About the breed

History
The Trakehner is the oldest of the German Warmbloods. Its origin dates back to 1732 (often even earlier) when Frederick Wilhelm, father of  Frederick the Great established the famous stud
at Trakehnen in East Prussia. Here horses were bred for the royal stables and for the cavalry. In
peace time many of these horses were used for work on East Prussian farms. Careful infusion of
limited amounts of arabian and thoroughbred blood kept the breed refined. Trakehners were in
turn used for refinement in some of the European Warmbloods, e.g. Hanovarians, Swedish
Warmbloods, Westphalians, Holsteiner, Dutch Warmbloods etc.

                                                    Main Stud Trakehnen
 

Numerous times in its history, war devastated the land of East Prussia and the horses were evacuated during the napoleonic wars, the first World War and the second World War. The final blow to Trakehnen came at the end of the second WW. Only a small contingent of the many thousands of horses made it to the West. During the famous "Trek" after months of  hardship only about 800 horses survived and arrived in West Germany. From these hardy survivors (as well as those who were already in West Germany) the modern Trakehner derives. Today the Trakehner enjoys great popularity, is known worldwide for his achievement as an olympic horse, e.g. Ultimo, Abdullah, Peron etc.
(For more information check the ATA website)

                                                    The "Trek" to the West
 

    The history of the Trakehner horse is closely tied to the history of East Prussia itself. It is a fascinating story and it behooves the Trakehner breeder and Trakehner enthusiast to study this history more extensively. An excellent book to give some insight into the history of East Pussia,  the establishment of the main stud Trakehnen and the evolution of the Trakener horse is the book "The Trakehner" by Dr.Eberhard von Velsen-Zerweck and Erhard Schulte. (see Items for Sale on this website) 

                                            The famous stallion "Tempelhueter
 
 

Trakehners in Canada

Gerda Friedrichs had a Dream

In 1956 Gerda Friedrichs came to Canada to find a new life. She bought a farm near Lake Simcoe for her horses. She brought with her 4 Trakehner stallions and 12 mares and a few years later she imported another 11 mares.The impact she has had in North America to establish the Trakehner horse is still felt today. She was one of the most dedicated, enthusiastic and knowledgeable Trakehner fans and she worked tirelessly to promote the Trakehner horse.  Her dream was to establish a Trakehner breeding farm in Canada to preserve and expand this wonderful breed here.

Gerda Friedrichs gave a lot of encouragement to a small group of Trakehner enthusiasts here in Ontario when they formed a Trakehner Association in Canada in 1974. At that time there were only a half a dozen members in the association.Very few horses were registered, but  the Canadian Trakehner Horse Society was formally established. It is recognized by the Canadian Dept. of Agriculture as the only legitimate group to register and brand Trakehner horses in Canada.Gerda said:"The foundation is there, all we need to do is to fill this organization with Life!"

Since the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal with the Trakehner Ultimo sharing the Team Gold more attention was paid the European Warmblood and the Trakehner in particular. Dressage riding became more fashionable and the desire to ride European Warmbloods grew rapidly in this country. More and more riders shifted to the warmbloods.
    At  recognized shows in most provinces and even in the U.S., canadian-bred Trakehners have made their presence known.   At various times these Trakehners take top honours over some of the expensive imported warmbloods. What better promotion of our Trakehners is there than their performance in the show ring? We do have the horses with great ability in every discipline; what we lack is good trainers, coaches and dedicated, well-trained riders.
    When we consider the many good Trakehner horses that have been raised in Canada and the USA since the early beginnings in 1956, we can truly say that Gerda Friedrich's dearest wish has come true. The Trakehner Horse is well established on this continent and it is here to stay!

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  American Trakehner Association