Windermere Farm’s Percherons
(Continued from Page E 2)
carefully at the animal’s siblings
“to see how they turned out,”
said Allebach.
“We’re tough about our mare
families. When we look at a pedi
gree, we’re looking sometimes
clear off the back of the paper.
We don’t want to produce any
one-hit wonders they have to
be the real thing to go on with.”
“Magnificent”
In the Percheron show ring,
“the bigger the better,” said Alle
bach.
The horses should also carry
their heads high and proudly,
have long necks, and trot high
all contributing toward the look
that Melissa sums up as “magnif
icent,” said Allebach.
“We’ve watched the Percheron
breed go from a nice sound, qual
ity horse to a very exciting show
horse.”
Although they display the
steady temperament that is char
acteristic of draft horses, Perche
rons “are spirited,” he said,
which may lend to their populari
ty as show animals.
In the show ring sound confor
mation, large size, spirit, and
front- and hind end action are a
part of a judge’s evaluations.
The Allebachs may show their
horses in a 6-horse harness hitch.
The purchased a handmade har
ness and built their own wagon
that features a flashy patent
leather and chrome finish.
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Again, “it’s a team effort to
train and fine-tune the horses,”
said Allebach.
Although the Allebachs have,
of late, favored black horses for
their show ring string, tradition
ally the breed has been dominat
ed by greys, as confirmed by old
paintings and crude drawings.
For example, many European
knights portrayed in paintings
are often riding a gray or white
horse, according to information
from the Percheron Horse Associ
ation of America.
When the war horse no longer
became necessary, the French
began to look toward their draft
horses to pull heavy stage
coaches. The light colored grays
and whites were preferred be
cause of their visibility at night.
Breed Origins
According to the Percheron
Horse Association of America,
the breed derives its name Le
Perche, an old province of
France.
From the time of a war horse,
to a stage coach horse to an ani
mal used to pull “omnibuses,”
the public transport of the day,
the breeders of Le Perche bred
their horses to fit the need.
Later the design of the breed
changed as horses were called on
to move heavy loads from docks
and railheads.
On the American front, after
the Civil War was over and the
country began to grow, strong
horses again proved to be in de-
mand. Consequently Americans
began to visit Europe to buy seed
stock, and began importing ani
mals from Normandy in 1839.
As importations grew, buyers
looking for the best horses found
the horses of Le Perche.
In the 1880 s almost 5,000 stal
lions and more than 2,500 mares
were imported to America from
France, mostly from Le Perche.
Because of changing econom
ics in America, and as machines
replaced draft horses, the low
point in Percheron registrations
came in 1954 when just 85 head
were recorded.
It was a relative handful of
people dedicated to the breed
that kept the Percheron alive.
They were aided in this by the
thousands of Amish farmers
throughout the country who
stuck with the draft horse as their
source of power.
Registrations totaled 1,088 in
1988, ten years later that had
grown to 2,257, according to the
Percheron Horse Association of
America.
The association recorded 2,337
Percherons during fiscal year
2002, consisting of 791 stallions,
1,410 mares and 136 geldings.
Registrations were received from
45 states and Canada.
Additionally, the organization
added 440 new members during
the year for a total of 3,441 mem
bers at the end of fiscal 2002.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 9, 2003, Boarder & Tramer-E3
To submit a date of an event
for your organization, e-mail
farming@lancasterfar
ming.com,
Monday, August 11
Regional 4-H Horse Production
Show, Mercer County 4-H
Park, Mercer, 10 a.m.
Tuesday, August 12
Regional 4-H Horse Production
Shr Winterfield F Indi
Show, Williamsport Riding
Club, Lycoming County,
noon.
Thursday, August 14
Regional 4-H Horse Production
Show, Shippensburg Fair
grounds, Cumberland County,
10 a.m.
Friday, August 15
Regional 4-H Horse Production
Show, Romano 4-H Center,
Honey Brook, Chester Coun
ty, 10 a.m.
Saturday, August 16
Lancaster Polo Club versus Tini
cum.
Tuesday, August 19
Pa. Equine Council Meeting,
Rocksprings.
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Thursday, August 21
4-H Equine Skillathon, Rock
springs.
August 19-21
Ag Progress Days, Equine Expe
rience, Rocksprings.
Saturday, August 23
Lancaster Polo Club versus Stras
burg.
Sunday, August 24
Lancaster Polo Club versus Phil
adelphia (MG Cup).
Lancaster Polo Club versus Rab
bit Hill.
September 11-14
Virginia State 4-H Horse Show,
Horse Center, Lexington.
September 12-13
State 4-H Trail Ride, Bob Evans
Farms, Dr. Robert Kline, (614)
292-2625.
Saturday, September 13
Lancaster Polo Club. Forney
Cup.
Sunday, September 14
Lancaster Polo Club, Porche
Cup.
(Turn to Page E 5)
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