The main Objectives of the Society are to promote the pure bred fjord horses in Great-Britain and to preserve the quality of the breed, ensuring that its original characteristics are not lost or altered. The Society objectives include the preservation and promotion of pure bred bloodlines, the welfare of the fjord in the UK, and the promotion of the fjord as a versatile family horse. The Society advises and assists people interested in the Fjord Horse, and gives particular help and advice regarding breeding stock in the best interests of the Fjord, keeping within the guidelines and established traditions set down in its home country of Norway.

We ensure children’s enthusiasm is encouraged and supported. Many owners allow a child to visit & handle their fjord horse. Many youngsters have gone on to own a Fjord of their own as adults.

We are proud of this part of our work as promoting the breed is one of the many pleasures of owning the Fjord horse.

To give an insight into the Fjord in the UK we will go back a bit in time.

The first documented Fjord horse to come into Great Britain was imported from Norway by the grandparents of the now deceased Jennifer Murray around 1910. In 1935, the family moved to Hertfordshire and a big thrill for grandchild Jennifer was being taken to see the circus at Olympia in London. She was thrilled to see eight Fjord stallions, performing with great precision to the delight of the audience. They looked striking with their golden coats and blonde/black manes trimmed traditionally. Jennifer vowed ‘‘One day I shall have a Fjord horse’.

 

In 1964 Jennifer bought a fjord from a Dartmoor Stud. So thirty years after her vow , Jennifer had her fjord. Jennifer’s interest led her to Lord Glentanar of Aboyne. Glentanar had sold Fjords to Mrs Murray-Usher who was a friend of the Murray family. Mrs Murray-Usher had two mares and the stallion Fridghof-Nansen.

Going further back in time to 1928 - the Duke of Westminster had purchased from Norway. One such purchase was Helmar who had success at Nordfjordeid in 1927.

In 1949 Lord Glentanar imported the three year old stallion Strandbu.   Glentanar Stud had crossed fjord mares with a Highland Pony stallion and used a Fjord stallion with a Suffolk Punch mare. Glentanar were reported to have been pleased with the results. (photo: Viking at Glentanar Stud)

 

 

On in time to the 1960’s

 

The mid sixties and rural Surrey, home of the Maple Stud, owned by the Hon Mrs Janet Kidd, daughter of Lord Beaverbrook and mother to dressage rider and author - Jane Kidd. Janet Kidd became interested in the fjord horse and imported a group of mares and a stallion from Denmark. She & her fjords went on to win virtually every driving competition in the UK. Her love of the breed grew with her successes. These golden invaders, whom the Queen Mother once referred to as the colour of champagne, came, saw and conquered.

 

The breeding programme began.

 

Fjords that did not come up to standard were sold. All were broken to ride and drive. Any fjord failing to be obedient and happy in both disciplines was rejected as unsuitable for the show-ring or to carry on their genes. So, even in those early days, a form of selection process was taking place. Fjords were exported to the Arab State of Oman. The Sheik was delighted and he had many successes with his Maple Fjords over the years.

Meanwhile in Britain, Janet Kidd & her Fjords were going from success to success in the driving world.

Maple Viking, the first stallion import was sold to The Hon Mrs Bruce at Glentanar Stud

The stallion Klaus (photo) was imported from Denmark. He was the first stallion in the UK to have been fully evaluated. Viking had been bred from without grading.

That situation was to end permanently. New, quality bloodlines and a new era were about to begin..

In 1982, Lyn Moran, Secretary of our Society & John Goddard-Fenwick, Society Chairman, were watching driving events at Royal Windsor Horse Show. They saw a pair of golden fjords, gleaming magnificently in summer sun, oblivious to the crowds and noise. They were driven by a formidable English gentlewoman, Janet Kidd. Lyn decided: ‘One day we shall have a pair of those’

A pair of competition fjord horses were purchased from Janet Kidd. They started a long line of successful Fjords who formed part of the Ausdan Stud of Fjord Horses, which to this day is successfully breeding quality Fjords, one of which has been exported to Norway.

The Fjord Horse in Britain was about to go into the outdoor show world. Lyn & John had a successful display team of horses and motorcycles. The work was performed with precision in close proximity to motorcycles, and included a fire jump and 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 military teams but the only other team who had managed it was the famous White Helmets in the 1930's, but with the pole moving towards the horse. The Ausdan fjords performed fearlessly. They enjoyed their work, and in their first year won a coveted award at the Outdoor Show World Championships.

 

 

 

 

 

 

During press interviews, John stated that a good deal of their success was due to the good nature and willingness to please of their fjord horses. Ausdan fjords were seen by thousands of people. The Team frequently appeared on TV and radio. They were the first non Royal horses to cross the bridge into the Tower of London. They were the 1^st non Royal horses to pull a wedding carriage to St Pauls Cathedral in London. They re-opened the Rotherhithe Tunnel in London with Sir Horace Cutler. They were filmed for American TV for a day at the races, pulling a brougham carriage carrying TV commentators Brough Scott & Michael O’Hare.

 

During a visit to Janet Kidd, the subject of a Fjord Society operating a Stud Book was discussed. Lyn was concerned with more fjords being bred & entering the country it would not be long before control of bloodlines would become impossible.   Janet Kidd was delighted that like minded people, who shared her love of the breed, also shared her ambition to form a society.

In the Winter of 1984, the Fjord Horse Society of Great Britain was born- 74 years after the first known fjord horse entered the British Isles. The long process of verifying fjord lineage in Great Britain had begun. Luckily, through the years, we have had almost 100% co-operation from owners even though some of our findings have been painful for them.

When Mrs Kidd retired, Maple Klaus became a serving stallion at the Ausdan Stud. He was one of the resident stallions at the Stud for 8 years before the Ausdan Stud sent him to a smallholding in Scotland to improve bloodlines. He died in Scotland before he could make much of an impression.

With the help of Denmark’s Birgit Mortensen. the selection was made of the UK’s successor to Maple Klaus, the stallion Morten (photo below) by Fender, a son of the Norwegian bred Felder.

 

Another important fjord stallion contributing to UK breeding is Fini Skovly (photo below) from Denmark. Fini is a Cornet Halsnaes son, himself by the famous Rei Halsnaes. Fini was Fjordhorse of the Year in Denmark before coming to the UK.

 

The Norwegian bred stallion Stas Raaden (photo below) by Lunnar out of Rads Terna is very popular in the UK. This stallion is well known for producing good movement and near perfect temperaments in his progeny.

 

We have Birk Halsnaes by Pikant Halsnaes out of Julie Halsnaes. We are especially proud of Birk, imported by Our Chairman John Goddard-Fenwick who was in Norway- May 2013 to see the Danish bred stallion Frederick Skovaa FJH 721,and half brother to Birk, take top position at the annual stallion evaluation in Nordfjordeid. He was awarded 1st premium and top stallion in show. We are absolutely delighted. Both are by Pikant Halsnaes, himself a 1st class medal and Elite stallion. Both trace back to the famous Rei Halsnaes on their sire and dam’s side. Birk Halsnaes (photo below) himself is a 1st Class Elite stallion, which makes him the highest graded stallion ever to stand in the UK.

Our foundation breeding mares are mostly from Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium, plus chosen mares from the original UK lines.  They undergo a veterinary examination before breeding for the first time, with the emphasis on conformation, temperament and checks for obvious hereditary defects.

We are proud of the breed, and of our Stud Book Association in the UK, and we hope you enjoyed our potted history.

Please do visit our website at www.fjord-horse.co.uk for the full version.