Heavy Hitters! Throughout the month of December, we are featuring heavy horses and heavy breed crosses! We recently asked our social media followers to share a photo of their favorite heavy breed or heavy breed cross partner, and tell us a little about them for a chance to be featured in an upcoming gallery highlighting these gentle giants. Check out some of the superstars they love to dance with.
Did you know that dressage riders who choose a draft cross as their mounts are eligible for special awards through the Adequan®/USDF All-Breeds Awards program, as the Draft Cross Breeders & Owners Association (among several others for heavy breeds!) is a participating organization!
Dales pony stallion. Photo by Shawn Tinkham Photography – Sheila Enochs
My guy Thor! Clydesdale cross and about 1700 pounds!! Photo by Brooke Ballenger Photography – Kyla Szemplinski
Half Percheron, half quarter horse, ALL heart! Photo by Dianna Hadsall Photography – Tae Erickson
Portia our drum horse ☺️ – Amanda Moore
My lovely half Friesian, half Spotted Draft mare Vivaldi. – Darby Savoca
Reinder a 2005 Friesian gelding shown to PSG, now ridden by a 14 yr old junior rider who is working on finishing her scores for her silver medal. Reinder came back from a career ending injury in 2018 and has been able to give the gift of being a teacher to a mother and daughter. He has a heart of gold and is always at the fence waiting to work and get a cookie. He is our true miracle horse and we are grateful for every day we have with him. – Kari Hill
This is AKH Starry Night Indigo. – Olga Pushkareva
European Brabant, the traditional coldblood that’s surprisingly athletic. Our stallions are registered with AWSSR and many of our customers breed crosses. We are looking forward to seeing their offspring in the showring in a few years. This is AKH Aspen. – Olga Pushkareva
FHF Elena! Known affectionately around the barn as the Cupcake 🧁 . She’s sweet, fluffy and a real life unicorn! This horse is just amazing and has quite the fan club! We enjoyed showing at 2nd and 3rd level in 2025! – Janelle Kaiser
Full sibling – my other shire x qh cross also showing PSG (sadly he has passed on) – Christine Murray
This is Belle, my beautiful Clydesdale mare. What an incredible year it has been with this gentle giant. From her kind heart to her powerful presence, dancing down the centerline with her has been unforgettable. We were honored to compete at Championships with RMDS — the Rocky Mountain Dressage Society, earning Champion in the Intro Open division, and through AVDA — the Arkansas Valley Dressage Association, Belle was awarded Draft Horse of the Year. Truly a blessing to share this journey with such an extraordinary heavy horse partner. – Arianna Suto
My, almost 19h, Clyde appendix QH cross. He’s now retired, and has been my best friend for the last 22 yrs ❤️ – Carrie Washburn
FHF Super Duty… Belgian and just the sweetest guy! – Andrea Balas
Spanish Norman,Andalusian Percheron is my fav! – Denise Berry-Hanna
Gilligan, a purebred Percheron. Loves work in-hand and looks light as a feather when he is “dancing.” ❤️ – Sylwia Storonowicz
Abraham was my “do it all” registered Black Clydesdale. He was a hitch and carriage horse in his younger days, and once retired from driving, he was my go-to riding horse. He was my number one partner for 16 years. I trained him myself and we went on to win many top honors – this photo is from the World Clydesdale Show in 2018, his first dressage classes. Sadly he passed away last July. He left big shoes to fill! – Makhalea Whitehead
Our Sinatra aka Frankie – a just 4yo 17.2 H Percheron who also Drives and Loves Trails ! Michael & Betty Freeland Photography. – Lisa Ambrosia
– Tae Erickson
Waterford Baccalaureate 2002 welsh cob pony. this big pony will do absolutely anything you ask him to. trail rides, upper level dressage, teaching lessons, roping, ranch riding, jumping, you name it. you ask nicely and he’ll at least try ❤️ grateful every day for my big guy. he takes such good care of me and I try to do the same for him in return. – MacKenzie Pearl
Friesian/creme draft. – Denise May
Humphrey Bogart “Beau” 16.1h Percheron/Friesian cross. – Ginger Fullhart- Lessey
Made In The Shade. 1/2 Arabian 1/2 Percheron – Mj Hoepner
RFM Gypsy Magics King Arthur of Alapocas, AKA Thefluffyeventer. Gypsy Vanner – Thefluffyeventer
My main squeeze! I’ve owned my draft cross mare Amber for almost 20 years (it’ll be 20 years Jan 1st!). She got me my scores at First and Second level our first trips out. I was very new to showing and the idea of earning a medal, never shown recognized events at all, but my big girl always loved to strut her stuff in competitions and we were successful! Unfortunately her age and complications (asthma, PPID) ended our attempt at earning our Third level scores before it truly began, but now she’s my best schoolmaster, teaching everyone from my most beginner riders to advanced students. 🥰 – Jill Darosh
Cheyenne my heart horse. He was a Belgian/appaloosa who I ended up showing through 4th level. He earned me all 6 scores for my bronze medal and 1 towards my silver he also took me to regionals twice and got us into the top 8 both times. He has unfortunately since passed. – Dedra Woodley
This stunning diva is Ivy, a 9 year old Belgian-Iberian cross. I rescued her at auction where she came off of an ostrich ranch in southeastern Texas. She is currently showing first level and schooling second and has the best brain, work ethic, heart, and try of any horse I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. – Alicia Marie
10 yr old Full Clyde mare only just started dressage and has picked up on it very well. Looking forward to seeing her next year trsin for it. – Shelby Zarobinski
This is ADKS Cole, an 18.3 hh registered Clydesdale’s gelding. We competed to I-1 until he retired last year. Every score earned for my USDF Bronze and Silver was achieved riding Cole. We also competed at the Region 3 championships at 3rd level in 2020, finishing in the middle of the large AA class. My favorite memory was overhearing a judge happily say to her scribe, “this guy is having so much fun out there!” Yep, she was right – Brian Kimball
Bellini WRR is a home raised Percheron x PRE. She turned 4 at this show. She took me to the regional championships in 2025, my 1st time. She is absolutely stunning inside and out and has an amazing work ethic. – Kari Ann Wetter
This is Knight. He’s Friesian, Oldenburg and Percheron. I bought him as a just started 3 year old. He’s 8 now and will be going out at 3rd level this year. He also totes around my 10 year old daughter at jumper shows like a total saint! – Danielle Bundy
My clydesdale x paint. He is retired now. – Eva Monahan
Taproot Strike Gold. Irish Draught Sport Horse, grandsire Bridon Belfrey, RID. Dam Taproot Strike the Bell. Sire Pegasus Pure Gold (TB, show jumper). Bred by Taproot Stud. Photo by Tara Jelenic Photography. – Sonya Hunt
Canadale Constable a Dales pony owned by Jessica Kearney. I’ve had the pleasure of starting him as a 3.5 year old and he is now turning 9 and ready to show 3rd level! – Sarah Stinneford-Baudistel
Crushendo—aka “Crush”—gives his whole heart every single ride. This 6-year-old Percheron/Friesian cross is equal parts powerhouse and teddy bear, with a work ethic as big as his snuggles. He lives for the camera and is proudly showing First Level with scores over 70%. We can’t wait to see where his journey takes us next as we develop his freestyle for 2026! 💫🖤🐴 – Colleen Rull
This is “Cowboy”, our 10yr old Belgian/Noriker gelding. Former jousting horse, now enjoying dressage and trail riding 🧸 Photo by Victoria Morano Photography – Jenna Brown
Art Collector is an 8 year old half-Percheron currently competing at 4th Level, bred by Twin Valley Ranch. He love his dressage job and finds the collected movements to be a piece of cake! – Alex Belton
Perch cross , this big /little gal is so athletic and has a huge heart and personality ❤️ – Julie Slevin
The Percheron x tb I’m catching rides on at the moment. Both golden oldies at this time. – Eva Monahan
My heart horse, Waylon. 4 year old 16.3 Gypsy/Friesian/Perch X. 🤍 – Kim Bernie
