The Friesian horse has a long and romantic history. The breed was developed many centuries ago in Friesland, in northwestern Europe, which is now a part of The Netherlands.
By the early Middles Ages, the horse was already known by the name of the area in which it originated.
Due to their strength and agility Friesians were coveted war horses and they carried knights in the Crusades and into battle.
The breed faced extinction on several occasions, but was saved in 1913 by a dedicated group of breeders in Friesland. At that time there was only three studbook stallions left in the world.
Today, there are over 80 stallions in the world who have been approved by the Koninklijke Vereniging Het Friesch Paarden-Stamboek breeding association, (KFPS).
After regaining some visibility in its native Friesland, the Friesian horse soon appeared on the international driving scene.
That fueled a strong revival for the breed and in 1974 the first importations of modern times were made to North America.
Friesians are now gaining further respect in the dressage arena as some have reached Grand Prix levels and one even went to the Pam Am Games in 2012.
Friesians also perform well in combined driving, carriage driving and western Sports. The breed are also valued by pleasure horse owners for their striking beauty and loving gentle personalities.
The Canadian Friesian Horse Association (CFHA) was founded in 2008 by several dedicated Friesian horse owners to promote Friesians, Friesian sport horses and Arabo-Friesians in Canada
The registry strives to assist Canadian breeders, owners, and Friesian enthusiasts to access affordable professional advice and services in order to breed, register, evaluate, and award these magnificent animals in accordance with the breeding standards and rules of their Mother Studbook and the Canadian Animal Pedigree Act.
The registry promotes these animals by:
– supporting all Canadian equestrian award programs;
– issuing papers, maintaining pedigree, DNA and microchip database;
– organizing inspection tours for the evaluation of the horses;
– organizing stallion Keurings and stallion approval tests; and
– organizing membership meetings and opening a member’s communication list on the web.
The CFHA is a not-for-profit democratic association in its infancy, with several founding members from coast to coast.
To learn more about the association or find regional contacts, call 780-675-5927, or fax 1-866-594-3120, or via email at info@canadianfriesianhorse.ca or visit www.canadianfriesianhorse.ca.
