By C.R. Potocnik; C. Potocnik; Prof. F.C.V. Potocnik
Photography: Courtesy of the authors
In our July 2025 issue, we published Part 1 of this article focusing on the influence of Thorougbred blood in today’s sport horse breeding, using the 2024 WBFSH top-10 sires ranking. This is the second and final part of this invaluable update in breeding modernization.
A more detailed overview of some of the most important progenitors, including photographs is important to establish some idea of quality, conformation, and type of represented Thoroughbreds. The photographs have been sourced from the public domain, and due to age are not the best quality despite attempts to upgrade the resolution as far as possible. Viewing the collection of profile photographs it becomes clear that a particular Thoroughbred ‘sport type’ has been incorporated in sport horse breeding as a select group. This will, of course, in turn bear a relationship to the pedigrees which genetically underpin this preferred type. In brief these features include;
• More classical type Thoroughbred which is usually associated with middle to longer distance race performance (1,400-metre and longer races). The longer distance pedigrees tend to further embody the sport type.
• These classical features usually include a taller horse with a balanced conformation and stance over ground. They carry a longer length of neck and rein, well set on neck higher from the chest and uphill from the wither with a good top line. The chest consistently appears reasonably deep, which raises the question regarding possible relationship to the ‘big heart gene’. The hindlimbs and hindquarters with a lower set tail are well conformed and carry with strength.
Precipitation xx, winner of seven races, is the sire of the great Furioso xx and Furioso II. Precipitation xx shows the highest influence in jumping, likely through his descendants like Furioso, who then link to other foundation stallions.
Precipitation (1933): Furioso xx (son of Precipitation) is ubiquitous in all disciplines and has earned his place as a legacy sire internationally, particularly in French and German Studbooks. Historically Furioso xx’s descendents have competed at 23 Olympic Games/World Championship finals at 1m70. In the current study, he and Ladykiller xx in particular stand out with strong representation across all three disciplines, with the latter especially in dressage and eventing. These sires have left an enduring stamp internationally on modern Warmbloods.
Furioso xx’s legacy lives on today through the bloodlines of Furioso II by Furioso xx with Orange Peel xx on his damline through Dame de Ranville.
Mexico was a full brother to Furioso II, and sired Le Mexico. Le Mexico (Mexico X - Peche Melba), whose pedigree incorporates Furioso xx, Orange Peel xx x 2.
Purioso by Furioso II carries Furioso xx and Orange Peel xx through his sireline, and Herold xx and Dark Ronald xx on his damline. This pedigree and its presence in modern day competitors is outlined below:..
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