FSA Mission Statement & Breed Standard

Friesian Sporthorse Association: Mission Statement

The Friesian Sporthorse Association is the first registry dedicated exclusively to recognizing and promoting the true Friesian Sporthorse. We are also the first registry to recognize the Friesian Sporthorse as a breed, with specific guidelines for breeding and registration. It is our goal to encourage and recognize quality Friesian crossbreds bred especially as sporthorses, based on established sporthorse and Warmblood breeding practices and registration guidelines. We are not just another registry for recording Friesian crossbreds, we are a registry devoted exclusively to the Friesian Sporthorse, and devoted to the recognition and development of the Friesian Sporthorse as a breed. We aim to encourage people to breed with a specific sporthorse goal in mind, blending the wonderful qualities of the Friesian, with breeds such as the Warmblood and Thoroughbred, to create the best of both worlds, a true Friesian Sporthorse.

The popularity of the Friesian crossbred has led to rampant growth. Unfortunately, sometimes an unchecked popularity explosion like this doesn‘t always lead to the best breeding choices, and not much existed to educate, guide, encourage, or support breeders or owners. Then, in the midst of this unchecked popularity explosion, some breeders began to breed Friesian crossbreds specifically as sporthorses, and these quality horses began to set themselves apart from the other Friesian crossbreds. They began attracting attention from people who were interested specifically in these sportbred Friesian crosses, which would come to be known as Friesian Sporthorses. However, there was no system or registry in place specifically for these breeders, owners, or their horses. The Friesian Sporthorse Association was developed to fill this void, providing breeding guidelines, record keeping, support, encouragement, and a “home” for those who are specifically breeding Friesian Sporthorses. As a breed, the Friesian Sporthorse has a great deal of potential. The goal of the Friesian Sporthorse Association is to encourage, document, and maximize that potential.

The first and only registry dedicated exclusively to recognizing and promoting the true Friesian Sporthorse.

The Friesian Sporthorse Association aims to support, guide, and encourage breeders, owners, and Friesian Sporthorse enthusiasts.

The Friesian Sporthorse Association will provide breeding guidelines, record keeping, support, encouragement, and a "home" for those who are breeders and owners of true Friesian Sporthorses.

The Friesian Sporthorse Association will stay free of politics. All aspects of the registry will be handled with fairness and integrity. The FSA is run by a Board, made up of a diverse group of members representing decades of experience with Warmbloods, Sporthorses, and/or Friesians. The board members have extensive backgrounds, knowledge, and experience with one or more of the following: Warmblood and Sporthorse breeding, Friesian breeding, and/or the sporting disciplines of dressage, driving, eventing, and hunter/jumper. This enables us to handle issues in a fair and balanced way, free of politics and self-interest, and with the best interests of the Friesian Sporthorse always as our priority.

Friesian Sporthorse foal

by Nico (Main Book / Approved for Breeding)

bred by Hidden Promise Sporthorses

Friesian Sporthorse Breed Standard / Breeding Objective

The goal of breeding a Friesian Sporthorse is to create a quality horse of sporthorse type, building on the qualities of the Friesian. Breeding horses should be carefully selected for their sporthorse qualities and potential to create sporthorses. As with any good sporthorse or Warmblood breeding program, only top quality horses should be used for breeding. The crossbreeding of Friesian, Warmblood, and carefully selected Thoroughbred stock has proven to be the most successful for creating a true Friesian Sporthorse. However, based on the success of crossbreeding the Friesian with a few specific non-traditional sporthorse breeds, allowances have been made to accept limited percentages of blood from these specific non-traditional breeds (more details can be found under "Registration Guidelines" and in our "FAQ's".)