What is a Sporting Horse ?

It is a horse who has the predisposed conformation and character to be an athlete in the discipline in which he is most comfortable, this may be Jumping , Eventing , Dressage and/or Endurance, to quote the main disciplines.

After having worked for a number of years mainly with French Saddlebreds (often descended from a Thoroughbred or an Anglo-Arabian like the famous Barigoule), we have been taken by the beauty of the Tobiano horses, commonly known as "Coloured horses".

They are very widespread as a leisure breed, and are in general small, but as our goal is to work with Sporting horses and produce athletes, we turned towards Dutch, KWPN or NRPS breeds, and we have selected mares chosen firstly for their excellent character, then their build and exceptional pace. .

As of 2007, we have used more and more single colour Selle Français (or "Anglo-Arabs") mares with a really good "International Jumping low line" and we have had them inseminated by the rare Tobiano stallions which have proved their worth in the international competitions.

Jumping International de Liège 2009

One of our 2008 filly, daughter of a coloured Selle Français and of Utah van Erpekom (ridden by John Whitaker) has even been tested homozygous for the Tobiano gene. Please meet Une Star Morinda

To see pictures of Utah, click here

The Fontanel Stud Farm (formerly Defey Stud Farm) has agreed to give the experiment a try and be associated with us. They will give us these extraordinary mares, with top Jumping bloodlines, that generally cannot be found.

Our hope is to be able to breed colts that are close to man, easy to handle thanks to the education they will receive when young and talented in one or other of the sporting disciplines which are practiced today. These colts will then follow their illustrious ancestors into the field of competition, bringing their colours with them too.

This colour, the Tobiano coat, will provide that little bit more to those who want that uniqueness in their horse. Nature sometimes offers extraordinary tones, bright coats with amazing marking. After having ridden plain-coated horses for nearly 30 years, we fell in love with these extraordinary coloured coats. There are no two Tobiano horses identical, and for each birth, the breeder asks himself not only how his foal will look like, but also if he will be coloured.

We are happy and proud to present you the "Morinda Breeding Farm"