Canada has a well-established horse industry that has produced such greats as Northern Dancer and Abdullah. Its many respected and experienced breeders, trainers and competitors enjoy success both domestically and internationally.
- Canada is a country with vast areas of fertile, agricultural land that is well suited to the raising of strong, athletic and healthy horses.
- Canadian Warmblood horses are of high quality and competitively priced.
- Currency exchange rates and geographic location give the US buyer a tremendous advantage when shopping for a horse in Canada.
- Shopping for a horse is easy by way of the Internet where distance is not a concern and photos, videos and information can be made readily available to the discriminating buyer.
- Importing horses from Canada to the U.S.A. is simple. Government regulations are easy to comply with and there are no duties or taxes. A reputable, professional horse transporter will safely deliver the horse to a buyer’s home or barn once a purchase is completed.
- The Canadian Warmblood Horse Breeders Association is modeled after the very successful European Societies. Buyers can be confident that the standards set, ensure a high level of quality control and the services provided make it easy to purchase a horse.
- Internationally recognized Registration and Certificates of Stud Book Entry;
- International standard Stallion and Mare Inspection and Grading;
- International standard Stallion and Mare Performance Tests;
- Auction Sales;
- Mare and Foal shows;
- Foal and Young Horse Futurities;
- Internet based information and marketing services.
CANADIAN WARMBLOOD BREED HAS OLD WORLD EUROPEAN BLOODLINES AND NEW WORLD VITALITY
Warmblood genetics are universally available, particularly in the age of frozen semen and embryo transfer. Canadian breeders are utilizing these Old World genetics in their own way, emphasizing refinement and rideability to produce athletic horses that meet the needs of amateur and professional riders in North America.
Canadian Warmbloods carry all the important European bloodlines, from historic lines to such modern day superstar lines as Donnerhall, Florestan, Gribaldi, Ramiro, Rubinstein, Sandro Hit, Voltaire, Weltmeyer, and many more.
What makes the Canadian Warmblood horse special is our ideal growing conditions. Pasture-raising in larger groups and growing up in a natural way results in horses that are sound and sane. Properly socialized, Canadian-bred horses have good minds and are accustomed to the outdoor environment. Freedom to move, coupled with appropriate stress at the right times, produces strong bones and tendons and a legacy for long-term soundness.
Canadian Warmbloods you might know:
- Pikardi (Pointmaker – Delany/ Diamont) is a 1997 Canadian Warmblood gelding currently competing at Grand Prix with past Canadian Olympian, Bonny Bonello. At the Kentucky Cup Dressage CDI3* Lexington, held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, April 20-22, 2010, the pair earned 68.638% in the Grand Prix test to take 3rd place, and then scored 70.292% for 2nd place in the Grand Prix Special held the following day. They were named to the Canadian 2010 European Tour from May to July for qualified riders in preparation for the WEG.
- Travolta (Ferro – Lurosa / Landwind II) a 2000 Canadian Warmblood gelding owned and ridden by Joni Lynn Peters won 2009 USDF All-Breeds awards for I1 & PSG. Currently competing at Advanced with many top scores at Prix St Georges and I1 in California in 2010.
- Duffy (Rapide – Kappaquidity / Liquidity; registered as: Ivachildhood Dream), a 1995 Canadian Warmblood gelding owned and ridden by Linda Schutte, are multiple USDF award winners and compete at Third Level.
- Lanzar (Florian – Fancy / Champion), a 1997 Canadian Warmblood gelding, has won multiple USDF year-end & All Breed awards under previous riders, Canadian Equestrian Team member Leslie Reid and Rochelle Kilburg, and is competing 2010 at Grand Prix under new rider Aaron Wilson for Owner, Tana McClure-Arendts.
- Valentine II (Vulcaan – Tiki Tez / Delyle Tez), a 1995 Canadian Warmblood mare, competed for Canada in Para-Equestrian Dressage at the 2008 Paralympics with owner and rider Jennifer McKenzie.
- Soliloquy (Frontenac – China Lady), a 1990 Canadian Warmblood mare, won numerous USDF All-Breeds awards with owner/rider Holly Bergay including a 5th at the 2008 FEI North American Junior and Young Riders’ Championships.
The organization: Canada, like most major horse-breeding countries, has a national registry for warmblood horses: the Canadian Warmblood Horse Breeders Association (CWHBA). Canada has followed the European format of having one national warmblood registry rather than a number of daughter registries. In this way, the CWHBA has been able to offer a unified approach to warmblood breeders in Canada. Since its inception in 1988, the CWHBA has grown to become one of the largest warmblood registries in North America, based on foal registrations. The goal of the CWHBA is to provide Canadian breeders a full-service European-style warmblood breeding organization that will allow them to utilize Canada’s ideal rearing conditions to produce high-quality warmblood horses to international standards.
THE WARMBLOOD HORSE IN EUROPE
Bred throughout Europe for over two hundred years, the Warmblood horse’s pedigree has been recorded regionally since the times of Monarchies and Dukedoms. Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Poland and Belgium, to name a few, have Warmblood breeding programs. Today’s Warmblood is the Olympic athlete of the horse world, dominant in the disciplines of jumping and dressage and widely used for related equestrian sport and leisure.
Although Warmblood horses carry regional names, they truly are an international horse. Reciprocity is widespread, as breed associations eager to improve breeding stock seek out the best international bloodlines. The advent of the World Breeding Federation (WBFSH) has led to increased cooperation and a further internationalization of the breed. All of the important Hanoverian, Holsteiner, Westfalen and Dutch bloodlines have spread to Canada where the Canadian Warmblood Horse Breeders Association (CWHBA) carries on this European tradition.
THE WARMBLOOD HORSE IN CANADA
Compared to Europe, Warmblood breeding in Canada is a relatively new activity. A number of pioneer breeders began importing breeding stock in the 1970’s. Stallions such as Abrupt by Abglanz and Wodka by Wolfsburg were among the first. In 1988 Canada’s Warmblood registry was established. Since then, stallions and broodmares from every major bloodline in Europe have been imported to improve the quality and versatility of the Canadian-bred Warmblood horse. The CWHBA is the first North American registry to have full voting membership in the WBFSH and is applying international standards of selection and performance testing with excellent results. An example of this excellence is After Shock by El Futuro, ridden by Ian Millar in Nations Cup competition for Canada.
THE CANADIAN WARMBLOOD HORSE
The breeding aim is to produce a well-bred Warmblood horse, large-framed and correct in conformation with good performance. A horse that, on the basis of temperament, character, and rideability is suitable for Olympic or related equestrian sports.
For information on Warmblood horses for sale, auctions or general information on the Canadian Warmblood Horse Breeders Association, please visit www.canadianwarmbloods.com
