Andalusian Horse (PRE): History, Traits and the Road to SICAB 2026

What is an Andalusian horse (PRE)?

The Andalusian horse is Spain's classic riding breed, officially called the Pura Raza Española (PRE), or Pure Spanish Horse. PRE is the legal name used by its official stud book; "Andalusian" is the older regional name most English speakers use for the same horse.

It is compact, strong and elegant, with a thick, often wavy mane and tail, a high-set arched neck and a lofty, springy trot. Spain's official breed standard describes the temperament as spirited, noble, docile and balanced, with a great capacity to learn.

It is not a rare breed. At the end of 2019 the official census counted 252,852 PREs belonging to 38,479 active studs in 66 countries, making it Spain's most numerous horse breed.

Why the PRE is in the news this week

• Córdoba, September 24–26. The morphology show at Cabalcor '26, the Córdoba International Horse Fair, will bring 45 studs and 88 PRE horses to the Caballerizas Reales, the royal stables built under King Philip II in the 16th century. Local paper El Día de Córdoba bills it as the 31st edition.
• A truly international field. Entries come from across Spain plus Mexico, the United States, Honduras and Panama. One headliner is Yeguada Zavi, a stud of Mexican origin named best exhibitor at SICAB 2025, where its mare also won the female world title.
• The road to Seville. ABC Córdoba reports that several entries arrive as contenders for SICAB 2026, the breed's world championship, in Seville from November 17 to 22.

Pura Raza Española vs Andalusian: same breed, different paperwork

Most of the world treats "Andalusian" and "PRE" as one breed. The real difference is the official name and which registry a horse is in.

• PRE is the official Spanish name. A horse is a PRE only if it is registered in the PRE stud book (Libro Genealógico, or LG PRE), which the breeders' association ANCCE runs for PREs worldwide as the body officially recognized by Spain's Ministry of Agriculture.
• Andalusian comes from Andalusia, the southern Spanish region where the breed took shape. In the US, the International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association (IALHA) registers purebred and half-bred Andalusians and Lusitanos.
• The practical rule: every PRE is an Andalusian, but not every horse sold as "Andalusian" is a papered PRE. It could be registered with another association, a half-bred, or unregistered.

If papers matter to you, for breeding, showing or resale, ask for the LG PRE registration and the horse's passport (DIE). The LG PRE issues those documents for PREs worldwide and lets anyone look up a registered horse's pedigree online.

A short history

• Iberian horses were prized as war horses for centuries, and kings across Europe had themselves painted on Spanish horses.
• Carthusian monks kept some of Europe's earliest written pedigrees. The Carthusian line (Cartujano) is still officially recognized as a strain within the breed.
• Spanish horses crossed the Atlantic with the conquistadors and helped found many breeds of the Americas. Mexico's Azteca, for example, was created by crossing the Andalusian with the Quarter Horse and the Criollo.
• Exports from Spain were restricted until the 1960s, and ANCCE was founded in 1972.

Looks and temperament: what the breed standard asks for

Spain's official standard is detailed. Here are the points buyers and show fans notice first (see our coat colors and markings guide for color terms):

Temperament: "spirited" is the key word. PREs learn fast and respond quickly to the rider's aids, which is a joy for a skilled rider and a challenge for a nervous one. That sensitivity is why they shine in classical dressage, high school (alta escuela), doma vaquera, driving and cattle work. Browse more in our disciplines and breeds guides.

What a PRE morphology show judges

A morphology show (concurso morfológico) is a conformation show. Judges compare each horse with the breed standard, not with a clock or a course of jumps.

1. Sections by sex and age. Fillies, mares, colts and adult stallions compete separately, so a 2-year-old colt is judged against horses its own age, not against a mature stallion.
2. In hand, no rider. A handler stands the horse square so judges can study proportions, head, neck, back, croup and limb alignment.
3. Walk and trot. The horse is then moved in hand. Judges want a straight, regular, ample walk and an elastic, suspended, cadenced trot driven by active hindquarters.
4. Faults cost places. Poor limb alignment, paddling (campaneo), pacing (ambladura), low or irregular movement, melanomas and a lack of harmony are all penalized.
5. Championships. Titles include champion, young champion and best movement, plus collective awards for best breeding stud and best exhibiting stud.

Many shows also score functionality (funcionalidad), which checks whether that build works under saddle. In Córdoba, functionality counts for 25% of the total score for ridden horses aged 4 and over, according to El Día de Córdoba, and SICAB schedules functionality sections within its World Morphology Championship.

It is not only about ribbons. ANCCE scores conformation on a linear scale from age 3, on farms and at shows, and that data feeds its genetic evaluations, so today's show ring shapes tomorrow's breeding choices.

Want to try showing in hand yourself? Start with our show prep guide.

From Córdoba to SICAB 2026: dates and how to follow

• Cabalcor, Córdoba: morphology show September 24–26 at the Caballerizas Reales. Local media report the wider fair runs until mid-October and expects more than 500 horses across its events.
• SICAB 2026, Seville: November 17–22 at FIBES, Seville's conference and exhibition center. It is the 36th edition, organized by ANCCE, and hosts the PRE World Morphology Championship.
• What else is on: ANCCE Cup finals in dressage, doma vaquera, working equitation, high school, sidesaddle (amazonas), driving and jumping, plus a daily equestrian show and, according to the organizers, more than 200 commercial and breeder exhibitors.
• Tickets: grounds entry is €14 a day at the box office. Show seats cost €13 to €26 depending on the day, online sales add a €1.50 fee, and official sales run through sicabentradas.com.
• Hours: 10:00 to 21:00 Tuesday to Saturday and 10:00 to 19:00 on Sunday, subject to change.
• Watch from home: SICAB.TV will stream the World Morphology Championship and the ANCCE Cups for free.

The sports program was published on September 18, and organizers say it may change once entries close.

Dazzled by a young black PRE? Read this before you buy

PRE videos are hard to resist: a glossy black 4-year-old, mane past the shoulder, floating across the arena. For a first-time owner, that exact horse is usually the wrong one.

• Green plus green goes wrong. A 3- to 5-year-old is still learning, and so is a beginner. Experienced riders steer novices toward an older, well-schooled horse instead.
• Sensitive by design. The quick, spirited response the breed standard prizes is a gift for a skilled rider, but it amplifies a beginner's mixed signals.
• Ask whether it is a stallion. A young male may still be entire. Stallions need experienced handling and suitable housing, so a gelding or mare is the safer first horse.
• "Black" may not stay black. Grey horses are born dark and usually turn white by 6 to 12 years old, and grey is one of the breed's dominant colors. If color matters, ask for a coat-color DNA test; the LG PRE offers one.
• Color says nothing about character. A black coat does not make a horse calmer, hotter or nobler. Judge the horse, not the photo.
• Greys and melanomas. Many grey horses develop melanomas as they age, most often under the tail. Most are benign but some spread, so have your vet check any lumps.

Before you buy: a quick checklist

1. Ride the horse at least twice, with your instructor present.
2. Watch it being caught, tied, groomed and saddled, not just a polished video.
3. Ask for the LG PRE papers and passport, and check the registration and pedigree online.
4. Book an independent pre-purchase exam with your own vet.
5. Consider leasing first, and register the change of ownership with the LG PRE after you buy.

New to horses? Our getting started and safety guides come first.

What to watch next

• September 24–26: Córdoba results. Watch which studs win their sections, especially the entries from Mexico and the US.
• Until mid-October: Cabalcor keeps running at the Caballerizas Reales, with more competitions and shows.
• November 17–22: SICAB in Seville. Check the final program close to the date and follow the rings on SICAB.TV.
• If you just want to meet one: book a lesson on a schooled Spanish horse, or watch a doma vaquera or dressage show near you.

For more breaking horse stories, visit Trends.