GERMANY (by Adriana van Tilburg/press release) The World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH) and Rolex announced a new partnership at a press conference held during the 2015 European Championships in Aachen. The concept of a World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses was first discussed among a group of experts representing the leading European breeding countries in 1988. The organization was formally founded in 1994, initially with a membership of 25 studbooks from around the world. This figure has now grown to 71 full members and three associate member studbooks representing more than 100,000 breeders.
The long-term partnership highlights the understanding and respect that the WBFSH and Rolex have for the passion and hard work that goes on behind-the-scenes at large International events, and in particular the breeding industry. Rolex will become the ‘Official Timepiece’ to the Federation.
HRH Princess Benedikte of Denmark is the current patron of the WBFSH. She has developed her own highly successful breeding program in Germany and her daughter Princess Nathalie has won two Olympic medals with Digby – a home-bred horse.
Jan Pedersen, president of the WBFSH said: “As president of the Federation and on behalf of our breeders and studbooks, I am very proud to enter into partnership with Rolex. Rolex is the epitome of high quality, elegance, exclusiveness and power – all values which we hold very high”.
Jan Pedersen continued by saying; “It is not completely fair that the breeders of our good horses are so invisible, I hope that one day the breeder will be mentioned on the starters list and is being listed on the big screen during prize giving ceremonies at the Euro- pean Championships, World Equestrian Games and the Olympic Games. This is one of our goals. With this new Rolex- WBFSH partnership we will be able to increase our effort to stimulate the development of the sport horse breeders.
