47-661: Trakehner is a light warmblood breed of horse , originally developed at the East Prussian state stud farm in the town of Trakehnen from which the breed takes its name. The state stud [ de ] was established in 1731 and operated until 1944, when the fighting of World War II led to the annexing of East Prussia by Russia , and the town containing the stud renamed as Yasnaya Polyana . The Trakehner typically stands between 15.2 and 17 hands (62 and 68 inches, 157 and 173 cm). They can be any color, with bay , gray , chestnut and black being
94-649: A breed registry that is restricted or closed is utilized here. Epsom Derby The Derby Stakes , also known as the Derby or the Epsom Derby , is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old colts and fillies . It is run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey on the first Saturday of June each year, over a distance of one mile, four furlongs and 10 yards (2,423 metres), or about 1½ miles. It
141-505: A discrete "breed". The Trakehner is an exception, as although some other breeds are used within the breeding population, this horse is considered a true breed. The Hanoverian , Holsteiner , and Selle Français studbooks are also considered slightly less open than others. Most warmblood registries recognize breeding stock from any other registry that is a member of the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses which
188-698: A fairground in operation on the Friday and Saturday. The walk-in nature of the Hill typically sees Derby attendances exceed 100,000 spectators, making it one of the largest sporting events in the United Kingdom. In 2021 and 2022 the race, along with seven other races at the Derby festival, was sponsored by Cazoo . Cazoo declined an option to extend their sponsorship and in April 2023 the bookmaker Betfred agreed
235-504: A long sloping shoulder, good hindquarters, short cannons, and a medium-long, crested and well-set neck. The head is often finely chiseled, narrow at the muzzle, with a broad forehead. It is known for its "floating trot" – full of impulsion and suspension. The Trakehner possesses a strong, medium-length back and powerful hindquarters. Trakehners are athletic and trainable, with good endurance, while some are more spirited than horses of other warmblood breeds. Trakehners breed true to type, due to
282-485: A three-year deal to sponsor the Derby and Oaks. Investec was the previous sponsor of the Derby between 2009 and 2020. The race was previously backed by Ever Ready (1984–94) and Vodafone (1995–2008). Winning distances are shown in lengths or shorter ( dh = dead-heat; shd = short-head; hd = head; snk = short-neck; nk = neck). 49. Kevin McCarthy and Michael Church's 17 page Academic Essay, "Where did
329-556: Is affiliated with the Olympics-recognized International Federation for Equestrian Sports . A defining characteristic of a warmblood registry is studbook selection , though even some purebred breeds in Europe use this practice. Studbook selection is the use of external evaluation to critique conformation and movement of potential breeding stock to cull unsuitable breeding horses and direct
376-644: Is considered one of the toughest tests to which an entire breed of horses has been submitted. Refugee convoys were bombed while on the ice by the Soviet airforce, so only a small number of horses made it to safety. 700 surviving horses were accounted for. The horses left behind in East Prussia became important in the breeding of Russian breeds such as the Kirov as well as the Polish Mazury (also known as
423-491: Is particularly famous for his show jumping team gold and individual silver medals at the 1984 Olympics and 1985 World Cup win. Heuriger was the 1994 show jumping team silver medallist at the 1994 World Equestrian Games . Trakehner mare TSF Dalera BB, ridden by Jessica von Bredow Werndl, is the no.1 ranked dressage horse in the world as of September 2023, and has won gold medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for both team and individual. Dalera has also won individual gold medals at
470-517: Is reflective of the needs of the market. In eras and regions which called for cavalry mounts, warmbloods were bred to fit that need; when and where horses for light to moderate agricultural work were needed, warmbloods have also filled those roles. The purposeful evolution of the standard breeding aim is another characteristic of the warmbloods. Warmbloods have become popular since the end of World War II when mechanization made agricultural horses obsolete, and recreational riding became more widespread in
517-599: The Forest Horse , though modern DNA studies of early horses have disproven this hypothesis. The best-known German warmbloods are the Hanoverian , Holsteiner , Oldenburg and the purebred Trakehner . Others include the Württemberger , Rhinelander , Westphalian , Zweibrücker , Brandenburger , Mecklenburger , and Bavarian Warmblood . Several of these breeds are also represented by ancestral types such as
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#1732772034844564-667: The Irish Derby or German Derby . The Derby run at Epsom is usually referred to as "the Derby" in Great Britain. It is one of Britain's great national sporting events and has a large worldwide TV audience. The Stanley family, Earls of Derby, had a long history of horse-racing, and James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby , who gained the Lordship of Mann in 1627, instituted horse-racing on the Langness Peninsula on
611-611: The Isle of Man , donating a cup for what became known as the " Manx Derby ". The Derby originated at a celebration following the first running of the Oaks Stakes in 1779. A new race was planned, and it was decided that it should be named after either the host of the party, the 12th Earl of Derby , or one of his guests, Sir Charles Bunbury (the Bunbury Cup run at Newmarket would later be named in his honour). According to legend
658-755: The Oldenburg , Marco Polo for the Dutch Warmblood , the stallions Ibikus and Donauwind for the Danish Warmblood , and Polarstern for the Swedish Warmblood . While Trakehners compete in nearly all equestrian disciplines, they are particularly prized as dressage mounts, due to their sensitivity, intelligence and way of going. Peron anchored the United States team to an Olympic Bronze in 1996 at Atlanta. Abdullah , by Donauwind,
705-670: The Ostfriesen and Alt-Oldenburger , Alt-Württemberger, and Rottaler . Central European warmbloods include the French Selle Français , Belgian Warmblood , Dutch Warmblood , Swiss Warmblood , Austrian Warmblood , Danish Warmblood , and Czech Warmblood . Scandinavian countries also produce high-quality warmbloods such as the Finnish Warmblood and Swedish Warmblood . Warmblood registries which are not based in continental Europe include those that regulate
752-524: The world wars ; from 1915 to 1918 and from 1940 to 1945, the Derby was run at Newmarket as the 'New Derby'. With the race's close association with gambling, the most controversial running of the Epsom Derby took place in 1844. The winner, Running Rein, was disqualified on discovery that a four-year-old imposter, a horse by the name Maccabeus, had been substituted in his place as part of a betting coup. The Derby has inspired many similar events around
799-754: The 14th century, knights used it to breed their military horses, and descendants of the Schwaikenpferd were later used by Masovian and Ostsiedlung farmers for light utility work. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the people of Ducal Prussia , Brandenburg , and Royal Prussia used a wide variety of horses from the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth , Crimean Tatars , Ottoman Turkey , Wallachia , Moldavia and Transylvania , Holy Roman Empire for their cavalry and stud horses, crossed on local animals. In 1732 King Frederick William I of Prussia used these horses and other imports to establish
846-563: The 1930s there were more than 10,000 breeders and 18,000 registered mares. In the 1930s and early 1940s Hauptvorwerk Trakehnen and its 15 Vorwerke covered 6,033 hectares (14,910 acres), of which 3,845 hectares (9,500 acres) were fields, 2,427 hectares (6,000 acres) meadows, 175 hectares (430 acres) forest, 73 hectares (180 acres) garden and 351 hectares (870 acres) other. Horses such as the Trakehner were used in World War II which, at
893-424: The 2022 and 2023 Dressage World Cup. Warmblood Warmbloods are a group of middle-weight horse types and breeds primarily originating in Europe and registered with organizations that are characterized by open studbook policy, studbook selection , and the aim of breeding for equestrian sport . The term warmblood was coined to represent a mixing of cold blooded and hot blooded breeds. Although
940-409: The Derby became the world's first outdoor sporting event to be televised. There is a maximum of 20 runners allowed in the race. Since the 1993 edition, The Derby has introduced yearling entry. The system were canceled from 2024 edition and 2022 during COVID-19 pandemic. For many years the Derby was run on a Wednesday or a Thursday and on the day huge crowds would come from London, not only to see
987-427: The Derby was run on a Thursday in late May or early June, depending on when Easter occurred. In 1838 the race was moved to a Wednesday to fit in with the railways' timetables , but still followed the moveable feast of Easter. In the 20th century, the race was run mainly on a Wednesday in late May or early June until 1994, after which it was changed to a Saturday in early June. From 1915 to 1918 (during World War I ), it
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#17327720348441034-775: The Masuren) and Pozan (or Poznan), which developed into the Wielkopolski . After the war, the breed, which once numbered tens of thousands was reduced to approximately 600 broodmares and 50 stallions in West Germany. The last original Trakehner was Keith, born there in 1941, who died in November 1976 in Gilten shortly before his 35th birthday. On 23 October 1947 the East Prussian Studbook Society
1081-488: The Oaks to the current distance of 1½ miles in 1784. Lord Derby achieved his first success in the event in 1787, with a horse called Sir Peter Teazle . The starting point of the race was moved twice during the 19th century. The first move, suggested by Lord George Bentinck , was in 1848, and the second was in 1872. It was discovered in 1991 that the exact length of the race was one mile, four furlongs and 10 yards. Initially,
1128-598: The Trakehnen Stud at the East Prussian town Trakehnen (now Yasnaya Polyana , Russia ). Soldiers cleared the forest at the River Pissa between Stallupönen and Gumbinnen . In 1739 the king gave it to crown prince Frederick II of Prussia , who often sold stallions to make money. After his death in 1786 it became state property, named Königlich Preußisches Hauptgestüt Trakehnen . Between 1817 and 1837
1175-434: The breeding of American Warmbloods and Irish Sport Horses . Not all breeds within the warmblood category are named "warmblood" as such in their studbooks, many have names based upon the geographical region where they were first developed. In some cases, where there is debate over whether a particular warmblood bloodline is a breed or a type, but the existence of either a studbook selection process in an open registry and/or
1222-543: The decision was made by the toss of a coin, but it is probable that Bunbury, the Steward of the Jockey Club , deferred to his host. The inaugural running of the Derby was held on Thursday 4 May 1780. It was won by Diomed , a colt owned by Sir Charles Bunbury, who collected prize money of £1,065 15s. The first four runnings were contested over the last mile of the old Orbicular course <49>, this extended in line with
1269-531: The end, nearly destroyed the breed as Soviet troops advanced from the East, causing flight and expulsion of Germans during and after WWII . The main Stud and local residents were forced to evacuate between 20 January 1945 and March 1945. Their journey West, known as Der Treck ("The Flight"), sent the horses on a dangerous journey in frigid conditions across the frozen Vistula lagoon without proper rations or shelter. It
1316-409: The evolution towards a particular goal. Today, studbook selection usually entails a performance proof in addition to external evaluation, particularly for stallions . Standards of conformation and movement are not designed to perpetuate a particular ancestral type, but rather to meet a particular need. This concept is illustrated by the history of the Oldenburg horse through the past 150 years: in
1363-399: The horses' gaits, temperament, jumping ability, and suitability over a cross country course, before being given full breeding licenses. The Trakehner is used as a "refiner" of other breeds, allowing an infusion of Thoroughbred and Arabian blood without the risks often involved in first generation outcrosses. Influential stallions include Abglanz for the Hanoverian , Herbststurm who influenced
1410-847: The largesse of others. True pure-bred Trakehner show the Ostpreußische Elchschaufel (East Prussian moose horn) branding (see Image above). Today in Germany the breed is considered a federal responsibility, with its governance falling under both the Trakehner Verband and the Trakehner Gesellschaft mbH; the latter handling all business operations. Stallion inspections are held in Neumünster , Germany, each October and approved stallions are required to complete extended performance tests, which rate
1457-541: The late 19th century, the standard called for a heavy but elegant, high-stepping carriage horse, in the early 20th century for a heavier, stronger, economical farm and artillery horse, and since 1950 for a modern sport horse . The most critical characteristic of a warmblood registry is that its breeding goal (or "breeding aim") is to breed sport horses. Each registry has a slightly different focus, but most breed primarily for show jumping and dressage . Many include combined driving and eventing as well. The breeding aim
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1504-412: The latter half of the 20th century, Derby Day became less popular and the race was moved from Wednesday to Saturday in 1995 with the hope of reviving high attendance. As the number of people attending the fair dwindled in the face of competition for attention and changing tastes, its length was reduced from 10 days to three or four. Today, the free-admission Hill still provides a festival atmosphere with
1551-630: The modern era due to changing priorities in racing and breeding, and the demands it places on horses. The name "Derby" (deriving from the sponsorship of the Earl of Derby ) has been borrowed many times, notably by the Kentucky Derby in the United States, and to describe many other key racing and sporting events. The term "Epsom Derby" is often used in the United States and elsewhere, in order to differentiate The Derby from other races such as
1598-404: The most common, though the breed also includes few roan and tobiano pinto horses . It is considered to be the lightest and most refined of the warmbloods , due to its closed stud book which allows entry of only Trakehner, as well as few selected Thoroughbred , Anglo-Arabian , Shagya and Arabian bloodlines. Owing to its Thoroughbred ancestry, the Trakehner is of rectangular build, with
1645-578: The most successful being Ararad, Dampfross, Hyperion, Pythagoras and Tempelhüter. These stallions, while refined, possessed much substance and bone. Their influence is still seen on the modern Trakehner. It was during the 1920s and 1930s that the breed was recognized for its performance abilities in competitive disciplines. Trakehners won gold and silver medals in two Olympics, including six gold medals in Berlin in 1936, and won Czechoslovakia's notoriously challenging Velká pardubická steeplechase nine times. In
1692-546: The purity of the bloodlines, making it valuable for upgrading other warmbloods. Old Prussians and other Baltic people such as the Lithuanians were noted for their hardy horses and cavalry during the early Middle Ages . During their conquest of Old Prussians in the 13th century Prussian crusade , the conquering Teutonic Knights named the Old Prussian horse a Schwaikenpferd , a small primitive horse. Beginning in
1739-429: The race but to enjoy other entertainment (during some of the 19th century and most of the 20th, Parliament would adjourn to allow members to attend the meeting). By the time that Charles Dickens visited Epsom Downs to view the race in the 1850s, entertainers such as musicians, clowns, and conjurers plied their trades and entertained the crowds; other forms of entertainment included coconut stalls. The crowded meeting
1786-468: The rapid transformation of the breed into much sought-after army remounts: sure-footed, intelligent and athletic. By 1918 60,000 mares per year were bred to East Prussian stallions. In 1919 the Treaty of Versailles limited Germany's army to 100,000 troops and so the breed's focus was again turned to producing horses suitable to farm duties. For this purpose, sires of heavier conformation (build) were used,
1833-681: The stud added Arabian , Thoroughbred , and Hanoverian horse blood to their stock. One especially influential Thoroughbred was Perfectionist, by Persimmon, who won The Derby and the St Leger in 1896. He was to be the sire of the great Trakehner stallion Tempelhüter, and most modern Trakehners can be traced to these two stallions. The Arabian blood was added to offset possible flaws of the Thoroughbred. East Prussian farmers were encouraged to bring their mares, by then known for their hardiness and quality, to Trakehnen's stallions. This enabled
1880-475: The term warmblood is occasionally used to indicate a horse which is a first generation cross between one hot- and one cold-blooded horse, the contemporary meaning refers to horses that have been bred over multiple generations to produce horses that perform well in various equestrian sports —predominantly show jumping , dressage , eventing , and combined driving . Sport horse is a newer term for this type of horse. Older established breed registries retain
1927-453: The western world. The ancestral warmblood types are referred to as the heavy warmbloods and are preserved through special organizations. The heavy warmbloods have found their niche as family horses and in combined driving . Most warmbloods were developed in continental Europe, especially Germany . It was once thought that the warmblood type, which originated in continental Europe, descended from wild, native proto-warmblood ancestors, called
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1974-508: The word "warmblood", and newer registries tend to use the word "sport horse" (also spelled "sporthorse"). Open studbook policies are different from "true breed" studbooks—such as those for Thoroughbreds , Arabians , Percherons , and Morgans —which have closed stud books and require two purebred parents to register an offspring. Instead, most warmblood registries accept breeding stock from other similar populations to continuously improve their own, and do not consider their own horses to be
2021-855: The world. European variations include the Derby Italiano , the Deutsches Derby , the Irish Derby and the Prix du Jockey Club (popularly known in the British Isles as the "French Derby"). Several races in the United States include the "Derby" name, including the oldest, the Kentucky Derby . Other national equivalents include the Australian Derby , the New Zealand Derby , and the Japanese Derby . In 1931,
2068-607: Was dissolved and the Association of Breeders and Friends of the Warmblood Horse of Trakehner Origin, known today as the Trakehner Verband , was created. Among the greatest obstacles the organization faced was that unlike other German breeds, the Trakehner had no mother state and could not depend on government funding. The re-establishment of the breed originally depended on the determination of its members and
2115-466: Was first run in 1780. It is Britain's richest flat horse race, and the most prestigious of the five Classics . It is sometimes referred to as the "Blue Riband" of the turf. The race serves as the middle leg of the historically significant Triple Crown of British horse racing, preceded by the 2000 Guineas and followed by the St ;Leger , although the feat of winning all three is rarely attempted in
2162-491: Was on a Tuesday, with the race's latest ever date being 31 July 1917. From 1942 to 1945 (during World War II ), 1947 to 1950, and in 1953, the race was run on a Saturday. From 1969 to 1994, it was on the first Wednesday in June. From 2003 to at least 2022, it has been on the first Saturday in June, apart from a race on 4 July 2020 without spectators, owing to COVID-19 . The Derby has been run at Epsom in all years except during
2209-514: Was the subject of a painting by William Powell Frith painted in the 1858 and titled The Derby Day ; critics have noted that the foreground of the painting features the entertainment attractions, while the racing is relegated to the margins. In the 1870s, the steam-driven rides were introduced. They were located at the Tattenham Corner end of the grounds and the fair was on for ten days and entertained hundreds of thousands. During
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