Popular Olympic Eventing Horse Breeds
Some breeds are better suited to eventing competition than others, here I’ve compiled a list of some of the most popular breeds used in olympics equestrian eventing this year.
For more information about the equestrian games in Hong Kong see the 2008 cheatsheet.
Combines attractive traits from both the Arabian (refinement and stamina) and Thoroughbreds (size and speed) bloodlines.
A rather new breed the Belgian Warmblood’s bloodlines have been carefully orchestrated to produce a superior eventing and show horse which is both intelligent and fearless.
A mix of Gelderlander, Groningen and Thoroughbred blood, the Dutch Warmblood or KWPN was bred specifically to create a bold competition horse.
Another breed descendant from mounts of war, the Hanoverian blood comes from the tough horses of the middle ages.
Their ancestors bloodlines date back to the 14th century and the Holsteiner was originally developed as a war horse. Their blood runs through the veins of many of the horse breeds used in eventing and show jumping today.
Bred originally by Irish farmers to create a mount for farmers more versatile than the draft work horses who worked the land, the Irish Sport Horse proved versatile enough to rule the show ring too.
France’s answer to the perfect eventing horse, the Selle Français has been aggressively bred for the show ring crossing native French horses with Thoroughbreds and adding a dash of French Trotter for flash.
Also called the Einsiedeln, the Swiss Warmblood was founded in the 10th century as a cavalry troop horse.
One of the first Thoroughbreds brought to America in 1757 (Janus) was the founder of the Quarter Horse breed.
Note the similarities in their confirmation and which breeds are versatile enough to cross competition lines and work well in dressage and stadium jumping too.
Take a moment to meet the horses of the US olympic teams, jumpers, eventing, and dressage.
Interested in learning about more equine breeds? Be sure to checkout our horse breeds section.
me and kate feel that either the irish sport horse or the dutch warmblood makes the best event horse !
My personal favorite is the Holsteiner, but it is hard to pick one breed as better than the rest. I think most people pick their favorite based on what they’ve ridden and enjoyed.
I believe that my arabian welsh is a WONDERFUL improvement to the eventing world! some are amazed when tell them his breed.
well its really hard to choose but my fave is the Anglo-Arab but the thoroughbred HAS to tie with the Dutch Warmblood of course!!!! lol but like Paige said its really to choose one breed over the others
The irish sport horse is by far the best. They have outstanding stamina and have more jump than any thouroughbred or close to thouroghbred warmblood. They are bred using irish draught horses which in themselves make very good riding horses with alot of stamina, although perhaps not as fast as the part bred. My mum had an irish sport horse called candy girl and she was amazing.
I have to a agree the irish draught x thou/bred Is a fantastic horse. I have a beauty, and she has a pop, her falt work is great to.
I also have to german horses, There good horse’e to, But not as good as my irish horse.
i hate arabians and have been told by top instructors that they are not good jumpers.
I’m IRISH and I LOVE the Irish Sports. I also like the hano. But when it comes down to it i wil always pick the Irish!
Take a look at how many Dutch Warmbloods have won in Olympic Events and FEI events!
Dutch Warmblood, Thoroughbred, true sport horses.
A horse with a good sloping shoulder is a sign.
i happen to have an arabian who is a bueatiful jumper all the trainers ive met say they are one of there fave breeds and are good jumpers
I’m a Belgian Warmblood fan
I love all of those breeds!!! Recently, I stopped leasing this quarter horse, and now I am going to lease this 15,000 dollar holsteiner! I am soooo excited!!!! He is crrazy tall though! My trainer said he is 17+ hands!
definitly hanovarians!!!!!! i have one and even in the feild he looks beautiful and he rides so clan and smooth like a cloud –even though he broke my arm :p
The best eventer is Oldenburg!!
I love Hanoverians, but theyre so hard to sit on! My friend has a Hanoverian X Shire, and whenever I ride him I nearly fall off!
What about cross breeds? Theyre bound make awesome horses if you can get all the good qualities from different breeds into one horse!
I would say a Warmblood x Thoroughbred is a great mix
That way you get the spirit of a Thoroughbred and the tough side of the warmblood!! The Belgian Warmblood in this picture is beautiful! I ride a Thoroughbred but if I could buy, I’d go for a mixed breed.
I love thoroughbreds so much!
Any breed, selective breeding, training and ‘mix’ will count for not if you found a horse without heart for the course. You could go buy a designer foal from some stooge mixing breeds and end up with a dud, just like you could turn out your life savings and sell a kidney for a horse by world champions. Then you could turn around and buy a $500.00 USD horse off an auction lot, put some time on it and end up with a mount far superior to anything on the market. I’d say that the breeding doesn’t exactly matter, but it does help as far as conformation/expected ability and temperament. I’m a firm believer in using the talent available over breeding for what I lack in my show horses. You never know where your next great eventer is going to turn up. Could be a dog and pony show. In my line up for choosing a good event horse, I look for : heart/temperament, conformation/over-all soundness, natural talent (to decide level of competition fair to the horse) and then training, experience and the price. I suppose everybody has their own way of choosing though. =]
Your intelligent comment made me smile. I had the pleasure of taking dressage lessons on a Canadian Warmblood a few years ago. He was by a Thoroughbred stallion and out of a Quarter Horse/Percheron cross. He was purchased for next to nothing as part of a group of horses, but you’d never guess it if you rode him. Vets, farriers, and anyone else who visited the barn would comment on him. He became a wonderful Prelim eventer.
I like your criteria for sizing up eventing prospects. In addition to what you said, I specifically look for good cannon bones and a kind eye. Experience has taught me that the eyes often reveal the heart and intelligence needed to get out of sticky situations on a cross-country course. On a personal note, and this is just me, I find 16.1 hands to be ideal.
I think that any type of breed can really be the best. A thoughbred cxan be great but my fav is the the belgian warmblood. they look like they could be great at it.
Well, obviously it depends more on how the horse is trained etc than it’s breed
05/11/09 The Irish Sport Horse (ISH) Studbook has topped the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses Rankings for the breeding of event horses for the 15th year in succession. So we most be doing something right with breeding Eventers. Irish Draught mares or part Irish Draught mares crossed with Good Thoroughbred blood. And it can work the other way too. I don’t see many dutch breds winning at 21 years of age.
I have a mutt he is a thouroughbred, quarter horse, and arabian mix but he is amazing his form when he takes a jump is beatiful honestly I really do think it mainly depends on who trains and rides the horse but I love all of those breeds
i have a hanoverian x american thoroughbred who i am competing at foxhunter progressive show jumping, i have done a few dressage tests too and she is always in the ribbons usually top two or three, i’m 17 and haven’t had her long as only really just moved on to horses but she is phenomenal, i am going to go with crossbreeds and they have a few factors, but it really just depends on the horses/trainer.
with regards to pure arabians, they are not known for their jumping and you probably couldn’t get on over a 1.20m corse but there is always one that does something special (in all breeds) and can become great at whatever discipline.
i love the Dutch warmblood,Hanoverian,AND irish sport horse,and thoruoghbred.but, my horse instructor said that dont choose a breed, choose obediance make sur he has what u want to doand the dumbest anyone could do is choose the color first.i realy like the dutch warmblood but then the irish sport horse and then the hanoverian,its soooo confusing!!
I have a belgian warmblood and a TB/lippizan mix. The belgian is AWESOME for eventing and if you asked me, the best breed for the olympics. (BTW his name is bryan wilson)
I’m tempted to say that I prefer breeds with war horse blood in them, as their ancestors were bred for courage, agility and reliability. But, in the end, it comes down to the horse itself. Even if it is of top pedigree, if the horse is nervous, stubborn or unreliable it won’t be a great eventer.
TB and thier types all the way, I don’t care what anyone says, with the right rider they are the ultimate athlete. Always willing to please and ready to give it thier all!
I have to agree my favourite horse is the anglo-arab they’re such a good breed lol. I’m 14 an i ride an arabian, they are a beautiful breed but there are so many other tyes of horses to choose from as well.
obv it depends on the horse, mainly, not the breed. Some thoroughbreds cant jump to save their lives, some are world class showjumpers.
my friend owns an Arabian X Welsh pony. It’s one year old, grey, gorgeous but a complete lunatic. She can’t even catch it, it’s never actually been handled by humans.
Yeah I would agree on that
Mixed breeds are surely better, but it also depends on the temperament of the two breeding horses because their individual characteristics count alot more than their breed!