PRE-Fusion horse Diamanté, whose owner brought him over to the UK from Andalucía after falling in love with him while on a trekking holiday, is set to make his London International Horse Show debut after qualifying for the Senior Showing and Dressage Ltd (SSADL) finals.

Virginia Draper’s 18-year-old Diamanté – who is known as Mr D at home – qualified for the in-hand championship at Onley Equestrian Centre in September. Mr D is the only Spanish horse to qualify for the 2022 championships, but he will be joined in London by Joanne Eldridge’s 15-year-old Lusitano Cayak, who is contesting the ridden finale.

“Our first round qualification was at an agricultural show,” explains Virginia. “We then entered two shows for the second round and much to my amazement we took the championship. My mum watched proudly with lovely showing friends cheering us on at the ringside. Both the tears and Bucks Fizz flowed.”

Mr D was bred in a small village in Andalucía, Spain.

“His breeder isn’t horsey; he had purchased a PRE mare to ride in the local ferías and months later Mr D came along,” continues Virginia. “Mr D was then bought as a youngster by Los Olivillos. He grew into a handsome stallion before becoming a much-loved trekking horse.”

Virginia first met Mr D when she went on a riding holiday.

“From the moment I saw Mr D shaking a paw it was love at first sight,” she recalls. “Los Olivillos could see our connection and after many riding holidays together in the Andalucían mountains a 12-year-old Mr D came to live with me in England. My dream of having my own horse came true.

“Since then, we’ve enjoyed six amazing years hacking, competing and generally enjoying life.”

Mr D, who is also a 2022 SEIB Showing World awards veteran of the year finalist, also competes in British Dressage and participates in Iberian demos. In the show ring, the pair focus on foreign breed, veteran and concours d’elegance classes.

“He loves attention,” says Virginia. “This year Mr D has looked and felt his best. I’ve built up his fitness with hacking around Hertfordshire and we also rode in an 100 mile summer charity challenge.

“This year I learnt how to tow a trailer and we have had the most amazing showing year I could ever wish for, as well as lots of fun on our adventures together. He won seven championship titles during the summer show season, including the Best of the Best supreme at H.O.P.E show.

“He’s my horse of a lifetime. Diamanté Del Rey translates as the King Of Diamonds but he’s the king of my heart, too. I’m forever grateful to him for making all my dreams come true.”

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Iberian horses, including Spanish Pura Raza Espanol (PRE) horses and associated breeds and other foreign breeds, are to be celebrated at the GBPRE championship show held at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire from 5 – 7 August.

The show, which welcomes breeds from the Lusitano to the Friesian, and the PRE Fusion to the Spanish Norman, has been running since 2016 and is a qualifying show for the ANCCE (Royal Purebred Spanish Horse Breeders’ Association) SICAB World Championships in Seville, Spain.

Show organiser Gemma Bowles said: “The Spanish horse, associated breeds and part-breds have seen a surge in popularity for their rideability, grace, movement and elegance, with the purebred Spanish Horse (PRE) having been established since the 16th century. The breed deserves to be celebrated and shared with all, and for this reason the GBPRE show was founded.”

Highlights from the show include Friday’s ANCCE Morphology in-hand classes, run as qualifiers for SICAB World PRE Championships.

Gaynor Colbourn will be holding a dressage to music clinic and there is also a working equitation clinic. In the evening, there is a spectacle of carriage driving displays from Emma Nuttall and her team of Spanish horses and a dressage to music class.

Saturday will welcome the ANCCE SICAB qualifier functionality classes, championship prize givings, British Dressage classes, ridden and in-hand showing classes for Lusitanos, foreign breeds and associated Iberian breeds. Equitation, showjumping, and dressage will be followed by an evening of tapas and a grand parade.

On Sunday, the PRE Fusion classes in the morning cover both in-hand and ridden, and are followed by PRE ridden classes in the afternoon and a GBPRE ridden championship. There are also MCI dressage classes running as British riders try and qualify for the European Championships.

Find out more online.

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Strong, noble and elegant, the modern Andalusian horse harks back to its ancestry as a war horse on the Iberian peninsula. For centuries, Spanish horses were famed for their agility, courage and intelligence, depicted in portraits throughout history as battle chargers for famous warriors.

In this article: What is an Andalusian horse? | PRE breed standard | Temperament | Movement | History | Famous horses

What is an Andalusian horse?

The title Andalusian loosely covers all breeds described as “Spanish horses”. They are sometimes under the umbrella of Iberian horses, which includes Portuguese breeds as well. As they have common descent, and were inter-bred at times in their history, it can be very hard to tell from the appearance whether an Iberian horse is Spanish or Portuguese. As a general overview, their main characteristics are similar but there are differences, particularly as regards pedigree regulations between each of the breeds.

A pure-bred Andalusian is called a PRE (Pura Raza Espagnola of Pure Spanish Horse). A PRE must have a pedigree record confirming both sire and dam have identification documents which prove they are licensed and registered in the studbook of the Association of Breeders of Purebred Spanish Horses (ANCCE). Licensed PREs have a coloured ribbon next to their name denoting their quality as breeding animals.

The Portuguese equivalent to the PRE is the PSL – a pure-bred Lusitano. Like the PRE, a Lusitano can only be a PSL if both parents are registered.

A Cruzado is a cross with both Portuguese and Spanish breeding, be it PRE, PSL, Andalusian or Lusitano. As both the PSL and PRE require both parents to be registered with their own studbooks, these cannot be registered with either.

PRE: overview (according to the breed standard)

• Medium-sized and short-backed with a high-set arched neck, and a rounded topline
• There is a desired body proportionality index (height at withers divided by length from shoulder to point of buttocks between 90–110) to provide an appearance of general harmony and beauty
• The horse’s weight is balanced towards the hindquarters, which enables them to show a high degree of collection and can give powerful jumping ability too.
• They have a robust and well-proportioned trunk, while the back should be muscular and almost straight, with short, broad and muscular loins
• The mane is typically abundant and silky; the tail low-set and with abundant, often wavy hair
• Their coats are characteristically short and fine, with minimal hair on the fetlocks
• To be registered with the ANCCE, PRE stallions must be 1.54m–1.72m and mares 1.52m–1.70m
• Greys and bays are dominant, but other solid colours are permitted. Greys, bays and blacks have at various times in history been popular with the Royal Stud, and now around 70% of PREs in Spain are grey. Chestnuts were only accepted into the studbook in 2002
• White patches, and excessive white on the head or legs is not considered an acceptable trait. They are also not permitted to have eyes of different colours
• Mares and stallions should show sexual dimorphism, with the mares being smaller and slighter than their male counterparts

Temperament of the Andalusian horse

They are typically kind, sensitive, intelligent and quick learners, who will give their all. While they are energetic, they are also naturally docile and robust. As a working animal throughout history, they have been bred to cooperate with humans. Naturally, some are hotter and more sensitive than others, and these tend to be favoured in performance sport where extra dynamism and energy is required.

Andalusian horse: movement

Andalusians are famed for their ability to sit and collect, which makes them popular as dressage horses. Their paces are typically cadenced and elastic with significant elevation and extension. They find it easy to collect and turn on their haunches. Besides dressage, they are used as general riding horses, farm work and in the bullfighting arena; they are also often used in movie-making thanks to their trainability, obedience and noble looks.

All paces are straight and regular. The walk should be ground covering, while the trot is suspended and elegant, with active use of the hindquarters and joint flexion to push forward. The canter is fluid and elastic with impulsion. Horses with poor movement, such as irregular paces, poor elevation, dishing and ambling, are penalised accordingly in the assessment process for the studbook.

Potted history

Originally a cavalry horse, Iberian horses became popular with royalty and the nobility and consequently gained a reputation as the “the Royal Horse of Europe”. King Felipe of Spain formalised PRE breeding in 1567 according to strict breeding standards, with the studbook being formed in 1911.

Although they have proved extremely popular at certain times in history, they have faced extinction, particularly during wartime due to theft – Spain having spent much of the 19th and 20th centuries fighting various wars. The low numbers resulted in an embargo on their exportation, which was lifted in 1963. The first Spanish horses for 200 years arrived in England in the late 1960s and the British Andalusian Horse Society was formed in 1982, which is now called the British Association for the Pure-Bred Spanish Horse.

The Andalusian has been influential on many other horse breeds over the centuries, such as the Lipizzaner, Friesian and Hanoverian. Some Andalusian experts believe they also contributed to thoroughbred, Trakehner and Cleveland Bay lines among others.

Famous Andalusians

Fuego XII – wowed the crowd with his flamenco freestyle in the World Equestrian Games in 2010, ridden by Juan Manuel Muñoz Diaz.

Babieca – the white stallion warhorse of El Cid Campeador. A legendary Andalusian horse from 11th century in medieval Spain.

Evento – was credited as one of the key PRE horses to kick off international dressage in Spain, ridden by Ignacio Rambla. He competed at four European Championships, the World Equestrian Games in 1998 and finished 11th at the Atlanta Olympics.

• For more information visit the British Association of the Purebred Spanish Horse website: bapsh.co.uk

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The Masters du Cheval Iberique (MCI) European finals for Iberian horses took place on British soil for the first time this year, hosted by Bury Farm on 4-7 October. We round up some of the gorgeous horses who claimed individual medals.

1. Vicki Thompson-Winfield and Mango Jacaro

Vicki and the 13-year-old PRE stallion by Rondeno IX swept the board in the Reyale (grand prix) and Iberica (grand prix freestyle) classes, taking home individual gold for Britain at the highest level.

2. Samantha Wuidart and Lince FS

Another British pair to win an individual gold medal, Samantha and the nine-year-old PRE gelding were crowned champions at Golega/Carmencita level, which is equivalent to elementary/elementary freestyle.

3. Vanessa Alleno and Hidalgo HN

This Belgian pair dazzled the judges to take gold at Lisboa/Fandango level (advanced medium) and also helped Belgium claim team gold for the second year on the trot, with Britain in silver.

4. Jacky Stolper and Furo

Hot on Vanessa’s heels in advanced medum ranks was Britain’s Jacky Stolper and the eight-year-old Lusitano stallion Furo, who settled as the competition went on to clinch an individual silver medal.

5. Caroline Ulrici and Matador HN

Belgium’s Caroline Ulrici had a fantastic show, claiming the young horse title on the five-year-old PRE stallion Matador HN (above). She also went on to dominate at Madrid/Lusitania (prix st georges) level, taking gold on the 10-year-old Hernesto HN.

6. Jean-François Lagarde and Altanero LXXVII

This French pair proved unbeatable at Magistrale (inter B), scooping the title with a margin of more than 7%, and winning team bronze too. Altanero is a 15-year-old PRE stallion by Palillero III.

7. Alice Hurley and Deseado CCV

A dramatic freestyle set to film music earned Ireland’s Alice Hurley a silver medal in the Madrid/Lusitania. Alice was riding the PRE breeding stallion Deseado, who has returned to competition after being out for over a year.

8. Emily Burns and Lago Icon

Britain’s Emily Burns secured a silver medal in young horse ranks riding the impressive six-year-old PRE stallion Lago Icon.

For the full report from the MCI European finals, don’t miss the 18 October issue of Horse & Hound.

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The Spanish Riding School in Vienna will tour the UK next autumn, as the world’s oldest equestrian academy celebrates its 450th anniversary.

The institution will perform at six exclusive new shows in London and Birmingham, hosted by TV presenter and British Dressage ambassador Nicki Chapman in November.

The shows will feature the famous white Lipizzaner stallions performing their in-hand work and movements above the ground, such as the “capriole” — an upward leap with a kick — and the “courbette” — a neat rear with the horse hopping forward.

Host Nicki said that the Spanish Riding School tours are “rare and exceptional”.

“I’m lucky enough to have been involved in the UK tours and the experience will stay with me for the rest of my life,” she said.

“I’ve witnessed these graceful horses thrilling crowds with their astonishing combination of elegance and power. This is an extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see these most celebrated horses performing in the UK during their momentous 450th anniversary.”

The Spanish Riding School has double reason to celebrate this landmark, as its art and horsemanship has been admitted to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) world heritage list for cultural heritage (4 December).

The tradition of the classical art of riding and the High School of Horsemanship of the Spanish Riding School was proposed alongside 34 other artistic forms and traditions for this year’s list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity. It was admitted, alongside 23 other customs, by the intergovernmental committee after an intensive evaluation process.

Tour dates: at the SEE Arena, Wembley — Friday, 11 November 2016, 7.30pm; Saturday, 12 November, 7.30pm; Sunday, 13 November, 3pm; at the Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham — Friday, 18 November, 7.30pm; Saturday, 19 November, 7.30pm; Sunday, 20 November, 3pm.

Tickets are now on sale at a cost of £27.50-£67.50. Visit: www.spanishridingschoollive.com/tours

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Owners of Spanish horses will now have the chance to qualify for a new championship final with British Dressage (BD).

The final is open to any pure or part-bred horse registered with British Association of Purebred Spanish Horses (BAPSH) and runs from prelim to medium level.

To qualify, combinations must achieve two scores of 60% or above in BD or Team Quest competitions at the level they wish to qualify for, from 1 January 2015 until 30 September 2015.

Once combinations have achieved their two qualifying scores, riders need to log with BD that they have qualified.

Once these scores are validated, they will receive an invitation to the final — the date and venue of which will be confirmed shortly.

“This is a great addition to BD and it will be great to see more pure Spanish horses involved in our sport in Britain,” said BD’s Jason Brautigam.

“BD members will fondly recall watching Fuego, ridden by Juan Manuel Muñoz Díaz, at the 2012 London Olympics [pictured top] and being struck by his flair and presence, so it’ll be fantastic to see more Spanish horses competing on British soil.”

Riders and owners must be minimum associate registered with BD and members of BAPSH. Horses must also be at least associate registered with BD and fully registered with BAPSH.

Associate BD registration for horse and rider enables them to compete in prelim level but for any levels above, class tickets are required for those that are not full members. BD will provide two free class tickets for anyone who is not a full member who would like to try to qualify.

For the final, riders must be a minimum BD Team Quest club member on an associate horse. Combinations can compete and qualify at different levels but can only compete in two classes at the final.

For more information contact Karen Beaumont, the BD coordinator for the championships. Tel: 02476 698909 or email: karen.beaumont@britishdressage.co.uk

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First Thought Equine has launched a Spanish style saddle specifically designed to fit baroque-type horses, such as Lusitano and Andalusian breeds.

The WOW Baroque saddle is aimed at classical dressage riders who want to use a Spanish style saddle with the attributes of standard WOW saddles.

“The saddle has been designed to face the conformational challenges of the baroque horse, and features the WOW carbonfibre tree, which moves with the horse’s shoulder,” said a First Thought Equine spokesman.

“For an extravagantly-moving horse such as the Lusitano, this is very important.”

The WOW Baroque also comes with extra wide gullet fittings and has the option of Flair air bag flocking, which reduces pressure on the back.

For more information visit www.wowsaddles.com

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The first British international show of pure-bred Spanish horses has been declared a success by breeders.

The PRE Show (Pura Raza Espa ±ola/pure-bred Spanish horse) took place at The College Equestrian Centre, Keysoe in Bedfordshire last Saturday and Sunday (1-2 October).

It was a qualifying competition for the final of the Spanish National Championships for PRE Horses – SICAB 2011 in Spain (22-27 November). It was the first time a qualifier has been held in the UK.

Around 60 horses took part in the show.

“It was a wonderful weekend,” said breeder Naomi Vance-Webb. “The weather was perfect – anyone could have been forgiven for thinking they were actually in Spain, with sun, Spanish music and Spanish horses, presented by traditionally dressed people.

“It was a great start to this International PRE Show and hopefully a permanent place on the showing calendar for PRE horses in the UK and Europe.”

And it was a successful weekend for Naomi, whose stallion Habanero XLI, ridden by Andrew Gould claimed the functionality championship and won reserve champion stallion.

Her other stallion Jocoso LVII, who is also in training with Andrew, claimed the stallion champion title.

Naomi’s homebred two-year-old colt Saetillano NVW won junior movement champion.

Michelle Van Meurs won the adult movement championship with her stallion, Isleno XXXIX and winners of the best exhibitor at the show (based on points averaging) were Mark Pitman – trainer and son of Jenny Pitman – and his partner Karen Bourdon with their four-year-old stallions – Deseado CCV, Resuelto XX and Marques XC.

Dorest breeders Margaret and Charlotte Westlake, won the mare champion title with their homebred four-year-old Lago Dramatica, while Grays PRE Stud in Kent won the champion colt title with its homebred Grays Frederico.

The Al Kingston Stud in Hampshire won the filly champion title with homebred three-year-old Al Setari and reserve champion filly went to the Sky PRE Stud in Hertfordshire’s Hermosa.

For more information visit: www.bapsh.co.uk

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The first British international show of pure-bred Spanish horses is to take place this weekend.

The PRE Show (Pura Raza Espa ±ola/pure-bred Spanish horse) is being held at The College Equestrian Centre, Keysoe in Bedfordshire on Saturday and Sunday (1-2 October).

It is a qualifying competition for the final of the Spanish National Championships for P.R.E. Horses – SICAB 2011 in Spain. It is the first time a qualifier has been held in the UK.

Sixty horses will be taking part in the show.

“For the first show, the time of year and the financial climate we’re really pleased with the volume of entries,” organiser Stephanie Hurstfield told H&H. “It will be a fantastic weekend for anyone who is interested in knowing more about the breed.”

For more information visit: www.bapsh.co.uk

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now