"Those who know the breed will claim the Standardbred is one of the world's best kept secrets. A breed that in addition to being the fastest horse in harness also excels under saddle and faces every task asked of it with gentleness, patience and a bottomless heart."

The above quote, taken from Horse Illustrated, October '93, accurately describes the Standardbred and is one of the reasons the Standardbred Pleasure and Performance Horse Association of Victoria (SPPHAV) exists today. Although bred for speed and stamina, we should think ourselves lucky that the Standardbred has a temperament that will take it to the top in many, if not all, equestrian sports.

The Standardbred is an 'American Treasure' that dates back nearly to that country's roots. As the American population increased, so did the need for a faster, flashier looking horse to be used for transport purposes. An added bonus was to own a horse that could also bring in extra money at local weekend race meetings. As a result, the early American became fascinated with the idea of owning a fast carriage horse that could get them to work and also compete in the growing sporting arena. Because of this, selective breeding began.

Bloodlines from the Thoroughbred, Norfolk Roadster, Hackney, Morgan, Canadian Pacer and Cavalry horse, Cleveland Bay, Arab, Barb and of course Crossbred, were used to achieve the fastest, strongest harness horse with staying power.

But the Standardbred really came into being in 1849 when William Rysdyk purchased a crippled mare with an ugly 'cat haunched' foal at foot for $US125.

The colt - Hambletonian - may not have been much to look at but he carried the bloodlines of Messenger, an English Thoroughbred sire that carried the bloodlines of the 3 main Thoroughbred foundation sires. With this ancestry behind him, Hambletonian went on to change the face of the American horse world.

Hambletonian became the Standardbred foundation sire, passing on his ability to pace and trot at a fast speed to all his offspring - some 1,300 horses. Today, Hambletonian can be traced back in the bloodlines of almost 99% of registered Standardbreds.

Prior to Hambletonian, and to enable selective breeding to begin, only horses that could run a standard mile in less than 2 minutes 30 seconds were allowed to race. Only horses who met this criteria were used in the breeding process - thus became the name of the breed. The Standardbred.

copyright SPPHAV January 1994