The Stud Farm
Origins
Our Guardiola stud farm is the result of an old family tradition that originated in Utrera (Seville) in 1690. In the book “Diccionario Hípico y del Sport”, written in 1881, it was stated that “The cattle raising deserves singular attention because besides being one of the most numerous in Andalusia, it brings together the strength of the war horse with the agility and elegance of the saddle horse, all over Spain you can see the products of this breed (…) and if in the exhibitions you do not see horses of this breed, it is due to the owners’ opposition to all kinds of exhibitions”.
In 1943 Salvador Guardiola Fantoni, renamed the stud farm, added to it with a lot of Carthusian mares and began to take it to exhibitions. The stud began to obtain their first recognitions such as the prizes in the Exhibitions of Select Cattle celebrated during the April Fair of Seville in the years 1944 and 1945…
After his death, the stud farm passed into the hands of his son Jaime who, having already shared the management of the stud farm with his father during his lifetime, took charge of it, while being assisted in his responsibilities by his brother Luis. They did this in keeping with the guidelines set at the time by both his father and his brother Salvador (rejoneador who died tragically in a bullfight held in Palma de Mallorca in 1960) regarding the selection and breeding of the Andalusian Horse.
We are proud to be able to say that since then we have reaped numerous successes: Prize for the Best Breeding, in Seville, diplomas from the Breeders’ Association for the quality of our line, numerous champions at SICAB, horses qualified as breed improvers by the Ancestry, dressage competitions at an international level.
We have also exported our horses worldwide: from North America, South America, Mexico, Northern Europe… even in South Africa you can find Guardiola horses!
Today, our stud farm is located between the “El Pinganillo” farm in Utrera (Seville) and the Isletones, where we raise them in a wild way during their first years so that they adapt to the environment and grow strong.
Characteristics of the Guardiola line
To achieve the best Andalusian horses our selection criteria has been based on three fundamental characteristics: morphology, functionality and breed.
Morphology
Beautiful horses; long and oblique backs; with good high and outstanding withers; strong and muscular back and loin, preferably short and placed in a way that facilitates the tucking in of the hindquarters; a long, slightly oblique rump and with great muscular masses.
Strong bones and good alignment to ensure long life and straightness of movement.
Good-sized and round-shaped hooves, with open heels and good frog to better distribute the weight of the equine. And to finish off the morphology, a great thoracic capacity.
With expressive, agile, elevated, extensive, harmonic and cadenced movements.
Functionality
Hard and strong horses capable of facing the tasks of the field and overcoming the adverse situations that the work in the field requires.
Courageous, which has helped us perform in the cowboy dressage.
This way our horses have been endowed with a character of obedience and versatility. Physically and mentally balanced, as well as controlled in their movements. And they have stood out both in classical or cowboy dressage, and walking in the Real of the fair or hard situations such as “el Rocío” or snow.
Breed
In addition to the balance between beauty and functionality we have sought to make them long-lived horses and also contributed to the improvement of the breed by giving good products.
Horses that evoke emotions, that have charisma, class and that are so elegant that they captivate everyone.
As a result of so many years of selection, we have managed to improve the breed of the Andalusian horse and achieved a unique line; the Guardiola line. Beautiful, strong horses with charisma as a seal of the Guardiola Horse
For all this, the Guardiola line is currently present in the best horses in the world and proof of this are the numerous awarded award -winning horses that descend from our horses. Some of our deceased horses are considered as legendary Andalusian horses as they have left a legacy and a mark in the history of the Andalusian horse.
