Breeding Policy

BREEDING POLICY

and Breeding Objective of Dansk Varmblod

Dansk Varmblod is one of the youngest riding horse breeding societies in Europe. The two original Danish riding horse breeding organisations, Dansk Sportsheste Avlsforbund (Danish Sport Horse Society) and Danmarks Lette Hesteavl (Danish Light Horse Association) were formally established in 1962, but by 1978 these had been combined to form Dansk Varmblod (the Danish Warmblood Society) as we know it today.

The overall objective of Dansk Varmblod is to breed successful top-level competition horses. It is done by combining a strong Danish basis of broodmares with Europe's best bloodlines and as a result Dansk Varmblod has become one of the leading riding horse breeding associations in the world.

This success has been possible because:

* Horse breeding is one of the traditional activities in Danish agriculture, known world-wide for its high standards

* Danish breeders have shown visionary initiative in their willingness to invest in proven bloodlines from neighbouring countries and have used their knowledge to combine these bloodlines to create a world-class riding horse

* We combine experience and traditional knowledge with receptiveness to new scientific research

* The breeding policy and the rules applied are continuously adjusted to meet the requirements of the fastidious international competition riders

* Denmark has one of the most stringent stallion selection procedures in Europe today

Towards the 21st Century

The breeding policy is updated continuously. Formerly, the emphasis has been on conformation and over a period of three or four breeding generations, by using stringent selection procedures, Dansk Varmblod has been able to develop a strong basis for breeding high class riding horses. The current breeding plan was focuses primarily on breeding specialized dressage and show jumping horses with a high degree of capacity and rideability, while at the same time maintaining the modern, noble, and expressive sport horse type, which is the trade mark of Dansk Varmblod.

The breeding objective

We aim to breed a noble, leggy, and supple riding horse with high rideability and a strong health. It has capacity in either jumping or dressage to compete on international level.

Achieving the breeding objective

Dansk Varmblod is able to achieve this new breeding objective because we:

* do not insert a stallion in breeding before he has passed through an approved field test. This ensures that only stallions with high rideability and extraordinary competition skills become sires of the next generation

* focus on goal-oriented breeding, emphasising on either dressage or showjumping talent

* hold ridden performance tests and saddle gradings, in which the mares are trained by their owners or at a training centre, and all 4-year old Dansk Varmblod mares, geldings, and stallions can undergo an ability test. One of the conditions of winning a medal at the Elite Mare Show is that the mare concerned must have performed well in one of these tests or have proven herself in competition

* approve the use of a very limited number of absolutely high class foreign stallions

* attach great importance to international co-operation and exchange of experience, this being guaranteed by Dansk Varmblod=s membership of the WBSFH (World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses). The WBFSH is a worldwide federation of breeding societies that produce sport horses for the Olympic disciplines. Since 2000 the presidency and the general office of WBFSH has been managed by Dansk Varmblod

* cooperate closely with Landscentret | Heste (the Danish Agricultural Advisory Centre - Department Horses) who issues pedigree certificates and maintain the National horse database, containing all Danish breeds. Using the immense amount of information generated from breed results, riding results from young horse performance tests and competition results, genetic evaluations and other statistics are made accessible

* are recognized officially by EU and the Danish Agricultural Ministry

The crown and the wave

The Danish Warmblood brand - a crown over a wave - is used to identify the progeny of breeding stock graded within Dansk Varmblod. Each individual Danish Warmblood horse has an internationally approved pedigree guaranteeing its lineage and serving as proof of Dansk Varmblod=s dedication to producing a modern riding horse.

The Show Jumper Programme

Within Dansk Varmblod not only high class dressage horses are bred, but also top show jumpers like Olympic Silver Medallist, the approved Dansk Varmblod sire, Lando and the Bronze Medal mare, Andante, presently active under the rider, Charlotte Lund as well as Quibell, Ilion Kilen and Frida, the two latter competing at the Olympics in Hong Kong 2008. Each year within the Danish test arenas a number of young talents appear, showing off their superb capacity and jumping technique.

In 2004, the Breeding Committee established the Show Jumper Programme with the strategic purpose to systemize and develop Dansk Varmblod show jumping lines with the absolute goal to direct the breed into a constant top-10 ranking world-wide.

Only mares and stallions of outstanding show jumping capacity in the pedigree, and who have proved their extraordinary quality in riding tests can be taken into this special programme following an application. Having the special “jumping” mark on a pedigree is therefore very prestigious.