Percherons
On Their Way Back ~ Hennie Basson
A
Percheron pulling a plough
across a field or in a vineyard is a fine sight. Likewise, the
elegance of a pair of these noble animals pulling a cart through town
or in a show ring.
For most
of us these are resemblances of a bygone era……
However,
thanks to a resurgence in the local demand for these horses and their
genetics over the past few years and the emerging of a new generation
of Percheron lovers and breeders, the future of these gentle giants
is looking better than in decades.
The
recent importation of the sire, Sympa De Bellevue, by the Summer Wind
Percheron Stud is proof of it. Record prices have, in recent years,
been paid for these horses and after years of inactivity at local
shows, some of them can be seen at the Pretoria International Show
and the Horse of the Year Show again, as well at several festivals.
They are being used in carriage driving competitions, in the
agro-tourism industry and as pleasure horses.
The
original Percheron horses were bred as early as 732 AD to be used in
the war when France overcame the Moor army in Central France
It is
believed that the Arabian horse played a fundamental role in the
development of the Percheron, using Arabians captured from the Moors.
Unfortunately, the French kept very few records in those early years.
In
the early 1900’s the French government established a stud in Le Pin
to further improve the breed and increase the numbers of these sought
after horses.
By 1915
the popularity of the Percheron as a work horse was unequalled. The
USA in particular had imported many Percherons. In 1930 there were
three times more Percherons in the USA than all other draught horse
breeds together. However, since World War 1 the
draught horse population had declined dramatically due to
mechanization and the increasing use of tractors which replaced the
need for these animals.
In South
Africa as well, these circumstances had the Percheron in serious
decline. In fact, until recently the future of the breed has been
hanging in the balance for many years. Since the 1970’s only a
handful of members attended the meetings of the local breed society.
Worldwide
some dedicated farmers, mostly the Amish, kept the breed alive during
the draught horse depression since the 1950’s.
The late
1960’s saw a renaissance in the draught horse business in the USA
and France, as many rediscovered the usefulness of these draught
horses. In South Africa, however, the demand for them only gradually
started to grow again since the turn of this century.
Percherons
could have been in this country during the late 19th
Century. While this is not a certainty, it is a fact that the first
Percherons have been recorded in the SA Stud Book in 1911 and 1912.
Both
sires were bred in France. Hammer (born in 1907) was entered in
Volume 6 of the Stud Book by J.H. de Wet of the farm Cheval near
Boshof in the Free State, while Jones (born in 1909) was entered in
Volume 7 and owned by Woodhead Plant & Co. from Cape Town.
Since
the establishment of the Union of South Africa in 1910 the state
played a significant role in the creation of several draught horse
studs at agricultural institutions in different provinces.
During
1913 four Percheron stallions and the first ten mares of this black
and grey breed were recorded into SA Stud Book, Volume 8. Two
stallions, Jargeau and Justifiant, and five mares were at the
government stud in Standerton, Krampon and two mares at the
experimental farm in Potchefstroom, while the stallion, Joliet, and
three mares were at Elsenburg, near Stellenbosch.
Soon
afterwards, the stallion Kounakir and four mares were registered in
Volume 10 of the Stud Book, belonging to the agricultural college at
Grootfontein in the Karoo. Elsenburg registered two foals, sired by
Joliet during 1917, but the accent on Percheron breeding was at the
state institutions at Grootfontein, Glen and Cedara, registering
eight stallions and six mares during 1934.
Initially,
all the imported horses were bred in France, but since the second
decade of the previous century also in the United Kingdom and Canada.
In 1920 the first importation was recorded from the UK, i.e. the
stallion Precient, that was brought in for Elsenburg.
In the
1920’s and 30’s two separate imports were made from Canada. Both
Viscount and Reuben Amos went to Grootfontein. The first of only two
Percherons which was imported from the United States, arrived in the
beginning of 1940 at Grootfontein. It was the sire O’Leat, who made
a significant contribution to the local industry.
Elsenburg
stopped breeding during the early 1930’s, but it was resumed in
1942 when Grootfontein transferred a stallion and ten mares to this
institution. Since then the stud has been kept as a source of
breeding material for local breeders.
The
contribution of individual breeders to the local industry can’t be
underestimated. In May 1939 they formed a breed society with 23
members and elected J.H. Bosch as the first chairman. The society was
affiliated to the Stud Book in 1943. One of it’s most prominent
members was Piet Naudé from Overhex, near Worcester, who act as
chairperson from 1961 to 1982.
For many
decades Percheron shows played an important role, especially for the
promotion of the breed. A former chairman of the breed society,
Gerrie van Zyl, still remember a mare class at the Worcester Show
which attracted no less than 36 horses, as well as eight teams of
these able horses competing in the championship for teams of eight at
the Cape Show in Goodwood.
The
floating trophy for the national champion stallion was presented in
1940 for the first time. It went to Dan R. Potgieter for his March
Echo, at the following championship in 1941 to J. Dold-Chapman’s
Burraugh Viking and in 1942 to a stallion of Dr. C.M. Rautenbach.
After
six years of no shows the trophy was won again by a stallion of Dr.
Rautenbach (1949) and in 1951 by Piet Naude’s Nomad Gourmet. For
three years (between 1951 and ’55) Grootfontein’s Histon Hallmark
was unbeatable.
In 1957
and at the following national championship in 1961, his son Histon
Landmark (owned by Johannes Hugo from Paarl), stood as SA champion
stallion. Between 1956 and ’62 Hugo imported 2 stallion and 3
mares.
The
trophy is still in possession of the Lesch family of Malmesbury. At
the last A championships that were held in 1963, it went tot Histon
Interloper of Bennie Lesch.
Through
these years many Percherons were also owned for their traction
abilities by several municipalities and prisons, in forests, as well
as in zoos.
Histon
Hallmark (born and bred in the UK) was indeed one of the most
influential stallions ever to be imported. He stood from 1946 at
Grootfontein until he was transferred to Elsenburg during 1955 where
he sired about 30 offspring over a nine year period.
Despite
weighing more than a ton, Histon Hallmark was small for a Percheron.
He was
well balanced, strongly built with good general conformation.
One of
Hallmark’s daughters, Grootfontein Melinda, produced 15 foals and
is rightly regarded as the foundation mare of the present day stud at
Elsenburg.
Since
the 1960’s, under the management of the late Albert Hanekom,
Elsenburg became the mainstay of Percheron breeding in the country.
Unfortunately, by 1965 this stud was suffering from a relatively high
degree of inbreeding. Therefore, a large stallion, Regulateur, was
imported from France. Used on Histon mares, they produced Percherons
of desired size.
By the
end of the seventies Elsenburg Mohammed by Regulateur out of Melinda
became the stud’s leading sire. He represented the finest
combination of French and English bloodlines, proved to be
influential and prolific siring 24 foals in 7 years.
During
the late 1980’s the French government donated semen from Jongleur
and Piston to Elsenburg to increase the Percheron gene pool in South
Africa. Unfortunately, Jongleur was also a small Percheron. Despite
conforming to the local breed standards some of the progeny were
again rather small.
In 2004
the French government donated semen from Isidore to Elsenburg. Five
mares conceived from the frozen semen producing two fillies and three
colts, Lindore, Misidore and Mbeki.
In about
a century since the first formal imports to this country commenced, a
total of 123 Percherons have been imported and registered at SA Stud
Book.
Before
Sympa de Bellevue’s arrival in our country, the last importation
with influence was that of Vigoureux, a French bred stallion imported
by P.J. van der Merwe in 1968.
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