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The right breed for... showjumping

© Sally White

I spent my teenage years scrambling around showjumping courses at local shows, on a wonderfully patient schoolmistress pony called Lady. That pony taught me to jump. She was a natural: she had an in-built athleticism, combined with enough intelligence to judge a stride. She was careful, yet agile, with just the right mix of speed and level-headedness to make mincemeat of less exceptional animals. With a more talented rider than myself on board, she won in top-grade national competition, two years running.

Lady had in her the qualities any horse-owner with showjumping ambitions dreams of finding in a youngster. A combination of the perfect personality, with the physical ability to carry it off. Producing such a horse is a matter of judgement and luck. Pick a breed known for power, with strong quarters and dense bones able to withstand the shock as the full weight of the horse lands steeply after a jump: you will have a steady, reliable showjumper, but he may lose out in the jump-off. But cross that breed with one which is less sturdy, perhaps, but has speed and a sharp turn of foot - and you may have the makings of a champion.

If you look at the horses who are making it to the top in showjumping today, you will find that the rankings are dominated by just a handful of breeds. They are all warmbloods, mainly German and Dutch, and all have the essential combination of intelligence, good temperament, and strength. These are the breeds which have proven their abilities in the ring, time and again. It's no coincidence that top international riders, from the Whitaker brothers to Ludger Beerbaum, choose these horses every time.

The Hanoverian

Bred in Germany since the 1700s, the Hanoverian evolved from a cross-breeding of local working horses, used in farming, with finer stallions, mainly thoroughbreds. The resulting horses were used largely as cavalry mounts. In later years, as demand for competition horses grew, the Hanoverian emerged as a particularly athletic breed. It was refined still further, and now the horse is known for its co-operative temperament, exceptional paces, and ideal conformation.

Hanoverians are currently at the top of the showjumping tree. Marcus Ehning's Hanoverian, For Pleasure, was a leading star in the German team when they won the Nations Cup in Aachen last year. The Germans are justifiably proud of their home-bred champions: the national squad boasts another Hanoverian, Goldfever, currently heading for the top with Ludger Beerbaum.

The famous showjumper, Milton

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