THE PURA RAZA ESPANOLA
The P.R.E.
The P.R.E. horse is nothing less than a king’s dream come true. Carefully and lovingly bred in Spain since the 16th Century, the P.R.E. is the only horse to have sprung from the imagination of a king, that he might be the envy of European royalty. Gathering the best bloodstock in the world, King Philippe II of Spain created one idealized breed of horse which embodies, even today, all that mankind had admired in Equus, throughout the ages.
These extraordinary horses with their wild, impossibly lush manes, luxurious tails, chiseled, convex profiles and uncanny ability to appear to be fiery steeds --- while actually obediently carrying out a rider’s every nuanced command --- have become the darling of the cinema, especially period and fantasy genres like “Lord of the Rings”.
What is a P.R.E? The conformation points of the P.R.E. are well-defined. Breeders around the globe shoulder the responsibility for carrying forward this elite breeding program, now nearly five hundred years old. Horses are inscribed in the Spanish stud book and must later be approved for breeding. Only a horse that is brought up in this tradition can be called a P.R.E. The Foundation for the Pure Spanish Horse Association has been instrumental in keeping the valuable ties with Spain and other countries that strive to have their horses worthy of the stud book.
The mares and stallions have always been selected for temperament… the better to make regents appear outstanding equestrians with very little effort on their part! The horse’s body echoes the rounded architecture of the baroque period with the arched crest and extravagant mane and tail as decoration. The P.R.E. still has to be beautiful, tractable and instantly recognizable as a Spanish horse. This concentrated blood is used to refine and improve other breeds.
The P.R.E. is not just another pretty face. Its conformation, with powerful hindquarters and flexible poll, makes the P.R.E. a horse that finds collected work easier than do most breeds. In the United States and Europe the P.R.E. is coming to the forefront of the dressage world, especially with the recent silver medal won by the Spanish team at the 2004 Olympics. The P.R.E. is a separate F.E.I. recognized breed and there are several world-class amateurs that ride Spanish Purebreds. The P.R.E. can also be found participating in team-penning, hunter/jumper, driving, and many other equestrian disciplines as well as being a trusted trail mount. The P.R.E. is truly a “family” horse, doing it all with star-power dazzle while being ridden by equestrians of all ages from 6 to 60-plus!
The P.R.E. is rare, but so are all precious jewels.. Its stunning visual appeal alone would make this true, but anyone who has ever had the privilege of owning, riding or training one will tell you that there is no other breed of horse like it in the world. This exemplary “Horse of Kings” is poised to take its place in the consciousness of American equestrians as the royal horse that it is
These extraordinary horses with their wild, impossibly lush manes, luxurious tails, chiseled, convex profiles and uncanny ability to appear to be fiery steeds --- while actually obediently carrying out a rider’s every nuanced command --- have become the darling of the cinema, especially period and fantasy genres like “Lord of the Rings”.
What is a P.R.E? The conformation points of the P.R.E. are well-defined. Breeders around the globe shoulder the responsibility for carrying forward this elite breeding program, now nearly five hundred years old. Horses are inscribed in the Spanish stud book and must later be approved for breeding. Only a horse that is brought up in this tradition can be called a P.R.E. The Foundation for the Pure Spanish Horse Association has been instrumental in keeping the valuable ties with Spain and other countries that strive to have their horses worthy of the stud book.
The mares and stallions have always been selected for temperament… the better to make regents appear outstanding equestrians with very little effort on their part! The horse’s body echoes the rounded architecture of the baroque period with the arched crest and extravagant mane and tail as decoration. The P.R.E. still has to be beautiful, tractable and instantly recognizable as a Spanish horse. This concentrated blood is used to refine and improve other breeds.
The P.R.E. is not just another pretty face. Its conformation, with powerful hindquarters and flexible poll, makes the P.R.E. a horse that finds collected work easier than do most breeds. In the United States and Europe the P.R.E. is coming to the forefront of the dressage world, especially with the recent silver medal won by the Spanish team at the 2004 Olympics. The P.R.E. is a separate F.E.I. recognized breed and there are several world-class amateurs that ride Spanish Purebreds. The P.R.E. can also be found participating in team-penning, hunter/jumper, driving, and many other equestrian disciplines as well as being a trusted trail mount. The P.R.E. is truly a “family” horse, doing it all with star-power dazzle while being ridden by equestrians of all ages from 6 to 60-plus!
The P.R.E. is rare, but so are all precious jewels.. Its stunning visual appeal alone would make this true, but anyone who has ever had the privilege of owning, riding or training one will tell you that there is no other breed of horse like it in the world. This exemplary “Horse of Kings” is poised to take its place in the consciousness of American equestrians as the royal horse that it is
