Welcome to the Fjord National Studbook of Great Britain

History of the

Fjord Horse in Great Britain

The first documented Fjord to come into Great Britain was imported from Norway by Jennifer Murray’s grandparents around 1910. They used to go fishing in Norway every year right up until 1939 and were enthralled with the beauty of the country and its striking equine inhabitant - the Fjord Horse.

The Fjord they imported was much loved by the family and was often seen out and about being driven in the Northumberland countryside. It caused great interest wherever it went. Hardly anyone had seen a Fjord before. What was this strange and beautiful creature?

Jennifer Murray accepting on of many trophies she has won with her Fjords.

One Day........

In 1935, the family moved to Hertfordshire and a big thrill for Jennifer was being taken to see Bertram Mills Circus at Olympia in London. One year she was absolutely thrilled to see eight proud Fjord stallions looking magnificent in their harness and performing with great dexterity in a liberty act to the delight of the whole audience. They looked so striking with their golden coats and blonde/black manes trimmed traditionally.

Jennifer vowed ‘ One day I shall have one of these beautiful animals’.

*Connemara ??*
	World War 2 came and went. Jennifer’s family moved up to Cumberland and she got married and moved to Devon. In 1964 Jennifer bought what she was told was a Connemara Pony from a Dartmoor Stud near Princetown. The stud had obtained it from Bodmin Moor because they had felt sorry for it. It was totally bald. Six months later it became a ravishing blonde and to Jennifer’s surprise a Norwegian student commented that it was good to see a Fjord Horse as it made him feel at home
*Maple Fresca & Edwina*
So, in 1965, thirty years after her positive statement in the Bertram Mills Big Top, Jennifer finally ‘had her Fjord’.
She then started on a search for her Fjord’s ancestry to no avail but she met some interesting people along the way. She found out from a visiting vet that there was a Fjord stud near St Just in Cornwall. He remembered euthanasing a Fjord stallion of very advanced years at that Stud. Jennifer could not trace the owners as they had by then moved on.

Fjord Currency !

She learned from a new source that stolen cars used to be shipped over from Cornwall to France where the cars were exchanged for ponies as the importation of currency was not allowed. So, she discovered it was locally accepted that Fjords had been part of this ‘black economy’ way down on the rugged Cornish coastline.

Jennifer’s ongoing investigations led her to Lord Glentanar of Aboyne who was breeding Fjords at that time. The resident stallion at Glentanar at that time was Strandbu.


Imports
He told her that he had sold Fjords to Mrs Murray-Usher, from Dumfries in Scotland. Mrs Murray-Usher was a friend of Jennifer’s mother so they all went up to visit her with fjords at the top of their visiting agenda. They discovered Mrs Murray-Usher had two mares and the stallion Fridtjof-Nansen. He was a pale coloured horse with a good nature.
	Going back in time to 1928 takes us to His Grace, the Duke of Westminster who purchased from Norway three mares and a three year old colt named Helmar who was successful at Nordfjordeid in Norway in 1927. The mares were Bergina, Soria & Rosa. Lord Glentanar, whom we mentioned earlier, had a Norwegian wife who missed her native Fjords, which was why he in 1929 imported three mares and a stallion for breeding.
*Lyn Moran with some of the Ausdan Fjords in Winter*
The mares were Stryn, Eide & Loen. Just before the War, in 1937, Lord Glentanar imported a further five mares and a stallion from Norway. The stallion was called Gulhov 962. His name was changed to Haakon after he was imported. and the mares were Astrid, Berit, Dagmar, Freia & Eva.
Finally, in 1949 Lord Glentanar imported the three year old stallion Strandbu. At that time the Stud had around 25 animals. They also crossed the fjord mares with a Highland Pony stallion and also used a Fjord stallion with a Suffolk Punch mare. The stud were reported to have been pleased with the results.
In 1966 Mrs Murray-Usher wrote to Jennifer and explained she was giving up and would sell her mares and colt from Glentanar stock. So the stallion Nils arrived at the Hearsay Stud,the mare Glentanar Edvina arrives soon after and the rest as they say is history, which you will read a little further on.

Invite

A great friend of Jennifer’s married into the Bruce family who now resided at Glentanar. She invited Jennifer and her husband Angus to stay. She took them to see the Glentanar Fjords. Jennifer, who is very knowledgeable on the breed, was pleased to see a field full of nice, well boned mares running with the stallion Verge, a very strong looking stallion and larger than the average, who was the sire of Jennifer’s stallion Nils.

Some time later on her next visit, Jennifer was disappointed to see that the standard had dropped. On Jennifer’s last visit, she saw the stallion Viking running with the mares on the hills. She was again unimpressed with the quality of the animals and this saddened her as Jennifer always strives for the best which a visit to her Hearsay Stud would show

At the time of Jennifer’s visits, there was no proper control of breeding in Scotland and colts & fillies were sold all over the area. Many went on to breed with equines of all types without any control on quality or purity. This was not the fault of the original importers mentioned above who strove to purchase good animals but more the way things go when dedicated people and their animals die out or retire. The last dedicated breeder, The Hon. Mrs Jean Bruce. who was President of our Society for some years, retired from breeding a few years ago. Mrs Bruce was a great supporter of our Society and did everything she could to correctly control and register her Glentanar stock with us.

Maple Sunday & Maple Winston

She willingly allowed us to visit on several occasions in order to see her records and was always helpful and courteous. The Society, on these pages, would like to thank her for her work and dedication to the Society and to the breed we love.

Changing Times

But time moves on and the value of the horse has changed. It is no longer prized as a working animal who must keep the inherent qualities of the breed pure in order to maintain its working and frugal qualities.

New, modern owners are mostly private individuals who breed from their animals often for sentimental reasons and use whatever stallion/mare is available at the time. In the case of the Fjord Horse in Scotland because its numbers were limited, this mostly resulted in outcrosses or a large degree of inbreeding.

The Sixties

Our time travelling now takes us to the mid sixties and down to the rolling countryside of rural Surrey. We go to the Maple Stud, home of the Hon Mrs Janet Kidd, daughter of Lord Beaverbrook the Newspaper magnate, and mother to the famous dressage rider and author - Jane Kidd.

Like Mrs Bruce, Janet Kidd mixed with Royalty (Prince Andrew spent many a secluded hour at her beautiful Barbados home - Holders House, as did Princess Margaret, sister to Queen Elizabeth II). She mixed with stars including the famous (or is it infamous) Oliver Reed. She was an accomplished artist and was the oldest person in Great Britain to gain a helicopter pilots licence.

Janet Kidd with

Maple Brantly & Agusta

Well, luckily for us, she became interested in the Fjord Horse. How? Here’s how.

BACK IN TIME AGAIN

The Driving Bug Takes Hold

When Janet Kidd was 13 years old she bit her nails. This disgusted her father so much that he offered her three hundred pounds to buy anything she liked if she would stop the habit in six weeks. Her passion was for horses but she had access to plenty of those so she decided to buy a driving pony. She said ‘with my newly long, flashing nails I set off to Sir Nigel Coleman’s annual sale of Hackneys and bid three hundred pounds for a magnificent animal. Then on its arrival home I had to wheedle and beg my father for a show wagon and harness on top of the promised three hundred pounds. He gave way with a big smile’.

Each day after lessons, Janet Kidd would exercise her ’Beauty’ and practice her new found sport with joyous enthusiasm.

Richmond Royal Horse Show

At last came the great day she had practised for. The Novice Championship at the Richmond Royal Horse Show. But disaster struck. She was ‘run away with’ in the ring.

A few days later, her beloved Beauty, her show wagon and harness had disappeared. Her father had taken them to the Tattersalls Sales, held at that time in Knightsbridge in London. She promised herself at that moment that one day she would drive again. She certainly did, as you will see later on.

The War

Many years passed during which Janet Kidd was involved in hunting and show jumping. Then came the unhappy days of the War when all of her horses were taken from her by the Government of the time for the war effort.

After the War, Janet’s two children, Jane and Johnny, who had inherited her love of horses, took up showjumping and she travelled the world watching them jump with the British Teams.

Janet Kidd negotiating a water hazard

Combined Driving

Then one day, something in her heart stirred when her friend, Colonel, Sir Mike Ansell told her that a new sport was about to launch in Britain. That sport was combined driving. Sir Mike told her that it would be a challenge to young and old.

Denmark

Still following the British Team, Janet Kidd’s travels took her to Copenghagen in Denmark. Between classes in the beautiful Copenghagen Showground, she drove into the city where she saw what she described as an amazing sight - a pair of cream horses winding their way between the traffic, hauling a huge wagon carrying at least 20 students waving and shouting happily.

She said ‘My very instinct cried out - they are the ones for me’.

What were the horses who stirred such strong emotions in this well known self assured woman?

They were FJORDS

The Search

The hunt was on. Mrs Kidd was introduced to a horsemaster who took her the length and breadth of Denmark in search of her dream. She eventually chose four matching Fjord mares who were bundled into the horsebox with Johnny’s showjumpers and they set off for Britain.

Intelligent

Mrs Kidd’s stud groom had a good knowledge of breaking and driving horses, so she learnt a great deal in a short time.Her beautiful fjords responded with intelligence and keenness to weaving in and out of trees, galloping through rivers and spending hours of intensive work in the dressage ring.

Hickstead

Her first combined driving event was at Hickstead in 1974. Her thoughts strayed back 50 years to Beauty and the day she entered the ring at the Royal Richmond Horse Show. A huge gap in time - but the same enthusiasm and strong desire to win.

Championship

‘Better luck this time’ she muttered as she entered the arena for the dressage test. Luck had nothing at all to do with it, Fjords were the engine for this prestigious event and after three days of gruelling work they took

The Hon Mrs Janet Kidd to victory. She came 1^st, winning the Championship against all others.

Janet Kidd and team of Fjord horses

Unbeaten Record

Win after win followed. First Lincoln followed by amongst others, Pitney Bowes at the Royal International, The British Driving Derby, The National Championship. This was an unbeaten record.

Derby

Her navigator Rachel was brilliant, her ability was outstanding but she put all of her success at the hooves of her precious FJORD HORSES. She has said that perhaps her greatest moment was winning the 1974 British Driving Derby against all comers.

The first phase took place in Baynards Park Estate, owned by famous horseman Alan Bristow who organised both the dressage and a 29km marathon. The final phase, the obstacle driving, took place at Hickstead. There were 39 entries that year and the winner overall was to be the winner of the Derby. Janet Kidd and her faithful Fjord Horses.

Queen Mother

Janet Kidd was hooked. She arranged the importation of further Fjord mares and the stallion Jacob who was renamed Viking. Her love of the breed grew with her successes and soon people were clamouring to buy these beautiful horses. The Maple Stud was famous. It had been the home of Hanoverians for many years and their successes were well known and well respected. Now these cream coloured invaders whom the Queen Mother once referred to as the colour of champagne, had virtually taken over.

Breeding Programme

Rachel was sent over to Denmark to buy Fjords. Rachel came back. Rachel had to go again. A nucleus of quality Fjords was established and the breeding programme began.

Mrs Kidd was insistent that her Fjords had to be the best. Any that did not match up to her high standards were sold to private homes as riding and driving ponies. The best were retained and grew up in the idyllic surrounds of the Maple Stud with its rolling pastures, roomy barns and perfect training conditions. The stud grooms were kept busy handling the youngsters, training them to trust their masters and enjoy their work. All were broken to ride first and when proficient they went on to drive. Any fjord that failed to be obedient and happy in both disciplines was rejected as unsuitable either to go on into the showring or to carry on their genes. They were sold as family ponies to enthusiastic purchasers.

Selection

So, even in those early days, a form of selection process was taking place, those deemed unsuitable were rejected, those who passed were retained. All this thanks to the early training Janet Kidd received as a child, thanks to her ability as a good horsewoman and thanks to her ability to spot and observe quality animals. During those early years, the breeding Fjord was in safe custody.

Fame

The fame of Janet Kidd’s Maple Stud spread far and wide. Fjords were exported to various corners of the world including the Arab State of Oman. Mrs Kidd sent out the best of her stud grooms supervised by the ever attentive Rachel to ensure the safe arrival and settlement of her precious cargo. The Sheik was delighted and he had many successes with his Maple Fjords over the years.

*Successful*
Meanwhile in Britain, the Maple Fjords were breeding successfully and Janet Kidd was going from success to success in the driving world. The stud was always a hive of activity with Fjords popping out from every corner - all in various stages of training. The time came when Maple Viking could not be used on the mares anymore because he had too many daughters and Mrs Kidd would not hear of inbreeding.So, arrangements were made for The Hon Mrs Bruce at Glentanar to purchase Viking for her stud.
	*Maple Freya*

New Blood

Meanwhile, back at the Maple Stud the hunt was on for new stallion blood. A stallion was imported ready for the breeding season. Mrs Kidd took one look and immediately rejected it. She did not consider it good enough to continue the lines she had worked hard to preserve.So the hunt was back on. This time success. The stallion Maple Klaus was eventually imported and passed Mrs Kidd’s careful scrutiny. New bloodlines were about to begin....

MEANWHILE

Mrs Kidd’s driving successes continued and thus began the next chapter in the history of the British Fjord Horse.

*Royal Windsor*
One fine summer’s day in 1982, Lyn Moran who is Secretary of our Society, was watching the driving events at Royal Windsor Horse Show. Suddenly she spotted a beautiful pair of cream horses, gleaming magnificently in the summer sun, oblivious to the crowds, noise, bands and all the other paraphanalia of a large showground. They were resplendent in shining black harness with gleaming brass furnishings and were drawing a beautiful carriage driven by a rather formidable looking English Gentlewoman.
Lyn stated:	*Lyn Moran on a winter's drive*
*‘One day I shall have a pair of those’.*
Does that sound familiar? Is it a phrase synonymous with first sight of these beautiful animals?

Austria

Lyn knew what they were as she had ridden them in of all places the Austrian Tyrol. So, after the event she approached Janet Kidd who asked her if she knew about Fjords. Lyn replied ‘yes’ and proceeded to tell her about the Fjords she had ridden and where they had originated from. ‘Not now’ said this immaculately groomed lady, ‘ Come to my stud and we shall talk’. She then proceeded to drive off. She looked behind her and said ‘I will expect you on Wednesday’.

The rest as they say is history....

Interrogation ?

Lyn & John got on well with Janet Kidd and was shown around the Maple Stud by Rachel. Mrs Kidd invited her for tea and immediately quizzed Lyn on which of the Fjords she thought were best. The answers must have pleased her as she immediately said, ‘at last, someone else who understands quality and breeding’.

I Want !!

Lyn wanted a pair of Fjords and was shown various animals for sale at the Maple Stud in January of 1982. She had particularly liked a pair of mares and said she would be interested in them. It was agreed that she would collect them in April when they had finished their training.

Royal Windsor

When April came around, Lyn was told that Mrs Kidd did not want to sell the pair as she had particularly marked them out to work as spares to her current successful driving pair.

Lyn was invited to choose another pair. Various animals were brought forward but Lyn was having none of it. She spoke to Mrs Kidd and told her she had promised to sell the original ones to her. Mrs Kidd, who was used to being deferred to, was in the years to come, heard to remark, ‘I took a liking to this politely cheeky individual and gave in’. She said ‘Oh all right then, you would take an old (ish) lady’s pair of Fjords away from her would you?’ Lyn replied ‘yes’. She got her way. Janet Kidd agreed to sell her the Fjord mares Margo & Mandy. But... there was a catch. They had been entered for Royal Windsor Horse Show and Mrs Kidd wanted them to compete. So it was agreed that Lyn & John would pick them up at the Royal Windsor Horse Show after the competition.

Jane Kidd

Competition Day arrived. It was a beautiful Spring day and Royal Windsor Horse Show in its glorious setting seemed the perfect place to be. The Fjords were turned out to perfection for Jane Kidd who was going to drive them that day.

Honour

The pair performed superbly and after what seemed like an eternity the results were announced.The winners were number 135- Maple Margo & Maple Mandy driven by Jane Kidd, dressage expert and daughter of the Hon Mrs Janet Kidd. A big cheer went out from the crowds and Jane brought the pair in to our parking area. Almost before Jane could step down from the carriage, the Fjords were surrounded by people asking question after question. Then Mr Scott- Dunn, veterinary surgeon and partner of Scott Dunn & Partners, came up to Janet Kidd and asked her to name her price for the pair. She looked at him and replied that the pair had already been sold.

Such was the honour and integrity of that great woman. She turned to Lyn & said in her typically brusque way, ‘Now get them out of here before I change my mind’. So at last Lyn had her pair of Fjord Horses. Those horses started a long line of successful Fjords who formed part of the Ausdan Stud of Fjord Horses which to this day is successfully breeding good quality Fjords.

*Moto Equestrians Display Team*
The Fjord Horse in Britain was about to go into the outdoor show world. Lyn & John had formed a successful display team of horses called the Moto Equestrians Display Team which worked horses and motorbikes with military like perfection.
	The work had to be performed with precision and included cross-overs, horses charging at motorcycles, precision work in close proximity to motorcycles, an amazing fire jump and perhaps the most difficult of all, a horse jumping over a moving pole suspended between two motorcycles which were moving in the same direction as the horse. It had been tried by various military teams over the years but the only team who had managed it was the famous White Helmets in the 1930's but with the pole moving towards the horse. Lyn had to train the horses to the exacting standards John required for the Team.
*Maple Fiske & the Moto Equestrian Display Team*
He had to be a tough taskmaster to the riders as any mistake could be disastrous.
He had devised most of the routine and it was Lyn’s job to ensure the horses could do it. Her Fjords performed fearlessly with intelligence and bravery. They thoroughly enjoyed their work and in their first year they picked up the coveted Special Award prize at the prestigious Outdoor Show World Championships.
This prize had been sought after by most teams for years.

Fan Club

During many press interviews, Lyn & John stated that a good deal of their success was due to the good nature and willingness to please of their Fjord Horses. The Team went from success to success and the Fjord was seen by many thousands of people. The Team appeared on TV and radio and the Fjord Horse had a huge fan club.

They also did many press calls and were the first non Royal horses to cross the bridge into the Tower of London. They were the 1^st non Royal Horses to draw a wedding carriage to St Pauls Cathedral in London. They were also chosen by the GLC to re-open the Rotherhithe Tunnel in London with Sir Horace Cutler.

Fylla & Freya at a wedding

They were filmed for American TV audiences spending a day at the races, resplendent in their shining harness and drawing a beautiful brougham carriage carrying TV commentators Brough Scott & Michael O’Hare.

Lyn & John always use the Fjords or their pair of Fjord cross thoroughbreds for these jobs as it helps to promote the breed and show off their amazing temperament.

Another incident to show you the amazing temperament of the Fjord happened at a show in the South of England not so long ago. Lyn was driving a pair of Fjord mares to a full size competition vehicle as part of the Display Team’s repertoire. All around the arena was packed with crowds more than six rows deep. The Fjords were travelling at a canter when suddenly, the pole, turntable and front pair of wheels separated from the main body of the carriage. Lyn leapt over the front of the carriage, keeping the reins firmly in her hands and skidded behind the fjords, Roman style, eventually bringing them to a standstill. Those magnificent Fjords, who were at a canter when the carriage separated, responded to their training and when they drew to a halt they behaved as if nothing unusual had happened. The audience stood up and gave them a standing ovation. To think what might have happened if the carriage was drawn by ‘lesser’ breeds..................... All that separated the audience from the arena was a rope.

Those Fjord mares are typical of the excellent temperament and level of understanding that the Fjord Horse can achieve with Man.

We could fill these pages with Fjord Stories like this but we must now go back to the Maple Stud.

Discussions

During another visit to Janet Kidd at her Maple Stud, the subject of a Fjord Society was discussed. Lyn broached the subject as she was concerned that with more fjords entering the country it would not be too long before keeping control on bloodlines would become almost impossible. It had been Mrs Kidd’s ambition to form a Society in Great Britain to protect the breed. She was delighted that some like minded people who shared her love of the breed also shared her ambition to form a society

Charming

Lyn & John visited Denmark and were whizzed around many of the top breeding farms by their charming hostess - Birgit Mortensen, then Secretary of Fjordhesteavlen i Danmark. Breeding lines were discussed together with methods. A future breeding plan for Great Britain was formulated and this led to the eventual importation of two further stallions into Great Britain. One, Ausdan Svejk, was for immediate use on the breeding programme and the other, Ausdan Otto went on to be a great ambassador for the breed, appearing in many magazines and opening many functions. He was also a fully trained member of the Moto Equestrian Display Team mentioned earlier.

Birth Of The Society

So, in the Winter of 1984, the Fjord Horse Society of Great Britain was born. Almost 74 years after the first known Fjord Horse entered the British Isles via Jennifer Murray’s family in the Northumberland countryside there was a society to help preserve the breed in our country.

President

Mrs Kidd agreed to become its President and gave the Society every possible assistance in its research into fjords past and present. At one time when she was in Barbados she telephoned her Secretary at the Maple Stud and instructed her to let us examine all of her records and to hide absolutely nothing from the Society. She repeated ‘absolutely nothing’.

Verification

So the long and painstaking process of checking and verifying fjord lineage in Great Britain had begun. In fact it has never ended as even to this day, we could discover a problem which may make an owner a not very happy person. Janet Kidd was ruthless in her selection. If one of her Fjords did not match up to its papers, it did not enter the Main Stud Book. She was absolute in her quest for purity. Luckily, through the years, we have had almost 100% co-operation from our members even though some of our findings have been painful for them

Dedicated

The Society is absolutely dedicated to purity and protection of our Fjord bloodlines and if there is any doubt about lineage, then it does not enter our Main Stud Book Register until that doubt has been resolved.

In the meantime time was ruthlessly marching on and Janet Kidd’s health was failing. Even though she was still relatively fit, she decided that she would reduce the number of horses in her Fjord Stud as she could not always personally supervise the work. So, in May 1985, a reduction sale was held and many of the Maple Fjords went on to new lives.

During the weeks prior to the sale, before the date was finalised, Janet Kidd told Lyn & John to choose any of the Fjords they wanted. She also made it possible for them to purchase Maple Klaus as she did not want him to go to anyone else. One condition was that when the time came they had to take charge of Agusta, her famous and much loved competition Fjord. And so it came to pass that Maple Klaus became a serving stallion at the by now well known Ausdan Stud and was one of the resident stallions at the Stud for around 10 years before the Ausdan Stud sent him up to Scotland to try and improve their bloodlines. Sadly he died in Scotland before he could make much of an impression.

Thank You

We thank the very many people both past and present for helping us to achieve the work we have and without whose help that work would have been impossible.

One person in particular who has dedicated many hours of time to the work of the Society is Chairman of Fjordhesteavlen i Danmark , Birgit Mortensen.

She is like a studbook encyclopedia and her knowledge of bloodlines is immense. Nothing is ever too much trouble for her and she has discussed breeding matters with the society for many years.

She is diligent in her work and has a great love of the breed that is part of her Scandinavian heritage. We are very lucky to have her.

Birgit Mortensen with Skarregaardens Filip -Otto.

Birgit Mortensen with Skarregaardens Filip -Otto.

We thank another Dane, the veterinary consultant Dr Sven Kold for his expert help during the formation of the society. He also judged at our first Breed Shows to teach us exactly what to look for from a Scandinavian point of view. He taught us to show our horses diagonally instead of the traditional accepted ‘around the perimeter of the ring’ method. He was a great help and most of our female members seemed to want to show their Fjords when he was judging! So it is not just the ‘Blonde Viking Horses that swept people off their feet!.

We must extend thanks to our Secretary, Lyn Moran who has dedicated hundreds of hours to the breed. It is thanks to her great organising ability, her ability to work under pressure and to converse easily with people from all walks of life, her vast knowledge of the breed and of the equine mind that we have the great society we have today with its well documented archives of information. She is always willing to give advice, whatever you catch her doing..

Thanks must also be given to our Chairman, John Goddard-Fenwick who has, with his diplomatic skills, steered the society to its present day success. His working knowledge of law has proved useful on many occasions and his expert commentating skills at shows have given many a person an in depth insight into the Fjord Horse. He has made the breed ‘come alive’ like no other person can. He has the ability to speak to people at their level and has often been thanked for being fair minded. He is usually the Society Ambassador, participating in meetings, social functions etc which take him all over the country.

We thank our Honorary Veterinary Surgeons. In the past, we had the great and experienced help of Mr Mike Daniells MRCVS of Park Veterinary Centre ( Johnson & Daniells Veterinary Group). He on many occasions, used to pop in when passing just to chat about the Fjord and keep up with the latest news and have a cup of coffee. He continued his long association with the Society well into his retirement until he moved to the South of England.

His very worthy successor, Mr Jeremy Jones MRCVS Senior Partner of Tysul Veterinary Group, has been a great support and is always ready to give expert veterinary advice when it is needed. Nothing is too much trouble for him and we thank him for his continued and much valued support. He has an excellent working knowledge of the breed & Society Rules and certainly puts his point of view forward if he thinks any improvement could be made, especially in veterinary matters but not always.

He is always right (but we won’t let him read this. It might make him vain & chauvinistic!).

Thanks also to our Society Lawyer, Mr. Norman Macleod. He has dedicated more hours than we dare think about to Society matters and has never charged for his time. He allows us to contact him at all hours and is always ready to give legal advice on any matter large or small

Thanks also to Paul , a dedicated member of our Committee for many years. He can always put the ‘human touch’ to matters, and like our Chairman John, he is a born diplomat. He has put in many hours of work to all aspects of the promotion of the Fjord Horse and we thank him for his dedication.

Thank you to Fiona who has always strived for the good of the breed and who has put in a huge amount of time and effort in promoting the Fjord. She has worked tirelessly over the years to show off the Fjord and despite having a large family of blonde "viking lookalikes" she has been known to be working to all sorts of hours if there is work to be done.

We must not forget Michaela, a founder member of the Society and a dedicated owner and strong promoter of the Fjord. She can be seen at most of the breed shows looking after the Society Stand and actively praising the breed to all who will listen. Michaela first met one when she was 12 years old. That faithful friend saw her through childhood, teens, traumas, boyfriends, marriage, children ......................... Maybe she will write her story.

Also many thanks to Jennifer. She has been a fantastic supporter of the breed and has been very successful in the Show Ring over the years. Her Hearsay Stud has bred many champions with the able help of her daughter Catriona who also rides, schools and competes them very successfully and skillfully. We must also thank her husband Angus who is our Society Treasurer. He is a pillar of strength and sensibility and our funds could not be in safer hands.

We extend thanks to everyone whose work over the years have made the success of our British Society possible.

Successful Ministry Examiniation

Further to our Government recognition in 1994, under the terms of Commission Decision 92/353./EEC., we have just completed a stringent examination by ADAS on behalf of our Government body - the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food (MAFF).

We are pleased to announce that our Government recognition as the Fjord Horse National Stud Book Association of Great Britain has been re-affirmed so we are

ALL SYSTEMS GO

EC Recognised

We are EC recognised and appear on the Official List of Approved Societies, as sent to the European Commission in Brussels. This list is obtainable from MAFF in London should anyone wish to check on our credentials.

High Standards

The society will continue to insist on high standards and many fjords may still have to be rejected for the Main Breeding Studbook because of insufficient information about breeding lines. Thankfully, because of the fact that there is now more public awareness about lineage and also because of modern technology (Bloodtyping/DNA typing and microchip implantation are now mandatory within our Society) we are coming across this problem to a lesser and lesser degree. Having said that, there is a register for every category of Fjord and a comprehensive upgrade system is in force.

We hope you have enjoyed our potted history of Fjords in Great Britain past and present.

As to the future - let us continue to uphold the traditional standards of the breed by strict control of bloodlines, genetic purity and freedom from hereditary problems.

FREE EQUINE PASSPORTS

We are so concerned about correct identification of this breed with its very few individual distinctive differences that we are issuing free equine passports to all registered fjords and fjord crosses.

The name ‘PASSPORT’ might just conjure up the wrong idea. It is not just for taking your Fjord out of the country, it is a comprehensive document which should accompany your horse wherever it goes.

It will contain details of your Fjord’s vaccinations, operations, in fact all veterinary records will be contained within its pages. It will contain a full description of your Fjord including its lineage or registration details. Everything of importance will be together in one document.

E.mail us with your details and we will do the rest to passport@fjord-horse.co.uk or complete the passport document by clicking the documents button above.

Rear view of the striking markings some Fjord Horses posses.

Happy

Above all we are a happy society. We have countless testimonials from people telling us how friendly and approachable we are. Not just the Committee but our members who are after all the core of the Society.

We must all remember -

The horse is a pleasure horse, please get pleasure out of him and give him pleasure in return.

If you have not done so already, please visit our fabulous Gallery before you go and why not view our guestbook and maybe leave a comment or two.

Do contact us for further information and happy Fjording.