A historic Step for the Genetic Evaluation of the PRE in the United States

ANCCE is responsible for the development and implementation of the P.R.E. Genetic Improvement Program, approved by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture in 2004. The program aims to improve the morphology, conformation, and functionality of the Purebred Spanish Horse through performance testing and genetic evaluation.

Within the Spanish system, performance data for  Dressage and Conformation is collected through a circuit of official competitions nationally. In particular, one of the most important performance tests is ANCCE’s Young Horse Selection Trials (PSCJ, formerly available only for horses in Spain.  The data collected from these trials are applied to official breeding status in the Studbook (ie, Young Recommended Breeder, etc.)

As the PSCJ circuit is not available in the United States, this year’s Fiesta Ocala 2026 is particularly significant. For the first time in the US, this year, the functionality scores obtained at Fiesta Ocala will be incorporated into the ANCCE Genetic Selection Scheme, providing U.S.-based P.R.E. breeders with an official pathway for their horses’ performance data to contribute to the genetic evaluation process.

To ensure the validity of these results, the functionality test at Fiesta Ocala will be judged by an official ANCCE Functionality Judge: David Mérida (National Judge A in Spain).

Fiesta Ocala: where tradition meets the future

After more than four decades in which morphological competitions have helped guide the evolution of the P.R.E. in Spain, Fiesta Ocala is taking one step forward across the Atlantic and giving it a new dimension.

The 2026 edition will therefore be particularly significant. With official functionality evaluation now connected to the ANCCE Genetic Improvement Stock system, Fiesta Ocala reinforces its position as Florida’s major gathering point for the P.R.E.and as an increasingly relevant stage for the future of the breed in North America.

Source: Ibericon USA