Selle Français
Encyclopedia
The Selle Français (SF) is France
's most important sport horse. It is renowned primarily for its success in show jumping
, but many have also been successful in dressage
and eventing
.
are the most famous, but they are also used for racing
, eventing
and dressage
. Lastly, the non-specialist horses are used for leisure and riding schools.
The horses usually stand 1.65 – high. They are usually bay
and chestnut
but sometimes roan
.
s, Arabian
s, and Anglo-Arabian
s. All stock was registered in the stud book with pedigrees tracing back generations, making the Selle Français one of the few Warmblood
breeds to have received very little foreign blood.
The most influential breed was the Anglo-Norman
, developed in Normandy in the 19th century by crossing Norfolk Trotter
, Thoroughbred
, and Arabian
stallions to refine the local mares (which themselves traced back to the medieval Norman war-horse). About 90 per cent of today's Selle Français trace back to this breed. Other regional breeds used to influence the Selle Français were the Charolais, Corlay, Vendee, Anjou, Ain, and Ardennes
.
A small number of Thoroughbred
stallions influenced the breed. The first was Orange Peel who stood at the national stud from 1925 to 1940. His grandson, Ibrahim, also had a great influence on the Selle Français. Furioso, who is thought to be the most influential Thoroughbred
in warmblood breeding, Rantzau and Ultimate were also incredibly important in the Selle Français breed. The names of these three Thoroughbred
sires can be found in virtually every successful modern Selle Français.
Today, there is still quite a bit of cross breeding between Selle Français and other breeds, making it suitable for a wide range of activities.
Ultimately the history of the breed goes back much further. For centuries, testing and perfecting the sports horse was a consuming passion in France, in the same way as horse racing in the UK. To put this in context, as long ago as 1665, France established its first National Stud, which has become the Haras Nationaux, a network of 23 state-run stud farms dedicated to improving the quality of performance horse breeding. See link below
The method of grading horses for breeding is very scientific. It has been devised over many years by the French National Stud Haras Nationaux and, unusually, is applied to both Stallions and Mares. The grading is broken into three distinct parts, judged by at least 2 judges per section.
1. Inspection of jumping ability (30% of marks). This includes
2. Inspection of conformation (40% of marks)
The main aim is to determine whether a stallion has a conformation that is likely to allow him to remain sound through a lifetime of competition.
3. Inspection of movement (30% of marks). This includes
Within each of these sub-categories (e.g. Style, Trot) the judges look for specifically defined behaviours and mark on each. All marks for each category are given to the person who presents the horse and are announced openly. This ensures the owner gets as good an understanding as possible of the strengths and weaknesses of their horse while ensuring all judgements are as open and honest as possible. The pass mark is 75% which means a very low pass rate from the general sports horse population. Many apparently very good horses find it hard to get above high 60s and a horse that gets over 80 is truly exceptional.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
's most important sport horse. It is renowned primarily for its success in show jumping
Show jumping
Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping," "open jumping," or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes commonly are seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics...
, but many have also been successful in dressage
Dressage
Dressage is a competitive equestrian sport, defined by the International Equestrian Federation as "the highest expression of horse training." Competitions are held at all levels from amateur to the World Equestrian Games...
and eventing
Eventing
Eventing is an equestrian event comprising dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. This event has its roots in a comprehensive cavalry test requiring mastery of several types of riding...
.
Name
For English speakers, the pronunciation of the name is close to "SELL fronn-SAY". The full name of the breed is Cheval de Selle Français which translates as "French Saddle Horse". The Selle Français should not be confused with the gaited types of Saddle Horse from North America.Breed Characteristics
Selle Français are supple, strong, with good bone. They are powerful movers, fast, bold, and very trainable. The Selle Français stud book covers a wide range of types. The horses used for sport, especially in show jumpingShow jumping
Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping," "open jumping," or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes commonly are seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics...
are the most famous, but they are also used for racing
Racing
A sport race is a competition of speed, against an objective criterion, usually a clock or to a specific point. The competitors in a race try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time...
, eventing
Eventing
Eventing is an equestrian event comprising dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. This event has its roots in a comprehensive cavalry test requiring mastery of several types of riding...
and dressage
Dressage
Dressage is a competitive equestrian sport, defined by the International Equestrian Federation as "the highest expression of horse training." Competitions are held at all levels from amateur to the World Equestrian Games...
. Lastly, the non-specialist horses are used for leisure and riding schools.
The horses usually stand 1.65 – high. They are usually bay
Bay
A bay is an area of water mostly surrounded by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the surrounding sea, due to the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds. Bays also exist as an inlet in a lake or pond. A large bay may be called a gulf, a sea, a sound, or a bight...
and chestnut
Chestnut
Chestnut , some species called chinkapin or chinquapin, is a genus of eight or nine species of deciduous trees and shrubs in the beech family Fagaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce.-Species:The chestnut belongs to the...
but sometimes roan
Roan (horse)
Roan is a horse coat color pattern characterized by an even mixture of colored and white hairs on the body, while the head and "points"—lower legs, mane and tail—are more solid-colored. The roan pattern is dominantly-inherited, and is found in many horse breeds...
.
History of the Selle Français
The Selle Français was named a breed in December 1958, with its first stud book published in 1965. The Selle Français was created by crossing regional breeds with trotters, ThoroughbredThoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
s, Arabian
Arabian horse
The Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses...
s, and Anglo-Arabian
Anglo-Arabian
The Anglo-Arabian or Anglo-Arab is a crossbred horse that now also has its own status as a horse breed. It is a Thoroughbred crossed with an Arabian. The cross can be made between a Thoroughbred stallion and an Arabian mare, or vice-versa...
s. All stock was registered in the stud book with pedigrees tracing back generations, making the Selle Français one of the few Warmblood
Warmblood
Warmbloods are a group of middle-weight horse types and breeds, primarily originating in Europe, registered with organizations that are characterized by open studbook policy, studbook selection, and the aim of breeding for equestrian sport...
breeds to have received very little foreign blood.
The most influential breed was the Anglo-Norman
Anglo-Norman horse
The Anglo-Norman horse was a warmblood horse breed from the old province of Normandy in northern France. From early in the 19th century, local Norman mares were crossed with imported English thoroughbreds, Norfolk Roadsters and half-breds, which themselves had Norfolk Roadster and Mecklenburg blood...
, developed in Normandy in the 19th century by crossing Norfolk Trotter
Norfolk Trotter
The Norfolk Trotter is an extinct horse breed once native to East Anglia and Norfolk, England. It was said to be "a large-sized trotting harness horse originating in and around Norfolk"....
, Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
, and Arabian
Arabian horse
The Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses...
stallions to refine the local mares (which themselves traced back to the medieval Norman war-horse). About 90 per cent of today's Selle Français trace back to this breed. Other regional breeds used to influence the Selle Français were the Charolais, Corlay, Vendee, Anjou, Ain, and Ardennes
Ardennes (horse)
The Ardennes or Ardennais is one of the oldest breeds of draft horse, and originates from the Ardennes area in Belgium, Luxembourg and France. They are heavy-boned with thick legs and are used for draft work. The Ardennes is found in many colors, although black horses are very rare and are not...
.
A small number of Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
stallions influenced the breed. The first was Orange Peel who stood at the national stud from 1925 to 1940. His grandson, Ibrahim, also had a great influence on the Selle Français. Furioso, who is thought to be the most influential Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
in warmblood breeding, Rantzau and Ultimate were also incredibly important in the Selle Français breed. The names of these three Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
sires can be found in virtually every successful modern Selle Français.
Ultimately the history of the breed goes back much further. For centuries, testing and perfecting the sports horse was a consuming passion in France, in the same way as horse racing in the UK. To put this in context, as long ago as 1665, France established its first National Stud, which has become the Haras Nationaux, a network of 23 state-run stud farms dedicated to improving the quality of performance horse breeding. See link below
Grading
The breed is not a traditional 'breed' where breed type and the right blood lines are all important. To understand their success the horse lover must understand the grading. For mares and stallions alike, competition success and the success of offspring and other relatives all influence the grading of a horse.The method of grading horses for breeding is very scientific. It has been devised over many years by the French National Stud Haras Nationaux and, unusually, is applied to both Stallions and Mares. The grading is broken into three distinct parts, judged by at least 2 judges per section.
1. Inspection of jumping ability (30% of marks). This includes
- Balance on the approach to a fence.
- Power and scope.
- Style.
- Mental approach.
2. Inspection of conformation (40% of marks)
The main aim is to determine whether a stallion has a conformation that is likely to allow him to remain sound through a lifetime of competition.
3. Inspection of movement (30% of marks). This includes
- Trot
- Canter
- Walk
Within each of these sub-categories (e.g. Style, Trot) the judges look for specifically defined behaviours and mark on each. All marks for each category are given to the person who presents the horse and are announced openly. This ensures the owner gets as good an understanding as possible of the strengths and weaknesses of their horse while ensuring all judgements are as open and honest as possible. The pass mark is 75% which means a very low pass rate from the general sports horse population. Many apparently very good horses find it hard to get above high 60s and a horse that gets over 80 is truly exceptional.
Well-known horses include
- Almé ZAlmé ZAlmé Z was a sport horse stallion who was a prolific sire of show jumping horses.*Lived: 1966-1991*Color: Bay*Markings: blaze, sock right and left fore, half cannon right and left hind*Height: 16.1 hh *Sex: Stallion...
: foaled in 1966, this show jumper has contributed a great amount to the breed. He sired Galoubet A, Jalisco B, I Love You, Herban, Jolly Good, and others. - Galoubet AGaloubet AGaloubet A was a horse ridden by the French rider Gilles-Bertran de Ballanda, in International show jumping and is a sire of show jumpers.* Color: Bay* Height: 17.0 hh * Sex: Stallion...
: was foaled in 1972, and was champion French 5-year-old in 1977, and champion of France in 1979. He finished either first or second in 19 international Grand Prix show jumpingShow jumpingShow jumping, also known as "stadium jumping," "open jumping," or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes commonly are seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics...
events, and was on the French World Championship winning team in 1982 at Dublin. In 2002, he was the top money earning sire American-based sire of show jumpers. He sired two incredible, and very well known, horses, Baloubet du Rouet and Quick Star. He also sired Irish bred Touchdown, who in turn sired 2002 World Equestrian GamesShow Jumping World ChampionshipsThe Show Jumping World Championships, or the show jumping competition at the FEI World Equestrian Games, was started in 1953, with individual competition. In 1978 Team competitions began, and men and women began competing against one another. From 1990, show jumping was brought together along with...
Individual Gold medalist Liscalgot, in Show Jumping. - Baloubet du RouetBaloubet du RouetBaloubet du Rouet is a horse ridden by the Brazilian show jumper Rodrigo Pessoa. He has won many international titles.*Color: Chestnut* Markings: Stripe, sock on off fore, half-cannon near hind* Sex: Stallion...
: was foaled in 1989, and won the World Cup of Show Jumping an unprecedented three years in a row (1998–2000). He was a member of the bronze-winning team at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. - I Love You: foaled in 1974, by Almé Z, he won the World Cup of Show Jumping at Vienna in 1983. That same year, he was named Horse of the Year in the United States, and has become an important sire of show jumpers.
- Jappeloup: Olympic Individual Gold medal winner Seoul 1988. Team Gold medal winner 1990 World Equestrian Games at Stockholm. 1986 World Championships 4th Individually.
- Quito de Baussy: foaled in 1982. Won six international medals in show jumping, including individual and team gold at the 1990 World Equestrian Games at Stockholm.
- Quidam de Revel: foaled in 1982, was a member of the bronze medal winning French team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, where he finished fourth individually. Recognized would-wide as a sire of show jumpers.
- Laudanum: foaled in 1967, was an approved French Thoroughbred stallion. In 2001, was named leading sire of show jumpers by USA Equestrian. Oh Star, ridden by Todd Minikus, is the son of this stallion.
External links
- Norman Federation of Selle Français, Anglo-Arabian and other breeds of sport horses
- http://www.equicours.com/EquiCours - Selle Français society for the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Gives a full description of the Stallion Grading process.] - North American Selle Français Association
- The French National Stud
- Association Nationale du Selle Français - the French National Organization