Interview with Natalya Gorskaya, Chairman of the FKSR Committee for Sports Horse Breeding

Prokoni: Please tell us about the idea of ​​a Brood Trial for young horses. Have they been held in Russia for three years already?

Natalia Gorskaya: Examination of the brood and testing of young horses is a world practice, the whole world has been working this way for several decades. What are these events and why are they needed? This is, firstly, evaluation of future and existing sires in terms of sporting characteristics and the quality of offspring. Without this, selection in horse breeding cannot develop. If in trotting horse breeding those horses that show good agility are used in breeding, then in sports horse breeding, the results of performances in competitions matter. But, if trotters and thoroughbred horses show their abilities at two or three years, then in show jumping and dressage horses show the best results at the age of about ten years. It is clear that no horse breeder can wait that long, because it is very long and not always economically justified. That’s why, the task is to identify the potential inclinations of the horse as early as possible, which will be used in breeding, and assess whether an already active stallion – a producer of children with the ability to equestrian sports. Accordingly, at such events we evaluate these inclinations. Quality of movement, jumping style and temperament during the jump, as well as such moments as interaction with a person, reaction to a new environment, because horses come from stud farms from farms, where sometimes there is not even an arena. And the way this horse reacts to the situation, in the future, makes it possible to understand and imagine how it will behave during the competition. The practice is global, we did not come up with anything new, in our country there was also a testing system, it’s just that today the assessment methodology is outdated, as it was developed in the late 70s and 80s, when there was a completely different type of horses. Now the type has changed, so you need to change the criteria, you need to change the requirements. We take today’s format on the model of our colleagues from Lithuania, from Germany.

Prokoni: Are all these events that you hold in different regions combined into one system or are they still separate broods?

Natalia Gorskaya: While these are separate events. They are held under the auspices of the Committee for Sports Horse Breeding of the Russian Equestrian Federation, which was created two years ago to unite horse breeders and athletes, because athletes are the main consumers and customers of horse breeding products. If a breeder does not know what product is needed, what product is trendy, in demand today, he will not be able to be competitive, will not be able to produce horses that riders need and will cost good money. Therefore, we work with breeders who are focused on producing a modern sport horse. There are a lot of breeders who produce horses for walking, for the hobby class. No one is forcing anyone, but we are focused on those who want to provide high-quality products for elite sports. Today we see that we are joined by such major manufacturers as Kirov stud farm, Stud farm them. First Cavalry Army, Grand Duke Stud Farm, Yermak Stud Farm, Veronika Grabovskaya Stud Farm, Kartsevo. This year we held events in almost all federal districts where there is a sport horse breeding: North-Western, Southern, Central, Volga and Siberian federal districts. While we cannot say that they are united by some idea later, of course, we would like to see the best horses selected in the federal districts at the All-Russian tournament, for example, at the Russian Championship for young horses, where the best young horses of the country will gather. It is clear that we have a huge country and it is quite difficult to bring horses, for example, from Siberia. And there we saw really good horses for dressage and very well trained. After all, the problem is not only in raising a good horse, but also in properly preparing and showing it.

Proconi: What else is the importance of these events, besides the fact that they reveal the shortcomings of selection?

Natalia Gorskaya: These activities are very versatile. First, it is an opportunity to meet breeders. They can compare their products in person. Because when you sit at your factory, it seems to you that everything is fine with you and everything is wonderful. But only by comparing your horses with others you can understand that something is wrong, that there is something better. Another important point is the opportunity to exchange information between breeders. And, of course, this is a platform for the sale of horses. Catalogs have been created, potential buyers are coming in, broadcasting is underway with the support of Maxima Stables. It is very good that there are such opportunities and interest from companies.

Proconi: How do you think these activities can be further improved? Obviously, it’s still not perfect. What can be brought to the organization?

Natalia Gorskaya: Yes, of course, I and not only I want more competitions for young horses. I would like to see more competitions for young horses 3,5 – 4,5 years old specifically for style, which will show the correct preparation of the horse. This is very important right now.

Proconi: Tell us, please, about this particular event at the CSC “Golden Horse”. How did everything go and was organized? Were there any difficulties?

Natalia Gorskaya: I believe that this event, no matter how pathetic my words sound now, is a huge step in the development of domestic horse breeding. The south of Russia is a place where there are a large number of stud farms and horse farms. This is the Rostov Region, Krasnodar Territory, Crimea. And it is clear that taking horses to Moscow is far and expensive. KSK “Golden Horse” is a unique place, it is located in the middle of the region. There is an excellent infrastructure, an excellent arena, very good conditions. I think this will give impetus to the development of horse breeding in a civilized direction. People who come here really learn something new for themselves. Many of them are trying to comprehend and accept it. Not all, but gradually. It is very good that such bases exist and they host events that are absolutely non-commercial. This is a manifestation of patriotism and responsibility. Athletes are ready to buy a good horse in Russia, but they want this horse to be modern and give them the opportunity to compete at the highest level. And that’s exactly what we’re working for. We work with all breeds: Budyonnovskaya, Trakehner, Russian riding, half-bred German breeds. We strive to ensure that horses of all breeds are born in our country, that our breeders are provided with work, that the industry develops, because this entails a whole train of demand for professions. This, among other things, creates jobs in the regions in the field of agriculture.

We thank Natalia Gorskaya for an interesting interview! 🙂