Belgian Sport Horse
Origin
Belgium
History
The Royal Belgian Halfblood Society was founded in 1920. Until World War II, the breed was primarily used by the army and was based on the indigenous, well-known Belgian Brabant, crossed to English Thoroughbred and Selle Francais mares.
After the Second World War Belgian breeders concentrated on breeding an all-around sport horse, combining their best bloodlines with those of surrounding countries. They acquired Selle Francais mares and stallions, German Hanoverians, Dutch Warmbloods, and Thoroughbreds with proven ability such as Furioso xx, Ibrahim, Rantzau xx, and Lugano.
Since the 1960s efforts of these dedicated breeders have shown results, and several Belgian Halfbloods have appeared in international show jumping competitions. The breakthrough came when Gai Luron, under the saddle of Francois Mathy, won a bronze medal during the Montreal Olympics in 1976. During the following years many Belgian Halfbloods were purchased by top international riders.
In 1991, the new name Stud Book sBs took the place of the Royal Belgian Sport Horse Society. Today, sBs focuses on producing a performance horse. The sBs carefully controls the breeding stock, particularly stallions, by only granting breeding privileges to those horses that meet strict criteria. They must first undergo a veterinary examination to assess fertility and detect any undesirable inheritable traits.
Belgian Sport Horses are used primarily for show jumping in Belgium, but are also competitive in dressage and eventing on an international level.
