Studbook Spotlight: The Selle Français, Swedish Warmblood, and Zangersheide Studbooks

This week the world’s top studbooks will descend on the Longines Tops International for the second edition of the WBFHS Studbooks Jumping Global Champions Trophy. As we prepare to close out the summer season in style this weekend in Valkenswaard, we take a look at some of the elite studbooks set to take part in this prestigious event.

Selle Français

Ranked No. 1 in the 2023 WBFSH Jumping Ranking, the Selle Français stands as the current leader among studbooks. The medals won during the Paris Olympic Games are a testament to this: the Selle Français horse is modern and perfectly meets the demands of contemporary sport, continuously evolving since its inception 60 years ago.

Legendary names like Diamant de Semilly, Quidam de Revel, and Nino des Buissonnets still resonate today, alongside those currently elevating the Selle Français Studbook to the highest levels of international show jumping, such as Dallas Vegas Batilly, Dynamix de Bélhème, Dorai d’Aiguilly, Caracole de la Roque and Dubai du Cèdre—all medalists in Versailles.

The success of these great champions is directly linked to the careful selection and daily efforts of the Selle Français studbook. Our participation in the WBFSH Jumping Global Champions Trophy aligns with this philosophy of training young horses. We are committed to ensuring that the best representatives of the 5/6/7-year-old circuits but also 8 and oldest best horses to showcase their talents in the Valkenswaard arena. In this regard, we are diligently working on selecting horses for this competition, in collaboration with the Société Hippique Française and the Fédération Française d’Équitation.

Our participation in 2023 was already marked by outstanding performances, we are confident that 2024 will be even better!

The Swedish Warmblood

The Swedish way to international success!

Through tradition, collaboration and development in stride with time, we achieve quality and results that are among the best in the world. Lately, showjumpers like Point Break, Catch Me Not S, Hello Valentino and Iron Dames Singclair have achieved great results on international top level.

The Swedish Warmblood horse comes of a long-standing tradition with a philosophy based on natural resources, sustainability and soundness. Our climate and landscape are perfect for the horses’ well-being. Our horses usually grow up in freedom, roaming large areas of land, in social contact with other horses. The understanding that horses are individuals that demand respect for each, and every horse’s trait and natural abilities is an important part of the whole picture.

There is strong collaboration between breeding and sport in Sweden as well as between training and future performance. This shows not least at SWB Equestrian Weeks each year during the first week of October at ancient Flyinge Stud where the best young horses compete. Many of them have later showed their ability on international top level. At this event, there’s also the excellent opportunity to purchase a future star at the SWB Elite Foal Auction. 

Studbook Zangersheide vzw

Studbook Zangersheide vzw was founded in 1992 by Léon Melchior with the ambition to breed showjumping horses of the highest quality. Studbook Zangersheide vzw triggered a revolution in the showjumping world, by focusing on performance breeding, which until then had been a regional and protectionist affair. Nowadays Studbook Zangersheide ranks amongst the largest studbooks across the world and worldwide more than 10,000 foals per year are registered with that characteristic ‘Z’ suffix behind their names. Zangersheide horses are competitive, fast and perfectly adapted to the contemporary showjumping sport, which is why they are so incredibly popular all over the world. Think for example Beauville N.O.P. Z, Dexter Fontenis Z and Legacy (ex. Chavantele Z) who week after week excel at the largest events in the world!

Annually, Studbook Zangersheide awards €30,000 to breeders of Z-horses achieving international success. The breeders of the top 3 in the Z-Ranking are celebrated during the 'FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championship for Young Horses'. At the same event, Studbook Zangersheide presents the €30,000 Zangersheide Super Premium for Breeders to the breeders of the top 3 horses in each age category, irrespective of their registered studbook. Moreover, 2% of the prize money in any ranking class of a Zangersheide-organized competition is granted to the horse breeders. We hope this will inspire other organizations to do the same in order to reward and involve breeders more in the sport.

Don't miss the final event of the 2024 season. Get your tickets now!