PUREBRED SPANISH HORSE (PRE) STUDBOOK

BAPSH Ltd STUDBOOK -Founded in 1982 and Affiliated in 1983  to the Purebred Spanish Horse (PRE) Mother Studbook, Spain (FESCCR 1983 to 2007, ANCCE-LGPRE 2007 onwards)

Above: Poseido IV Champion of Spain 1981

PAGE CONTENTS
Introduction and Brief History of the Spanish Horse
Purebred Spanish Horse Breed Standard (2017)
Purebred Spanish Horse Studbook Structure
Purebred Spanish Horse – BAPSH Ltd Studbook Registration Parameters – Foals & Imports.
Purebred Spanish Horse Breed Improvement Programme In Brief with Link to Full Details.
Purebred Spanish Horse Pedigree & Data Records in the UK

INTRODUCTION AND A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SPANISH HORSE
Ancient Roots in Southern Spain – Until recent times, horse breeding was concentrated in the south of Spain, most noticeably around the lush delta of the Rio Guadalquivir, in the heartland of Andalusia. Thus the horse acquired its widely recognised title of  ‘Andalusian’. Here, for millennia, horses have run wild, descendants of the ancestral equines which roamed both north and south of the pre-glacial land-bridge which linked Spain to North Africa. With the splitting of the continents, these aboriginal horses evolved into two separate breeds with a common ancestry and evolutionary factors, the Barb and the Spanish horse. Both breeds are strong, close coupled and agile, able to thrive in such varied terrain as high, rough mountain slopes and lowland, marshy belts around the coastal deltas. Both breeds are Hot Blooded.
Like all hot-blood horses the Purebred Spanish Horse is fiery and courageous whilst at all times remaining attuned to his rider’s wishes with a high degree of intelligence. This “non violent violence” which he possess has made the Spanish Horse constantly desirable as a horse of war for thousands of years. From the Carthaginians of coastal Spain in the 6th century BC, famed for their mercenary cavalry units, to the all-conquering Roman cohorts who drew over one third of their remounts from the province of Hispania, the courage and strength of the Spanish Horse was exhorted.
The Muslim Influence from the 8th to 11th Century – The Muslim invasion of Spain in the 8th Century did little to alter the already pre-potent breed in the peninsular. Of the small number of cavalry units involved, the majority were local recruits drawn from the North African Berbers and thus were mounted on that  very close relative of the Spanish Horse, the Barb. The Visigothic kingdom which the Moors invaded had a power base strongly centred around the Christian Church and much of the horse-breeding of the period was under monastic control. Not only did the invaders initially practice religious tolerance but also their understanding of the necessity of protecting suitable breeding stock allowed the Spanish Horse to survive intact. Later many breeding establishments retreated northwards into the unconquered regions of the peninsular, thereby preserving the purity of their horses. It was from here that the Christian Armies launched the Reconquest in the 11th century and their greatest hero, El Cid is immortalised in numerous statues mounted on his monastery-bred stallion Babieca. After three centuries of Moorish dominion, this animal has the unmistakeable stamp of the Spanish Horse.
  
Above Left: Moorish Horsemen, Alhambra 14th Century. Right: Spanish riders 16th Century.

Great Popularity Until the late 18th Century – Throughout history, via the early Norman “destrier”, the foundation of the Frankish war machine, epitomised by the black Spanish stallion ridden by Duke William at Hastings, to the state of the art palfreys of the later Middle Ages, the same morphological elements of the Spanish Horse are repeated. Later pictorial evidence is backed up by documentary clarification. Records stating the origins and desirability of Spanish Horses were numerous in the 16th and 17th centuries and this popularity was evident in the European wide demand for the breed in order to upgrade and establish local breeds, the most notable of which was the Lipizzaner in 1598.
Below: 17th Century Royals on Spanish Horses, from Left to Right –  Charles I of England 1633 portrait by Anthony Van Dyck, Cardinal Infant Ferdinand of Spain 17th C portrait ‘after Caper’, and Queen Isabel de Borbon 1633 portrait by Diego Velasquez
   
Later in the 18th century the Spanish Horse played a most important role in the creation of Thoroughbred, providing the main foundation mare line based on the Royal Mares at the studs in Britain.
In later centuries the Spanish Horse moved his skills perfected in mounted combat away from the arena of war and into the riding academies of Europe where his ability to perform High School manoeuvres remains unsurpassed. Today the Spanish Horse has numerous accomplishments within the sphere of equine endeavours to add to his historical status, yet it is his role in history which has made him the true aristocrat of the Equine world. Throughout history no ruler has appeared complete without the company of a Spanish charger and his depiction thereon. Artistic ideals may change yet the same horse is depicted over and over again, be it in classical treatise on horsemanship, marble friezes, statues or paintings. That is the success story of the Horse of Spain in History, right up to the 19th Century, but then events took a dramatic for the worse.
The 19th Century saw multiple wars fought across Spain and many studfarms disappeared as a result, which substantially reduced the population of the Purebred Spanish Horse. In 1822 the Spanish Military organisation, the Cria Caballar, was formed to control and promote horse-breeding across Spain, and other breeds such as the heavy Norman horse and the petite Arab horse appeared at the stallion depots (paradas) replacing the long dominance of Purebred Spanish Horse stallions due to the need for heavy artillery horses and superswift light cavalry horses. The industrial revolution got underway and accelerated across Europe,  the interest in horses changed to focus on racing and hunting, further undermining the waning popularity of the Spanish Horse.
The 20th Century – By 1925 only 15% of Stallions standing at public stud in the paradas across Spain were Purebred Spanish Horses. The first published volume of the PRE Studbook was issued by the Cria Caballar in 1912, and even though it spans from about 20 years of births and registrations the numbers of horses entered are very small. Numbers plummeted further with the First and Second World Wars, and the Spanish Civil War resulting in an embargo on the exportation of Spanish Horses which was only lifted in 1963.
First Modern Imports to UK – The first Purebred Spanish Horses were imported into the UK in the late 1960s for film work after a 200 year absence of the breed in this country, but the first PRE Studfarm in the UK was begun by Mr Mike Curson, Norwich, in 1978 with the importation of two mares and a stallion assisted by Mrs Christine Davies. The British Andalusian Horses Society was started a few years later (1982), affiliated to the Spanish Mother Studbook in 1983,  and eventually evolved into The British Association for the Purebred Spanish Horse Ltd (BAPSH Ltd) – a short
account of the History of BAPSH Ltd can be read HERE.  Various articles on PREs in the UK in the past can be found HERE.

Below Left: Radiante, imported for film work in late 1960’s. Right: Ultimado II, foundation PRE stallion in the UK. National CH many times, ridden by Christine Davies.
    
Spanish Studbook Worldwide Influence & Change of Management – For the past 140 years the breeding of Purebred Spanish Horses (PREs) worldwide has been officiated over by the PRE Mother Studbook in Spain which is itself controlled by legislation issued by the Spanish Government. The PRE Mother Studbook was managed for over 100 years by the Cria Caballar (FESCCR) but in 2007 the Spanish Government handed the PRE Mother Studbook to the Spanish Breeders Organisation, ANCCE, who set-up a separate department, ANCCE-LGPRE, dedicated to the Studbook’s management and policy implementation.
In many countries around the world the ANCCE-LGPRE has set up a collaborating partnership agreement with a National PRE organisation to enable the National organisation to act as the ‘local’ ANCCE-LGPRE office for the whole country.
The Role of BAPSH Ltd – BAPSH Ltd has been the official UK partner to the Spanish PRE Mother Studbook since 1983 and this position was re-confirmed with ANCCE-LGPRE in 2007. BAPSH Ltd handles all the documentation and communications from breeders and owners of PREs in the UK and Eire on behalf of the ANCCE-LGPRE, and in turn BAPSH Ltd handles all the documentation and communications from ANCCE-LGPRE to the breeders and owners in both the UK and Eire.
UK Equine Law Takes Precedence for UK PRE Horses – It is important to note that PREs resident in the UK are subject to UK Equine Law first and foremost, with the requirements of Spanish Equine Law for PRE Horses following on, and sometimes these two sets of Equine legislation do not quite match up. This makes for complex paperwork requirements and you are encouraged to spend some time reading through the advice, information, and example documents on this Website so that you understand what forms you may need for a particular job or Service, how to fill out the forms correctly, and what supporting documentation you may need to accompany your form/s. Receipt of accurately completed application forms, with all the data required, signed and dated by you, will significantly speed up processing in the BAPSH Registry Office and may save you money too by preventing potential extra charges for additional time required to correct errors and obtain missing paperwork.

PUREBRED SPANISH HORSE BREED STANDARD

 
Above: Yucatan de Ramos – 2018 Champion at SICAB -PRE World CH Show, Spain.
Left in the Morphology assessment. Right in the Functionality assessment.

General Characteristics: The PRE horse is medium sized, short backed, with a high-set arched neck carried proudly, and has a rounded, sub-convex profile from the tip of its long elegant nose to the root of its low-set tail. The body proportionality index – height at the withers divided by shoulder-isquial length – must remain between 90 and 110, showing remarkable general harmony and great beauty, with appreciable sexual dimorphism. The horse’s weight is balanced towards the hind-quarters which provides a high degree of collection, mobility, and reactivity to any stimulus; giving powerful jumping ability too. In character the breed is calm, sensitive, intelligent, quick to learn, and forms strong friendship bonds with humans. In life the breed is hardy, healthy, tough, resilient, willing to work very hard, and economical good-doers to feed.

The height at the withers should be between 1.54 and 1.72 meters for stallions and 1.52 and 1.70 meters for mares.

Head:- In proportion, average length, lean, with a sub-convex frontal profile, with minimal convexity of the frontal-nasal union. Ears are medium sized, proportionate to its head size, very mobile, well inserted and parallel and facing forward. Forehead – Slightly wide and discretely convex. Eyes – Lively, triangular, with an expressive gaze, orbital arches do not protrude from the front profile.
Face – Relatively long and moderately narrow face (more in mares), sub-convex and free of flesh. Nose –  tapered into a soft curve projected from the face. Nostrils – Long, almond-shape, non-protruding. Cheeks -Wide, lean with long discreetly arched edges. Upper Lip – Fine and mobile.

Neck:- Of average size and length in proportion to the height and length of the body, muscular (less in mares), the throat contained and well inserted into the trunk above the scapular-humeral union. The upper edge of the neck is slender, forming an ascending arch from the withers to the forehead (less arched and more stylish in mares). The neck insertion is wide/deep at the trunk and narrower at the head (insertion is less deep in mares). Abundant and silky mane.

Trunk:- In proportion and robust. Withers – discretely broad and prominent, in a smooth extension following the spinal column. Back – consistent, muscular and almost straight. Loin – short, broad, muscular, somewhat arched, and slightly rising to the croup, well joined with the back and the croup. Croup well proportioned, slightly longer than wide (somewhat wider in mares), rounded and sloping slightly. In adult horses, the height at the croup is lower than the withers. Tail inserted into the body below the line of the rump and fitting between the buttocks, with abundant, long and often wavy hair. Chest – Broad and deep. Ribs – Moderately arched, long and deep. Flanks – wide. Belly – correct.

Fore-legs or forehand:-  Shoulder – Long, muscular, and oblique. Upper-Arm (humerus) – strong and sloped. Forearm – Strong, of medium length. Knee – Well developed and lean. Cannon of proportionate length, tendon well-defined and ample. Fetlock – Lean, prominent, with little hair. Pasterns with good conformation, slope and direction and proportionate length. Hooves – Compact, well balanced and well developed.

Hind-legs or hindquarters:- Thigh – Muscular. Buttocks – lightly arched and muscular. Gaskin (second thigh) –  long. Hocks – Strong, big and clean. The angle of the hock, when viewed laterally, may be slightly closed, thus facilitating elevated movements and collection. The regions below the hock-joint should have identical characteristics to those given for the forelegs.

Coat:- Fine short coat. Grays and bays are dominant. The presence of White Patches, or excessive white on head and extremities, or any other shape or size throughout the body are un-acceptable traits for this breed. Other un-acceptable traits are Eyes of different colours or blue eyes that are not characteristic of the coat colour.

Functional characteristics and aptitudes: they have brilliant, agile, energetic, cadenced and elastic paces, with appreciable elevation and extension, notable ease for collection and turns on the haunches. Their walk is straight, regular and ground-covering. Trot is elastic, suspended, regular, cadenced and elegant, with active use of the hindquarters, flexing the joints in collection to push forward, elevating and flexing the knees. Their canter is fluid, has impulsion and is elastic with regular strides. Horses have excellent aptitudes to carry out a variety of functions, and an easy and quick response to its rider’s aids, thus they are obedient, with easy rapport with the rider and extraordinarily comfortable. Their main service is under saddle, finding great facility for Dressage (including competition Dressage, High School, and Doma Vaquera), rejoneo (mounted bull-fighting), acoso y derribo (testing young fighting bulls), carriage driving, working with livestock and other farm chores as well as other equestrian disciplines such as Show-Jumping and Eventing.

Behavioral characteristics and temperament: they are rustic, sober, well-balanced and tough animals. Energetic, noble and docile. They learn well and easily adapt to diverse jobs and situations.

Disqualifying defects: deformity of the upper neckline (fallen crest), ewe or inverted neck, cryptorchidism and non-accidental monorchidism. Also considered as disqualifying defects are: a height of less than 1.54 m for stallions and 1.52 m for mares, a proportionality index of less than 95 or greater than 105, concave or ultra-convex frontal profiles. The presence of white spots on the head when this invades the eye sockets or the entire face and the limbs, when the socks invade the knee or the hock, or any sized spot on the body, as with eyes that differ in colour or blue eyes when that colour is not a characteristic of the coat colour, and in general, the presence of serious defects, which differ from the breed prototype, detected during the assessment process.

Penalizing defects: those stated for the head and neck, when these do not reach the degree for disqualification, rounded and protruding nostrils, thick upper lip, filled upper lip with limited mobility, over-shot and under-shot jaw, the head-neck union is chunky, hardly differentiated and very deep, there is a lack of harmony and disproportion between body areas and dimensions, hollow/sunken back, height at the withers of > 170 cm for mares and >172 cm for stallions, being higher at the point of the croup than at the withers, presence of melanomas in the perineum, inadequate limb alignment and movement with poor elevation, irregular, poor extension and, especially, dishing and ambling.

Below: Nero II – Twice National Champion of Spain, &  also Junior Champion when a 3yr old

Download the Purebred Spanish Horse Breed Standard
a) PRE Breed Standard with Photos
b) PRE Breed Standard Text Only

PUREBRED SPANISH HORSE STUDBOOK STRUCTURE

The PRE Studbook is a closed Studbook. There is no ‘grading-up’ permitted under the international regulations of the ANCCE-LGPRE -Spanish PRE Studbook (Mother Studbook) which are legislated by the Government of Spain.
The BAPSH Ltd Studbook for Purebred Spanish Horses in the UK and Ireland follows the regulations and composition of the PRE Mother Studbook in Spain.

The Breeding Book has a MAIN SECTION composed of the following Registers:-

2.1 BIRTHS REGISTER:- For those horses born of breeding stock registered in the Permanent Register, in the covering (breeding), artificial insemination or embryo implantation has been duly declared by the breeder or veterinarian responsible for said task, and the birth of which has been declared following the procedure established  to this end by the officially recognized Breeder Association to handle the PRE Stud Book and the Breeding Program (hereinafter Breeder Association) [since 2007 this is the ANCCE-LGPRE]. Moreover, said horse/s must have been identified in accordance with the currently applicable regulations regarding the identification of equines, be found compatible with the proposed progenitors using a DNA analysis and its characteristics must respond to the demands established in the breed prototype described in Section 5 of this legislation, and fulfil the requirements demanded by the Breeder Association in keeping with the current legislation.
CLICK HERE FOR PRE FOAL REGISTRATION & INSCRIPTION WITH BAPSH Ltd & ANCCE-LGPRE

2.2 PERMANENT REGISTER [APTO BASIC]:- For breeding horses coming from the Births Register, that have reached the age of three  (3) years, that fit the Breed Standard (Breed prototype specified in Section 5 of the current Spanish legislation), and that can prove that they have passed a specific assessment for the breed, in keeping with the mandates laid out in point 3 of this legislation, and that have achieved the category of “Approved for Breeding”[APTO]. Any horse that fails to pass this assessment shall remain registered in the Births Register.
Within this Permanent Register, the following Registers for Breeding Stock with outstanding qualities from the genetic point of view are also included.
CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION & APPLICATION FORMS FOR PRE BREEDING APPROVAL (GRADING) IN THE UK

a) REGISTER OF QUALIFIED BREEDING STOCK [CALIFICADO]: horses listed in the Permanent Register and that have surpassed the conformation and/or functional or sports requirements from the phenotypic point of view, as established by the Breeder Association, may be included in this register. Likewise, all horses shall be subject to a radiographic study to rule out diseases such as osteochondrosis and a study of their reproductive tract to rule out any reproductive abnormalities.

b) REGISTER OF YOUNG RECOMMENDED REPRODUCERS [JRR]: horses in the Permanent Register between 4 and 6 years of age, that have undergone genetic assessment using the data generated when participating in the Performance Tests established in the Breeding Program, have achieved a genetic index that exceeds the established level for the relevant character or aptitude and have passed the conformation, functional, breeding and health requirements established in the Breeding Program, may be included in this register. All horses shall be subject to a radiographic study to rule out diseases such as osteochondrosis and a study of their reproductive tract to rule out any reproductive abnormalities.

c) REGISTER OF MAJOR RECOMMENDED (IMPROVER) REPRODUCERS [MRR]: horses that have undergone genetic assessment, that have achieved a genetic index that exceeds the average for the population for the relevant characteristic or aptitude, with a minimum reliability as established in the PRE Breeding Program and surpass the requirements according to the Breeding Program, may be included in this register. Moreover, these horses shall be subject to a radiographic study to rule out diseases such as osteochondrosis and a study of their reproductive tract to rule out any reproductive abnormalities.

d) REGISTER OF ELITE BREEDING STOCK [ELITE]: horses may be included in this register if and when said horse has outstanding genetic qualities, above the rest of the breed, and that has achieved the category of Major Recommended (Improver) Reproducer for Dressage and Aptitude for Conformation and Dressage. Moreover, these horses shall be subject to a radiographic study to rule out diseases such as osteochondrosis and a study of their reproductive tract to rule out any reproductive abnormalities.

Moreover, there shall be a Register of Merits for those horses in the Permanent Register that stand out due to their own merits or the merits of their descendants and that have demonstrated outstanding qualities.

CHANGES TO REGISTERED INFORMATION ABOUT OWNERS IN THE UK, eg New Address or Surname, OR TO INFORMATION HELD ABOUT A HORSE IN THE UK, eg Gelding, Sale/Purchase, Death, MUST BE NOTIFIED TO THE BAPSH Ltd REGISTRY OFFICE WITHIN 30 DAYS IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH UK EQUINE LAW – CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND LINKS TO FORMS.

PUREBRED SPANISH HORSE  – BAPSH Ltd STUDBOOK

REGISTRATION PARAMETERS FOR THE UK
PRE FOALS – MORE DETAIL

CLICK HERE to go to the PRE FOAL REGISTRATION PROCEDURE PAGE

Above: Lluna SA with her 2018 filly, Lluminar SA. Cream-Pearl mother and daughter both bred by Samantha Jo Tilley, Star Andalusian Stud, UK.

A Foal (or Horse) will be registered into the PRE Studbook providing the following criteria are met:-
a) the Foal’s parents are ‘APTO’ and registered in the Permanent Register,
b) a PRE  Studbook Covering Certificate (Breeding & Birth Certificate) has been issued with the correct Stallion and Mare Ownership data and signatures for the registered Owners at the date of the covering and a copy was sent to BAPSH Ltd,
c i) the person submitting the Breeding & Birth Certificate to BAPSH Ltd is the registered Owner of the mare at the date of the foal’s birth and the Owner has an ANCCE-LGPRE Breeder Code for the UK,  or,
c ii) the foal has been sold to another person with an ANCCE-LGPRE Breeder Code who submits the   Breeding & Birth Certificate to BAPSH Ltd with the bottom section – ‘Notification of Progeny Ownership Transfer’  – completed and signed by the Mare Owner (Breeder of the Foal) and the new Foal Owner.
d) the foal does NOT have any White Spots/Patches, or White extending over most of a Knee or Hock Joint or over most of an Eye Orbit on the head,
e) the foal does NOT have Blue Eyes uncharacteristic for the coat colour, or one Blue Eye & one Brown Eye,
f) the registration documentation, microchip insertion, and DNA Blood samples are completed correctly by the ANCCE Authorised Vet and the Owner and submitted to BAPSH Ltd,
g) the correct Fees are paid including any accumulated Late Fees for failure to return the compketed registration documents and DNA sample by the date the Foal is 5 months old.
Below: Marialba de Vargas with her filly bred by Jeanie Miles, Jayem Stud, UK

IMPORTED PUREBRED SPANISH HORSES – MORE DETAIL

All Purebred Spanish Horses which are registered in any Register of the ANCCE-LGPRE -Spanish PRE Studbook (Mother Studbook), regardless of their country of origin, will be accepted into the relevant register of the BAPSH Ltd Purebred Spanish Horse Studbook when their Imported Horse Registration application with BAPSH Ltd is completed.
When IMPORTING A HORSE FROM THE EU OR OTHER COUNTRY – THE IMPORTED HORSE MUST BE REGISTERED WITH THE UK PIO FOR THAT BREED OR TYPE WITHIN 30 DAYS OF ARRIVAL IN THE UK AND THE PASSPORT UPDATED WITH THE NEW OWNER’S DETAILS AND OVERSTAMPED BY THE UK PIO.
CLICK HERE for the FULL INFORMATION ON PROCEDURES & THE APPLICATION FORM for registering IMPORTED Purebred Spanish Horses (PREs) Horses into the UK Studbook and DEFRA Central Equine Database.

PUREBRED SPANISH HORSE BREED IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME

The Purebred Spanish Horse Breeding Programme is operated worldwide by the ANCCE-LGPRE Mother Studbook authorised by the Spanish Government which legislates on all matters concerning the Purebred Spanish Horse.  

See attached document – PUREBRED SPANISH HORSE BREED IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME – (English) Issued by the ANCCE-LGPRE (Mother Studbook Managers, Spain) Approved by MAPA, Spain. (‘Programa de Mejora del PRE’ (BOE No98, 25/04/2017) ANCCE)

Here is a short summary of the main features of the PRE Breed Improvement Program, the full details of which can be read in the attached document.

1.Breeding Evaluation at Basic level (Grading)
Mares and Stallions aged 3yrs or older are inspected at the central venue by the visiting Veterinary Delegate from the Mother Studbook, ANCCE-LGPRE, Spain. After the horse’s identity is confirmed, the inspection combines 27 conformation measurements, a detailed linear-morphological conformation analysis, breed-type, temperament, movement at walk, trot and canter.

Above: Airosa CCXVIII passing her Basic Grading in the UK. Bred by Denise Isaac, Wales.
The data from the inspection is given to each owner, and also entered into a genetic analysis program run by MERAGEM (genetic research centre) in Spain. This calculates:-
a) the global genetic index for conformation with aptitude for dressage for each horse,
b) the likelihood of each conformational attribute to be inherited by progeny.
Outstanding horses between 4yrs and 6yrs old inclusive are awarded the title ‘Young Recommended Reproducer for Conformation’ (JRR). This data is publicly available for each horse on the www.lgancce.com website

2.Breeding Evaluation at ‘Calificado’ level.
Mares and Stallions approved at Basic level and over 5yrs old can be presented for inspection at one of the few Calificado Grading Events held each year. After the horse’s identity is confirmed by the Veterinary Delegate, it is inspected by a team of 4 Specialist Assessors from the Mother Studbook, ANCCE-LGPRE, Spain. In addition to the assessments mentioned in (1), stallions must undertake a ridden test (optional for mares) to assess movement under saddle, self-carriage, obedience, etc, both sexes have a detailed examination of reproductive organs and fertility, X-Rays of all leg joints which are assessed by a specialist Vet in the University of Cordoba, Spain. There is a 40% Pass rate. All data is handled as per (1), with genetic indices being update as required.

Below: Vulcano Z – Calificado Stallion owned by Sadie Hadley, UK

3.Young Horse Dressage Series.
This competition series is held for horses of 4yrs to 6yrs old inclusive under standardised conditions in Spain in order to evaluate Dressage ability, genetic qualities, and the inheritability of these qualities. Again this data is fed into MERAGEM’s analysis system. The top 10% horses are awarded the status of ‘Young Recommended Reproducer for Dressage’ (JRR) which is added to the online Pedigree for the horse.
Currently the Young Horse Dressage Series is NOT available to PRE horses competing outside the borders of Spain.

4.Major Recommended (Improving) Reproducer (MRR)
For breeding horses that are 7yrs old or older that have attained a reliable genetic index above the herd average, and that sufficient descendants in the JRR Category.

5.Elite Reproducer Status – Awarded by the Spanish Studbook to PRE horses with outstanding competition records and with progeny who have outstanding qualities.

Below: Three ELITE PRE Stallions. From Left to Right – Utrerano VII, Ermitaño III, and Evento.

PUREBRED SPANISH HORSE PEDIGREES AND DATA RECORDS IN THE UK
The Maintenance of Accurate Pedigree and Data Records is an essential component of the BAPSH Ltd UK Breeding Program for DEFRA and is done in the following ways:-

Introduction: – The PRE Mother Studbook,  ANCCE-LGPRE, Sevilla, Spain, provides BAPSH Ltd with full access to their online interactive pedigree and identity database for PRE horses worldwide from 1880 onwards, ensuring BAPSH has reliable pedigrees, identity diagrams and written descriptions to compare with Passports and with equines being re-identified,  and DNA identity records to utilise.
Checking the Identity of  PRE Stallions and Mares: –
The identity and pedigree of Purebred Spanish Horses are checked and confirmed several times in their lives;
1.PRE foals are inspected by one of the ANCCE-LGPRE authorised Vets from the BAPSH Ltd Veterinary List for the UK & Ireland, and this Vet completes the Identity Diagram and a detailed written description on the Registration Application document, Microchips the foal and takes a blood sample for DNA Typing. The blood sample is couriered to Spain along with a duplicate of the Registration ID document and the foal is DNA typed and parentage tested and confirmed prior to registration in the PRE Studbook Birth Section. Thus the PRE horse is permanently identified in three ways at the start of its life.

2.PRE horses presented for Breeding Approval (Grading) have their Microchip scanned, and the Passport Identity Diagram compared to the physical evidence of the adult horse by the officiating ANCCE-LGPRE Grading Delegate Veterinarian. If the Microchip does not respond, a new Microchip is inserted and a new blood sample is taken before Grading commences. The blood sample is sent by BAPSH Ltd to the ANCCE Laboratory in Spain for DNA typing and comparison with the sample stored for that horse when it was a foal. If the DNA matches the foal sample, the identity records of the PRE horse are updated with the new Microchip code, and the horse’s Grading result is Validated.
Thus the identity of each breeding horse is checked twice before breeding ensues.

3.PRE horses Imported into the UK and Ireland have their microchips scanned and their whorls and markings recorded on the BAPSH Ltd Imported Horse Registration application form by a UK Equine Vet within 30 days of arrival in the UK/Ireland as part of the BAPSH Imported Horse registration procedure to comply with UK Equine Law. This ensures that the imported horse is fully identified, confirmed and certified to match the passport it has travelled with, and the passport is updated with any minor changes in markings, whorls or scars before being returned Overstamped and updated to the new Owner.

4.The identity of a PRE horse can be checked at any time via Microchip and/or fresh DNA sampling by an ANCCE-LGPRE authorised Vet from the BAPSH Ltd Veterinary List and the identity/pedigree confirmed.

NB: All PRE horses have DNA samples stored for future analysis in the event of the detection of genetic diseases within the breeding population worldwide or more detailed identification in the future.
PRE Horses born in Spain prior to 2007 have samples stored at the University of Cordoba, Spain.
PRE Horses born throughout the world since 2007 have DNA samples stored by ANCCE-LGPRE in Spain.
PRE Horses born before 2007 in the UK have their DNA samples stored with the Animal Health Trust, Newmarket, England. From 2007 onwards the UK DNA samples for PRE horses have been sent to ANCCE-LGPRE for testing and storage.

Purebred Spanish Mares and Foals in the green fields of England.
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