Thoroughbreds - Racecourse Performance

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Thoroughbreds

In the absence of data about the Thoroughbreds ability to move and jump , breeders have used racecourse performance as a guide.

In Germany and Holland for example , Thoroughbreds are only approved for warmblood breeding if they have high time-form ratings. There is no doubt that the number of races run and the number of wins achieved give a useful indication of toughness , courage and soundness , but these are limited values in the selective breeding of sport horses.

The great sire of modern times , Furioso never won a race ! Further , Stunner Rascal who impressed with an enormous jump at his stallion grading did not have a high enough time - form rating to remain on the continent. If Thoroughbreds are to be used for sport horse breeding , they are in our opinion best tested in the fields for which they are producing.

Progeny

The most valuable test for any stallion is its progeny and is one that has brought attention to Thoroughbreds in Britain in the past.

Today , thanks to the British Horse Database , any particular Thoroughbred horse can become popular before the end of its career and the BHD has already highlighted the potential of younger stallions.

On the continent it is notable that a relatively small number of Thoroughbreds dominate the pedigree of their highly successful sport horses. They have identified the lines that produce sport horses as opposed to racehorses.

As the home of the Thoroughbred, Britain has a wonderful natural asset and it seems that the more discerning use of it , is by far the most obvious way to re-establish ourselves as world leaders in the breeding of sport horses.

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