2002 World Equestrian Games

The Spanish Horse in Competition

PRE horses have always been known for their ability and willingness to learn and their exemplary noble character. The international image of PRE has traditionally been associated with the gaits of the Royal School of Equestrian Art. However it is vital to remember that in the 21st century, Purebred Spanish Horses offer much more than simply a long and proud heritage in Spain.

In addition to Doma Vaquera - a traditional discipline in Spain, which is the sporting adaptation of farm tasks performed by horses in the fields while working with fighting cattle - PRE horses have been most outstanding in other disciplines, including Dressage and Driving competitions.

The 1996 Olympic Games marked a turning point in the perception of the breeds performance in the sporting arena with the appearance of the first, high level athletes-EVENTO and FLAMENCO. Ignacio Rambla and Rafael Soto from the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art rode these PRE horses, surprising the international equestrian world by achieving brilliant results on their premiere outing. The experts also found it hard to overlook another startling detail: INVASOR, another PRE that participated as a substitute horse, was the youngest horse ever to participate in the Games. At the age of seven, the horse clearly showed the learning capacity of PRE horses in comparison with other breeds of a similar age. Today, INVASOR is an internationally renowned Dressage figure.

Since then, experts and judges have highlighted the enormous possibilities that Purebred Spanish Horses offer in this discipline, which until now, seemed to be better adapted to central European breeds. This is especially true for the cadence and steadiness that PRE horses show while performing collection, passage and piaffe exercises where suspension, balance and elevation are well above the level shown by other breeds.

This phenomenon has transcended to the world of Dressage to such an extent that breeders in countries with extensive tradition in Dressage have purchased PRE stallions in an attempt to cross-breed various positive character aspects inherent in the PRE, including the psychological stability of the PRE.