British Warmblood

The British Warmblood is British inspection-based stud-book of sport horse. Like other warmblood stud-books it is commonly considered to be a breed. It derives from European sport horses including the Hanoverian, the Dutch Warmblood and the Danish Warmblood.

It is bred mainly for dressage, but also performs well in show jumping. Some have been exported to other countries.

History
The British Warmblood Society was established in 1977 and opened a stud-book for sport horses; as with other warmblood stud-books, registration was based on inspection but not pedigree or performance testing. under the management of the British Warmblood Society, establishing a horse registry open to inspection. The intention was to register horses suitable for competition in dressage, eventing and show-jumping and also for everyday riding.

Early registrations included imported European warmbloods including some Hanoverian, Dutch Warmblood and Danish Warmblood stock, as well as Thoroughbred crosses with various British horses. Separate sections of the stud-book were maintained for the Hanoverian and Trakehner. Since 2008 it has used the name Warmblood Breeders Studbook UK.

The creation of approval criteria for mares dates back to 1982.

The society was registered as a private limited company in 1986, and in 1994 was approved by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs to issue horse passports. Since 2008 it has used the name Warmblood Breeders Studbook UK.

In the early 2000s, more and more British breeders turned to this type of horse, with a record number of registrations in the stud-book in 2007.

Description
The British Warmblood is a sport horse difficult to characterise, insofar as its pattern resembles that of other European Warmbloods, constituting a type, not a true breed.

Height at the withers is variously given as $1.55 m$, as $1.58 m$, and as $1.6 m$.

The legs are long, the neck medium-sized, the chest deep and the withers deep. The coat is solid colour, generally bay in all shades, chestnut or black.

Selection and health
The stud-book association, Warmblood Breeders Studbook UK, is affiliated to the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH), and organises an annual show every summer. Its aim is to breed the best possible sport horses. Animals are branded, the brand representing a crown surmounted by a cross. Stallions and mares are strictly inspected twice a year. The association is entirely private, with no funding from the British government.

Anecdotally, a 12-year-old mare belonging to this stud-book was examined for a giant superficial tumor present in her tissues.

Uses
Intended for equestrian sports, these horses are present in show jumping and dressage competitions, and are primarily devoted to dressage, thanks to their free, elevated movements. They can also be used for pleasure riding.

In September 2019, the British Warmblood stud-book ranked 30th in the world in this discipline, its best show jumper being Diamonte Darco, ranked 265th in the world with his rider Lucas Porter.

On 5 October 2017, a British Warmblood horse won the British national hunter riding competition.

Spread of breeding
This stud-book is unique to the UK, but has spread widely outside its country of origin, notably through transactions involving horses destined for Olympic-level sporting competitions. Conversely, warmblood horses from other European countries are also sent to the British Isles.