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California Riding Magazine • May, 2010 The Pura Raza Española by Kim F. Miller |
California owners, breeders and enthusiasts have always been envied by the rest of the North American Spanish horse world. And it’s not just because of our nice weather: it’s our nice numbers. Forty five percent of the Foundation For The Pure Spanish Horse’s approximately 500 members call the Golden State home. The Foundation’s executive director Barb Clark says members in other parts of the country often complain, in a good natured way, that Californians have an unfair advantage because there are so many fellow enthusiasts to compare notes with and challenge themselves against. As breeds go, the Pure Spanish Horse (Pura Raza Española or P.R.E.) has a small population. There are an estimated 6,000 in the U.S., up from an estimated 4,000 P.R.E.s here in 2008. Clark suspects the economy has played its part in that population growth because the price of buying a Spanish horse, from Spain or a North American breeder, has become more accessible to a wider swath of the public. Demand on domestic breeders continues to be strong, but Clark believes that overall breeding increases in the States have slowed because of the recession. “When the economy was good the horses were expensive and breeding them made more sense than riding them,” she explains. “There has been an overproduction of horses in Spain, but the cost of getting them here is still quite expensive.” These days, Clark notes, more owners are focused on riding and enjoying their horses whose versatility and great temperaments are among their many claims to fame. The increase in the North American P.R.E. population is terrific, observes Clark, while noting that the Foundation’s main mission is to preserve, protect and promote the horses themselves, rather than promoting the breed’s expansion. “We are for the horse instead of our members’ individual agendas.” Toward that end, the Foundation created the P.R.E. Mundial Registry in 2008. This is the independent P.R.E. Registry maintained by the PREA division of The Foundation For The Pure Spanish Horse Association to provide efficient and accurate registry services for P.R.E. owners and breeders seeking to obtain their horses’ documents, The Carta Mundial. “This registry follows the heritage and strict breed standards of the famed Cría Caballar,” Clark explains. “The Cría Caballar is the branch of the Spanish military responsible for making the P.R.E. Horse the wonderful breed it is today.” The second part of the registry process includes the “revision.” Horses applying for a Carta Mundial undergo a thorough evaluation by Cría Caballar judges. The big picture idea is to ensure that the Pure Spanish Horse’s original conformation and temperament traits are perpetuated. For individual owners, the revision is an educational step that helps them understand their horse’s strong and weak points. Those who intend to breed their stallions and mares use the information to pursue the best possible pairings. Much To Celebrate The National Celebration of the Pure Spanish Horse is likely the best known of the Foundation’s many other programs. Now marking its 11th year, the Celebration is set for this Labor Day weekend in Las Vegas. A full-scale dressage show is on the agenda, along with entertaining and educational presentations geared for everyone from the casual fan to the devoted student of the breed. Clark is particularly excited to have the Celebration return to the South Point Hotel and Casino. “Did you know you can have room service delivered to your stall there?” she asks. Staying current with today’s technology, the Foundation staged this year’s annual meeting as a “webinar.” It took place April 17 in the form of an hour-long panel discussion among breed leaders including California-based Foundation board chairman Barbara Currie of Oak Hill Farm in the Los Angeles area’s Agoura. Fellow California-based board members include Cameron English of Lionheart Pure Spanish Horses in Lake Matthews and Terry Parker Young of Casa Royale in Thousand Oaks. Driven by its horse-centric mission, the Foundation is proud of its Peace Of Mind program and its quietly conducted rescue endeavors. The former enables members to leave detailed instructions with the Foundation regarding how their horse should be cared for if something happens to them. The rescue effort helps find new homes for Spanish horses in need. Reflecting the Spanish Horse’s ability to ignite the interest of the general public, membership in the non-profit Foundation For The Pure Spanish Horse is not limited to those who own horses. An annual essay contest awards one lucky writer a lovely horse donated by a Foundation member. The annual fundraising raffle currently underway will award one winner with a 9-year-old mare in foal to a high quality stallion. The organization also produces a beautiful quarterly magazine. The Foundation’s Book Of Merits program tracks points earned by horses over their lifetime. Those who earn 20 or more points in competition are eligible to enter the Book Of Merits and receive a certificate and logo denoting outstanding quality and achievements. The Foundation’s program is the only Book Of Merits offered for the Pure Spanish Horse in the world. In addition to the National Celebration in late August-early September, the Foundation is also gearing up for the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky in early fall. They are rallying volunteers for the Foundation booth and standing ready to root for likely Spanish WEG dressage team members Fuego XII and Juan Manuel Munoz Diaz. Their 77.75% Grand Prix Freestyle score at the recent Dehesa Montenmedio in Spain inspired some to call Fuego “the white Totillas,” a reference to Edward Gal’s record breaking dressage mount, Moorlands Totillas.
For more information on the Foundation For The Pure Spanish Horse, visit www.prehorse.org. |
