The Anglo-Norman horse was a warmblood

Warmblood

Warmbloods are a group of middle-weight horse types and breeds, primarily originating in Europe, registered with organizations that are characterized by open studbook policy, studbook selection, and the aim of breeding for equestrian sport...

 horse breed

Horse breed

Horse breed is a broad term with no clear consensus as to definition, but most commonly refers to selectively bred populations of domesticated horses, often with pedigrees recorded in a breed registry. However, the term is sometimes used in a very broad sense to define landrace animals, or...

 from the old province of Normandy

Normandy

Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...

 in northern France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

. From early in the 19th century, local Norman mare

Mare

Female horses are called mares.Mare is the Latin word for "sea".The word may also refer to:-People:* Ahmed Marzooq, also known as Mare, a footballer and Secretary General of Maldives Olympic Committee* Mare Winningham, American actress and singer...

s were crossed with imported English thoroughbred

Thoroughbred

The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...

s, Norfolk Roadsters and half-breds, which themselves had Norfolk Roadster

Norfolk Trotter

The Norfolk Trotter is an extinct horse breed once native to East Anglia and Norfolk, England. It was said to be "a large-sized trotting harness horse originating in and around Norfolk"....

 and Mecklenburg

Mecklenburg

Mecklenburg is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...

 blood. Three principal lines developed: a light draught horse, which became the Norman Cob

Norman Cob

The Norman Cob or Cob normand is a breed of light draught horse originating in the old province of Normandy in northern France. It resulted from the cross-breeding in the 19th century of the now extinct Carrossier normand breed of Norman carriage horse with English Norfolk trotter, also extinct,...

 of today; a fast harness-horse which was the origin of the present-day French trotter

French Trotter

The French Trotter is a horse breed from Normandy, France, developed in the 19th century from Norman horses with the addition of some English Thoroughbred and Norfolk Trotter blood.-History:...

; and a general riding horse suitable for military use, the Anglo-Norman. In 1958 the Anglo-Norman was fused with other regional warmblood saddle-horses such as the Angevin, the Charentais, the Charolais

Charolais horse

The Charolais or Charollais is an extinct breed of warmblood horse from the Charolais country lying around the town of Charolles, now in the Saône-et-Loire département of Burgundy, in eastern central France...

, the Cheval Limousin and the Vendéen in order to create the national warmblood stud-book, the Selle Francais or French saddle horse.

Prominent Anglo-Norman horses of the past include Nonius Senior, founding sire of the Nonius

Nonius (horse)

The Nonius, or Nóniusz, is a horse breed named after its Anglo-Norman foundation sire. The breed was developed at the Imperial Stud at Mezőhegyes, Hungary by careful linebreeding. Originally bred to serve as a light draft and utility horse for Hungary's military, the breed became a useful...

 breed, Condor, Furioso II

Furioso II

Furioso II is one of the most influential sires in sport horse history. His offspring have performed well in all disciplines of show jumping, including at the Barcelona and Sydney Olympics.-History:...

, Almé Z

Almé Z

Almé Z was a sport horse stallion who was a prolific sire of show jumping horses.*Lived: 1966-1991*Color: Bay*Markings: blaze, sock right and left fore, half cannon right and left hind*Height: 16.1 hh *Sex: Stallion...

, and Cor de la Bryere

Cor de la Bryere

Cor de la Bryère is one of the most influential sires in modern warmblood breeding. He is known as the "Reserve Stallion of the Century", second only to Landgraf I.*Lived: 1968-2000*Nickname: "Corde"*Color: dark bay/brown...

.

The Anglo-Norman horse excelled in jumping

Show jumping

Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping," "open jumping," or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes commonly are seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics...

. Winners included Lutteur B, an Olympic gold medal winner at Tokyo in 1964.

Influence on other breeds

The Anglo-Norman was used to create several other breeds of horses throughout Europe and Asia. These included the Greek Andravida

Andravida (horse)

The Andravida or Ellis valley horse, is a light riding draft breed found in the region of Ilia in Greece. It owes its development to the crossing of Anglo-Norman with local breeds with additional crosses of Nonius stallions after 1920...

, which was created by crossing native Greek mares with Anglo-Norman stallions, and the Swiss Freiberger

Freiberger

The Freiberger, also known as Franches-Montagnes, is a draft horse from Switzerland. It was widely used as draft and pack horse in the Swiss army. Breeding used to be heavily subsidized in Switzerland. It is the last representative of the light cold blood horse in Europe...

, a blend of Anglo-Norman lines with Thoroughbred

Thoroughbred

The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...

s and native horses from the Jura Mountains

Jura mountains

The Jura Mountains are a small mountain range located north of the Alps, separating the Rhine and Rhone rivers and forming part of the watershed of each...

. The Hungarian Nonius

Nonius (horse)

The Nonius, or Nóniusz, is a horse breed named after its Anglo-Norman foundation sire. The breed was developed at the Imperial Stud at Mezőhegyes, Hungary by careful linebreeding. Originally bred to serve as a light draft and utility horse for Hungary's military, the breed became a useful...

 breed stems from an Anglo-Norman stallion named Nonius Senior, and Anglo-Norman blood was also used to add refinement to the German Oldenburg

Oldenburg (horse)

The Oldenburg is a warmblood horse from the north-western corner of Lower Saxony, what was formerly the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg. The breed was built on a mare base of all-purpose farm and carriage horses, today called the Alt-Oldenburger...

. In Asia, the Anglo-Norman was used to create the Chinese Heihe

Heihe (horse)

The Heihe is a breed of horse that originates from the Heilongjiang River basin in China.-Origin:Along the boundary between China and the former Soviet Union there is a long river basin called Heilongjiang. Heihe city is the center of the Heihe horse breeding region...

breed.