100% Falabella bloodlines."
Asociacion de Criadores de Caballos Falabella (ACCF)
The Falabella Studbook incorporates the Falabella Studbook Europe.
We are the only authorised 'daughter' Falabella studbook for the world,
the 'mother' studbook being Asociacion de Criadores de Caballos Falabella, Argentina.
"Mrs. Reina Knaap-Mulder had passed her Falabella Stamboek Europa “FSE” to its sister studbook TFS after failing to find a registrar in Holland to take on the job.
The British Falabella Studbook then became known as “The Falabella Studbook”.
Consequently, this is the only daughter Falabella Studbook of the mini horses Falabella in the world."
Dr. Soledad Gramajo
Managing director
ESTABLECIMIENTOS FALABELLA ARGENTINA
The Association of Breeders of Falabella Horses (ACCF in Spanish) is the MOTHER studbook.
When people are looking for a Falabella to buy, they may not be aware that there are a number of sellers/breeders who are abusing the Falabella name in order to pass off non-Falabella horses as genuine ones.
During Maria Falabella's later years, Susan Eckholdt was her UK representative, charged with speaking out against the fraudulent marketing of the breed in the UK.
The British Falabella Studbook was established in 2002, after Mrs. Stella Dutchyn obtained the coveted ‘Daughter Studbook’ authorization status from the Mother Studbook in Argentina, the Asociacion De Criadores De Caballos Falabella, the ACCF.
Prior to this Mrs. Susan Eckholdt had raised the subject of UK Falabella registration with Sra. Maria Luisa de Falabella on a visit to Buenos Aires in 1997, discussing the possibility of creating a British Studbook which would be run along the same lines as the Dutch Falabella Studbook which was established in 1995 and which later became the European Falabella Studbook/FSE.
We obtained ‘Passport Issuing Organisation’ Authority (PIO) from the Department for the Environment, Fisheries and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) shortly after that.
In 2011 DEFRA removed our PIO status by mistake, and continued to ignore our protestations for over five years.
Then, during a fifteen month investigation involving the Advertising Standards Authority (between May 2017 and August 2018) and an Independent Review conducted by Sir Hayden Phillips, DEFRA's error came to light.
Click link below
The first thing a buyer should ask to see is the evidence that a horse is registered with The Falabella Studbook, meaning that it will have been DNA proven in order to
'parentage qualify'.
This means that it will have been proven to be the foal of a particular stallion and mare.
Fact
There were only TWO authorised 'daughter' Studbooks sanctioned by the Mother Studbook the Asociacion de Criadores de Caballos Falabella Argentina, the FSE (European Falabella Studbook) and the BFS (British Falabella Studbook) but now there is only one, the FSE having been amalgamated with the BFS, creating 'The Falabella Studbook'.
Quote from Falabella Studbook Europe.
"The Falabella Studbook Europe association was founded by its three initiators in 1995, and has been acknowledged by the ACCF parent studbook in Argentina, as well as by the PVE ministerial product board.
This is the official studbook registration for this rare breed of miniature horses for all of Europe.
In the year 2000, all members unanimously agreed to convert the studbook association into a non-profit organisation (foundation), to ensure the identity and continuity of the breed.
FSE provides registration and DNA reports for 100% purebred Falabellas across all of Europe, and has joined other non-profit organisations besides the ACCF parent studbook, such as the British Falabella Studbook (BFS), and Falabella America (FMHA).
The FSE has the objective of protecting the special Falabella breed - the only miniature horse breed in the world - and preserving it from extinction, as well as continuing registration of 100% purebred Falabellas, promoting breeding efforts involving Falabellas with healthy constitution and correct, functional, and appealing exterior features.
Moreover, the name Falabella has been filed and registered. The name cannot be used without the approval of the studbook.
Studbook Regulations
'Studbook Registration Purebred Falabellas' possess original studbook documents, which can be used to trace the origins of the Falabella.
An additional condition is that both the father and mother animals must be 100% purebred, as well as the three generations preceding them, and the male and female ancestors must descend from the Establiciementos Falabella Ranch in Argentina."
(meaning ALL ancestors must be traceable back to the Falabella ranch)
The document above shows that the Dutch Falabella Studbook (FSE)
was the ONLY authorized European register in 1999, before the addition of the BFS in 2003.
A Falabella horse is a 'rare breed' pedigree animal whose bloodlines can be traced back more than 170 years to one ranch in Argentina.
The Breed Standard has been approved by the Argentine State as well as their Genealogical records.
The Asociacion de Criadores de Caballos Falabella is the only entity admitted by the Argentine State to keep these records.
The records kept by the ACCF are also filed with the Argentine Association for Horse Development (AAFE).
"By definition, a Falabella must have 100% Falabella bloodlines."
(ACCF)
There are still some part-breds or 'blends' that are currently being marketed as Falabella horses, both in the UK and elsewhere.
The Mother Studbook (The Asociacion de Criadores de Caballos Falabella) has authorised only the TFS.
Nobody should have to ask if a horse advertised as a Falabella is a real one.
They should complain if they discover non-Falabellas / part breds being marketed as Falabellas.
Horses come under the 'Consumer Rights Act 2015' so if buyers discover they have been the subject of fraudulent marketing there are legal rights in place to protect them.
The horse must be as described. If the horse is not as described (not a Falabella for example)
it is a breach of Trading Standards.
Limelight's Sabre
Foaled in 1993, Sabre was undoubtedly the first of the ultra quality true Arabian/thoroughbred type Falabellas.