Budonny
Origin
Former Soviet Union
History
The Budonny (or Budyonny) was named after Marshall Budonny, one of the most famous Bolshevik cavalry commanders of the Russian Civil War (1918-20).
In the early 1920s preliminary selective breeding was begun in the Rostov region, at what later became the Budonny and First Cavalry Army Studs. The breeders´aim was to produce enduring cavalry horses, in order to compensate for the enormous losses sustained during the First World War and its aftermath. Subsequently, horses from these studs formed a great part of the Russian cavalry divisions that operated throughout the Second World War and were retained for some years afterward.
The first step in creating this new breed was to cross selected Don and Chernomor mares (the Chernomor is a Cossack horse very similar to the Don, but more active, lighter and smaller) with Thoroughbred stallions. The results of the first crossings were known as Anglo-Dons. The best of these horses were interbred, and the foundation stock for the Budonny was carefully selected from their offspring. The brood mares were kept on the best pastures, housed in winter, and fed liberally. From the beginning, young stock between 2 and 4 years old were performance-tested both on cavalry equitation courses and on the racetrack.
657 mares were used to create the fixed type: 359 were Anglo-Dons and 261 were Anglo-Dons crossed with Chernomors. All these mares were mated with Anglo-Don stallions, and thereafter any mares with insufficiently definite Thoroughbred character were put back to Thoroughbred stallions. The breed was officially recognized in 1949.
In the early days, three types of Budonny were recognized: „Massive", „Middle" and „Eastern". Later, demand for an all-purpose competition horse led to the production of a single type, which had a greater proportion of Thoroughbred blood than earlier varieties.
Today the Budonny is bred in the southern parts of the former USSR, such as the Ukraine and the area running up to the Black Sea. It is also bred in the neighboring Kazakh and Kirghiz republics, farther to the east.
Description
- Head:
fine and neat, and tapers to the muzzle - Conformation:
modern Budonny stock has good bone, a strong build, and is distinctly Thoroughbred in appearance.
-neck, fairly long and straight, in proportion to the light-framed body and the head
-body, well made and proportionate, with considerable depth through the girth
-legs, slender and straight, with smallish feet and a little silky feathering - Average height:
15.1 to 16.1 h.h. - Colour:
about 80% are chestnut, and their coats have a golden sheen that is inherited from the Don and Chernomor - Temperament:
calm but energetic, sensible and good-tempered. The breed´s stamina and endurance are beyond question - Today:
the Budonny is known to perform well in long-distance events and in dressage, and it has also been successful in steeplechases and cross-country competions. Although its speed is not comparable to that of the Thoroughbred, it is a fast horse.
If you have known my horse, please contact me through my e-mail which you find from my homepagewww.mghomeopatia.com!!
Kind regs,
Minna Glogan,MG-Homeopatia
Finland