Which country historically has bred the best race horses?

Question

i stay in south africa and we have had some good horses but believe the best horses are uk bred what's your theory?

Answer 1

Arabians are supposed to be the best.

Answer 2

I'm afraid that I am totally biased and believe that the best horses are bred in Europe.  As to which conutry, well that's tough.  Statistically speaking Ireland are currently the largest producers of Thoroughbreds, with around 10,000 foals being born every year, compared to around 7,000 in the UK.

You also need to define what you mean by "bred".  To me the country that a horse is bred in is the country in which his father stands when the horse is conceived, NOT the country in which he is born.  For example, if a foal is by a British stallion, but the mare goes to Ireland to give birth and is then covered by an Irish stallion before returning to Britain, in my eyes that foal is British-bred.

American horses are certainly up there, but few USA sires have made an impact outside of the US in recent years.  Exceptions to this rule have been Kingmambo, Storm Cat, Red Ransom, etc.  I believe Mr Greeley will be the next big US sire in Europe - I have certainly seen a lot more of his progeny being imported to Europe in the last year to 18 months.

At the moment, I'd say Ireland is producing the better horses, with stallions like Sadler's Wells, Montjeu and Galileo on your side, it's hard to lose!

Answer 3

Well, the Thoroughbred breed originated in England, so if you want to be strick about "historically," I think you have to factor that in.

I think your question is interesting as now, more than ever, the American type of Thoroughbred is diverging from the Thoroughbreds bred elsewhere.  I think that you have to be more specific now to answer your question.

If the question is, which country breeds (and has bred) the best Thoroughbreds for running on dirt tracks at distances of 1-1/4 miles or less, the answer is the US, hands down.

If the question is, which country breeds (and has bred) the best Thoroughbreds for running on turf courses at distances of a mile to two miles, I think England/Ireland wins.  

Now that Polytrack and other artificial surfaces are replacing dirt tracks here in the US, I think we may see more of the European/British/Irish-bred horses high on the list of leading sires.  Supposedly, horses that do well on turf do well on the artificial surfaces, although I believe that the jury is still out on that and we'll have to wait and see.

There is no doubt that for sheer brilliance and speed, American Thoroughbreds are the world leaders.  However, if "best" takes in qualities like soundness and ability to get a distance of ground, American leadership is debatable.  England, Ireland and Europe have, to their credit, been much more restrictive in their medication policies than the US.  I believe that it is not coincidental that there is a correlation with the increased use of drugs on American horses and the drop in the average number of starts per horse.  I also hate to say it, but the emphasis on speed and disregard for soundness are not good.  The Storm Cats and Mr. Prospectors have been very popular though not always sound, because when you get a good one, the brilliance these horses have will carry them to success...for as long as they last, which isn't usually very long.  

If you define "best" by what international bloodstock buyers are willing to pay at auction for yearlings or unraced two-year-olds, then I think you have to say the USA is the leader.  

But your question involves a lot of subjectivity in deciding what constitutes the "best."  And there is a lot of debate that can be made over the question.

Answer 4

This is a totally biased answer of course, since I know little about other country's racing stars. But I would say the US based on us having produced Man O' War and Secretariat.