The Furioso Horse

For a long time Hungary has had the reputation of producing good horses and excellent horsemen. The Hungarian stud at Mezohegyes was founded in 1784 by Emperor Josef II and it quickly became one of the greatest breeding centres in Europe. One of the most important breeds created at the Mezohegyes stud was the Furioso horse.

The Furioso horse was produced by breeding Thoroughbreds with Hungarian mares. The main influences were two stallions from England, Furioso and North Star. Furioso was acquired by Mezohegyes in 1841 and the breed was later named after him. North Star was imported to Hungary in the 1850s.

Using the bloodlines of the two stallions, the stud at Mezohegyes began producing good carriage horses and decent, heavy-weight riding horses. For awhile, the two bloodlines were kept completely separate. North Star’s bloodline proved particularly successful in producing very good harness racehorses. North Star himself was descended from the 1763 Derby winner, Waxy, the grandson of the great Eclipse.

Towards the end of the nineteenth century, the two bloodlines were merged and the Furioso line became the dominant strain. Today, you can clearly see the Thoroughbred influence in the breed through the horses’ well-sloped shoulders and fine head. The Furioso horse comes in any solid colour and stands at about 16 hands.