|
It is only the beginning of many choices when a horse owner decides to breed their horse. Mare owners face a huge decision when it comes to picking  out a stallion that not only compliments the mare, but also will produce offspring that will fulfill the goals of the breeder. What attributes does a Cleveland Bay possess that would make it the right match for your personal breeding plan? Being a horse of substance, intelligence and talent, the Cleveland Bay has much to offer and may be the perfect match you are looking for.
It is important to keep in mind that the Cleveland Bay is very different from most warmbloods who are in fact named for the region they come from rather than being a distinct type. The Cleveland Bay is very true to type as they have had a closed registry since 1884. This means they have had no recent infusion of Thoroughbred blood or any other breed. Breeders of the Oldenburg, Hanovarian, Holstein, and the Selle Français, to name just a few, in Europe have used Cleveland Bays to enhance their breeds.. Even here in the United States you can find Cleveland Bays in the pedigrees of. Morgans, Standard breds and Quarter horses. They have shown that they stamp their progeny with very uniform color, conformation, wonderful dispositions, and the ability to excel in dressage, jumping, eventing and driving.
Cleveland Bays are big-bodied horses with plenty of bone. They may not have the speed to compete at upper levels of eventing, but they have stamina, enough to spend a solid day out hunting and not tire over time. This is why a Cleveland Bay crossed with a Thoroughbred produces a talented, athletic equine with more substance. The same of course is true for other lighter breeds. Cleveland Bays are known for having a ground-covering stride with decent shoulders and powerful hindquarters. These are aspects highly sought after by dressage riders. They also tend to be very sound, long living horses.
Temperament is defined as that part of the personality which is genetically based. Cleveland Bay horses have a wonderful temperament that seems to pass on to almost all progeny. This makes for a kind, tolerant horse that still retains amazing presence. It may seem to be an odd combination but Cleveland Bay crosses, also known as Cleveland Bay Sport Horses, are known for being the horse that captures the spectators eye when they are in front of a crowd.
Cleveland Bay Sport Horses have represented Britain at the Olympics in show jumping. They have competed in driving at world championships. Now they have started to make their mark here in America with regional and national championships in dressage and eventing. The numbers are still small as the Cleveland Bay is crtically endangered, but every year the numbers of pure Cleveland Bays and Cleveland Bay Sport Horses grow as horse people realize what a truly wonderful horse this is. Sir J D Paul wrote a poem that was published in the Whitby Gazzette, in England in 1879 that stated:
"All things that live have parallel, save one:
The Cleveland Bay Horse, he alone has none!". |
Horse Programs 
