But don’t worry—Sommer Ranch remains your trusted source for PRE Andalusians in both classic and rare cream and pearl colors. We’re not stepping away from these beauties. Instead, we’re also embracing a mission to reintroduce a color once coveted by royalty.

A little history lesson: The Leopard Spotted coat pattern has seen waves of popularity throughout time. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Spanish horses adorned with leopard spots were the mounts of kings and emperors. King Louis XIV of France, in particular, favored these striking stallions.

These magnificent spotted coats were also present in the Spanish horses that formed the foundation of the Imperial Riding School of Vienna. In 1672, a Spanish spotted stallion was even immortalized as the focal point of the French battle scene in The Crossing of the Rhine.

Though the original Spotted Spanish horse was selectively bred into extinction in favor of gray, efforts in Britain have begun recreating them through the Spanish Spotted Saddle Horse (SSSH) program. This breed blends PRE horses with two spotted lineages that trace back to PRE ancestry—the Foundation Appaloosa, descended from Spanish horses brought to the Americas, and the Knabstrupper, whose roots are believed to go back to PRE horses left in Denmark in 1808.

The goal of the Spanish Spotted Saddle Horse breeding program is to develop a versatile, high-quality riding horse with the type, conformation, temperament, and movement of the baroque PRE—enhanced by its stunning spotted coat. Blending the athleticism and temperament of our Andalusians with the striking patterns of Appaloosas and Knabstruppers is an exciting and natural step forward.

To launch our SSSH program, we’ve carefully selected an exceptional spotted stallion of Knabstrupper lines to cross with our foundation PRE mares, Isabeau (mother to our Don Diego) and Pele (mother to our Apollo del Solis).  They will be our first mares to help reintroduce the spotted Iberian horse right here in the United States.

My enthusiasm appears to be spreading, and I’m hearing interest from other breeders as well—so I may be on the right path! Attached are some historic paintings along with photos of what will be half-siblings to our foals next season. The possibilities are truly thrilling.