Knabstrupper

In 1798 the Knabstrup property was taken over by Major Villars Lunn from his father. At Knabstrup Manor, Major Villars Lunn founded the Knabstrupper breed. He was one of very few to live to see the results of his breeding work; a new horse breed stemming from centuries of Danish breeding tradition. In 1812 a direct descendant of Superbe covered the Flæbe mare, brought to Denmark from Cordoba during the Napoleonic wars and subsequently acquired by Major Villars Lunn. Thus, when the ensuing foal, named the Flæbe stallion, was born in 1813, the Flæbe mare became the ancestress of the Knabstrupper breed. The Flæbe mare must have carried the spotted gene and is therefore responsible for the spotted colour patterns we see today in the knabstrupper. The Knabstruppers of today almost all descend in a direct line from the stallion Superbe through one of three stallion lines: Silverking, Hermolin and Hugin.