Sicilian Oriental Thoroughbred

On 3 October 1990, the International Stud Book Committee approved the Italian Stud Book which is the stud book of pure blood horses intended for the production of their breed, recognizing, in fact, the Sicilian Oriental Thoroughbred. In the horse of this breed we can identify the most typical current expression of the Sicilian horse, whose racial entity has survived only on the island and is certified in the Italian Stud Book, established with Royal Decree n° 2690 of 09/19/1875 .

Historical research on the types of horses bred in Sicily reveals a constant and significant presence of horses from the Middle East and Africa. Even before the unification of Italy there were numerous breeding farms with characteristics very similar to those of the Arabian horse. At the beginning of the century, military commissions went several times to Arab countries to purchase breeding animals directly from Bedouin tribes to be assigned to the stallion depots in the south.

Previously, some Sicilian breeders, in particular the Grimaldis of Nixima, introduced valuable breeders of oriental origin to the island. Once upon a time it was customary to give an Arabian stallion as a gift to representatives of the Ruling House and high political offices, as a symbol of maximum value. Several of these horses were given for use at the Stallion Depot in Catania. In fact, the Arab-Asian genetic matrix in Sicily has been continuous over time.