Uses
Westphalians are bred to be suitable for pleasure riding and competitive in dressage and show jumping. As of September 2010, the studbook was ranked #6 worldwide in show jumping, #5 in dressage and #12 in eventing by the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses.
Olympians bearing the Westphalian brand appeared during the 1980s. The first was Ahlerich (by Angelo xx) who took individual gold in dressage at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, individual dressage gold was won by Rembrandt (by Romadour II), who with Ahlerich was on the gold-medal German dressage team, while Pikeur Pedro (by Pilot) was part of the gold-medal German jumping team that year. In 1992 Rembrandt took individual dressage gold again, while teammate Goldstern (by Weinberg) took bronze. The two horses were part of the gold-medal German dressage team in Barcelona. At the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, Goldstern and Durgo (by Degen) were both part of the gold-medal German dressage team. Most recently, Farbenfroh (by Freudentaenzer) was a member of the gold-medal German dressage team at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Westphalian breeding has produced a number of sires very influential to sport horse breeding, including Polydor and his half brother Pilot, and Rubinstein. These families are significant for jumping and dressage respectively.
Westphalians are also popular in North America in show hunter competition.
Read more about this topic: Westphalian Horse