicate awarded to a subject having contributed to the improvement of the breed) and was one of four fathers of the breed the current Friesian.

Incorporated, then lovers mobilized to save the race and sélectionnèrent Paulus Prins and two stallions become two pillars of the current breeding lines. In the twentieth century, Friesian crossed WWI undergoing many losses. He had to load guns mounted on tank, which made him considerably weaker development of the breed. However, there were a few thousand horses in the late 1940. Thus, there was more than three studs capable of reproduction, Ritske, Tetman, and Age.

In the years 1960 to 1970, the Friesian was threatened due to the immoderate passion for the Thoroughbred. His supporters narrowly escaped this danger by exposing it to inbreeding rather than inopportune crossings. He then revealed to great trials and fifth in 1972 that led to his being again at the heart of a wave of popularity.

The Friesian horse is an icon of Dutch history today, and it is the sole horse to drive the team of Queen Beatrix, patron of the Royal Association studbook Friesian (FPS) at the opening of the annual session of the Dutch parliament the race of Friesian is recognized by the French national Stud since 2004 time riding horse.