When you think of draft horses you usually think of beer wagons or big plow horses. In more romantic thoughts you think of the great big horses that carried knights into battle or at jousting tournaments. Youd be right on all accounts. Heavy Horses were developed to do all the unpleasant things mankind did NOT want to do on foot, or couldnt do with lighter horses. Without the heavy horse progress would have slowed to a crawl, and farming certainly wouldnt have expanded by the leaps and bounds it did in the 17th and 18th centuries. Once the heavy horse was mustered out of war in favor of his light cousins he could be found plowing acre after acre and hauling loads so huge that an entire village of men could not shift them. Europe grew and harvested vast fields of food with the strength of the heavy horse and American followed suit. In the early 1900s astute American businessmen were bringing over from Europe some of the finest heavy horse lines. They sought out breeders such as Charles Aveline, in France and bought his gorgeous Percheron bloodstock to improve the horses in America. Once such stallion imported to America was Dragon, a true French Percheron, born a stones throw from where the breed originated. He was imported into Virginia and shortly thereafter won the US, Grand Champion Stallion International , Ohio in 1907, he was owned by Col.E.B. White. Dragon left a legacy that includes the American Harlequin Draft. He is behind Justamere Showtime, one of the preeminent Percheron sires. Justamere Showtime is the grandsire of Valley Vista Knightime, who is the sire of Sugarbush Felina Del Noche. Felina was chosen by Everett Smith to be the mare he bred to Stonewall Rascal, resulting in Sugarbush Harley Quinne. You can compare the two below and see that the quality that won the International is still there.
Posted on: Tue, 08 Jul 2014 05:47:27 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015