River Oaks Farm is a small scale breeding operation, believing in quality, not quantity. We are proud breeders and promoters of the Friesian Sporthorse, and stand our own Elite Book Friesian Sporthorse stallion Lexington (Approved for Breeding by the Friesian Sporthorse Association (FSA) and the American Warmblood Society (AWS)), as well as standing the outside stallion G Walkabout, an RPSI & AWS registered (Elite/Supreme/Approved for Breeding) Dutch stallion. We are located in Astor, Florida.
In addition to our Friesian Sporthorse stallion Lexington, we have also carefully selected a few Friesian Sporthorse mares for our own breeding program. We realize the mare is as important as the stallion, and we were very selective in choosing our broodmares. Each of these mares was chosen for their movement, conformation, temperament, and potential to produce quality sporthorse foals. Not all breeders are this particular about their mares. This careful crossbreeding combined with our focus on the mare as well as the stallion, is one of the things which makes our breeding program stand out among Friesian Sporthorse breeders. Our unwavering commitment to quality, combined with our dedication to the promotion of the Friesian Sporthorse, has made River Oaks Farm one of the most respected Friesian Sporthorse breeding programs in the country. Also, most Friesian Sporthorse breeders and Friesian crossbreeders, are only breeding first generation crosses ~ we are one of the few dedicated breeding programs also producing the second generation crosses, which are an even more advanced, selective, refined sporthorse cross.
All of our Friesian Sporthorse foals are eligible for registration with the Friesian Sporthorse Association
as well as the myriad of Friesian crossbred registries.
For more information about our Broodmares, including photographs, please click on the link to "Our Mares".
What is a Friesian Sporthorse....
In the last decade, it has been rapidly gaining popularity to cross the Friesian with various breeds. Although some of the purebred Friesian breeders frown on this, the Friesian Sporthorses (also known as the Friesian Sport Horses or Friesian Warmbloods) have nonetheless gained in popularity. These selectively bred
horses are eligible for registration with the Friesian Sporthorse Association (FSA), which requires a
minimum of 25% Friesian blood.
By crossing the Friesian with other breeds, you can get the best of both worlds. You get the wonderful Friesian traits, such as the beauty, noble mind, intelligence, superb temperament, expressive gaits, and frequently the beautiful black coat and thick mane and tail as well, from the Friesian breeding. From there, depending on the breed chosen for the crossbreeding, a breeder can aim to produce foals with more refinement, better athleticism and stamina, and more suitable for the sporthorse disciplines, all depending on the specific crossbreeding. Crossbreeding also generally produces offspring which are healthier and hardier than the purebreds (this is known as "hybrid vigor".) All of this makes a Friesian Sporthorse a wonderful choice for someone who likes the flair of the Friesian, but is looking for something more specialized for sport, and with the hybrid vigor to be a healthy lifelong equine partner.
Friesians are most successfully crossed with warmbloods and Thoroughbreds. The Friesian/Percheron cross is also quite popular, but this particular cross is typically still too "heavy" for most sporthorse purposes, although this is a common F1 (first generation) cross. A more successful cross for sporthorse purposes might introduce some warmblood blood, or some Thoroughbred blood, in combination with the draft blood such as 50% Friesian, 25% Percheron, and 25% Thoroughbred. Crossing a Friesian with a breed such as a warmblood or Thoroughbred can help with refinement and improved stamina, athleticism, and endurance, while keeping the intelligence, gentle temperament, and expressive movement of the Friesian, resulting in
the ideal blend ~ the true Friesian Sporthorse.
While the best breeds for Friesian Sporthorse crossbreeding are still unanimously considered the Thoroughbred and warmblood, Friesians have also been crossed with a variety of other breeds. When a Friesian is crossed with a Saddlebred the result is known as a "Georgian Grande", and when a Friesian is crossed with an Andalusian it is known as a "Warlander". Friesians and Friesian Sporthorses have also
been crossed with Arabians, Morgans, Quarter Horses and Paints, to
improve size, bone, temperament, and sporthorse potential.
When crossbreeding, as with any breeding, it is important to have a clear goal in mind, and to be honest about the strengths and weaknesses of both the mare and stallion, to find a good match.
A well bred Friesian Sporthorse should have a temperament suitable for an amateur,
combined with the talent desired by the professional.
We will be happy to offer advice to mare owners, if desired, in evaluating their mare and their breeding goals and helping to determine which of our stallions might be the best for you.
