Sporthorse Sires: From Europe to America
Sporthorse breeding involves equal parts art and science.

Sporthorses of European origin dominate international equestrian events—and since the 1970s, the horses known as Warmbloods have infiltrated North American show rings. For centuries, European breeders have produced regional breeds. Breeding associations control the registration of breeding stock and aim to achieve consistent, predictable results by focusing on successful bloodlines.
Today’s sporthorse excels through rideability: the size, power, grace and attitude to succeed in the classic equestrian disciplines of dressage, jumping and eventing. Today’s sporthorse appears both substantial and elegant, moving in elastic, supple gaits.

Success Through Bloodlines
Bloodlines are of vital importance to Warmblood breeders. Sire lines are known for producing certain performance characteristics, so breeders and owners follow pedigrees. They understand that bloodlines can only indicate a horse’s success in the dressage arena or over fences.
German bloodlines dominate the world’s sporthorse industry, with its major breeds of Hannoverian (in the British spelling, a single n as in the House of Hanover), Westfalen (Westphalian), and Holsteiner. German associations, mostly still affiliated with a region or German state, function as private societies of breeders. Each society, or Verband, determines current breeding aims and influences the types of foals produced within the breed.
Horses in one breed may not look the same, due to the open studbooks and different disciplines. (In the Warmblood world, the only closed studbook is the Trakehner, limited to Trakehners, Thoroughbreds, and Arabians.) For example, the Hannoverian Verband (Verband hannoverscher Warmblutzüchter) markets the lighter, modern type for the Olympic disciplines, with sires specializing in dressage or jumping.

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Learning Bloodlines | Breed Associations (chart)