World Haflinger Federation

The World Haflinger Federation is the largest and most important representative of Haflinger interests throughout the world and has become indispensable for Haflinger breeding. 

This international organization, founded in 1976 at the consitutional general meeting at Fohlenhof Ebbs, is today the only globally active organization in which, with the exception of Germany, all important Haflinger breeding countries, above all, all the important Haflinger breeding organizations are represented. The World Haflinger Federation was founded by the first president ÖR Otto Schweisgut and from the beginning was directed by him and the Vice Presidents r. Willi Krapf from Switzerland, Leon Le Petit from France and Mary Bromiley from England. The number of members grew in the course of time so that today the World Haflinger Federation has, along with the founding nations, representatives from many countires. Otto Schweisgut was president from the foundation until 2000. After his resgination Johannes Schweisgut, the breeding manager of the Tyrolean Association, was unnamiously elected as his successor at the congress in Alpbach and in 2005 he was re-confirmed in his function.

Australia is a member with the „Australian Haflinger Horse Breeders Association“ under Julian Hele. Another member is the Belgian Haflinger stud book managed by Rudie Eerdekens. Brazil is a member with Ing. Emil Ritz in charge. Canada is also a member with the  „Canadian Haflinger Association“ under the direction of President Jim Hird. There are two member organizations from Denmark in the World Haflinger Federation. They are on the hand the  „Dansk Tiroler Haflingeravl AF 1986“ under President Inge Nobel and on the other the organization „Haflingeravlsforeningen Danmark“ directed by  Henriette Altfeldt. France is a member with the  „Association Francaise du Haflinger“ under President Monsieur Genest Brigand. Great Britain is a member with the  „Haflinger Horse Society of Great Britain“ under Chairman Dug Seel. The  „Associazione Nazionale degli Allevatori Cavalli di Razza Haflinger Italia“ is Italy's member with President Konrad Grünberger.  Luxemburg is a member with the „Studbook Luxemborgeois pour chevaux Haflinger asbl“ under President Norbert Schumacher.
The Netherlands are a member with the „Koninklijke Vereniging Het Nederlandse Trekpaard en De Haflinger“  under Chairman H.W. van der Pols. Austria is a member in the form of a consortium of the Haflinger breeders in Austria under the breed representative Ing. Walter Werni, Spain is a member with the Haflinger Association Spain „Associació de Criadors de Cavalls de Pura Raca Haflinger“ under President Alexandra Navarro. Sweden there are two organisations, the  „Svenska Haflingerföreningen S H V“  under Chairman Börje Brostorp and the Svensk Tyroler-Haflingeravel "STH" with President Soren Seehusen. Slovakia is a member with the  „Haflinger Associat. Slovenska SAHH“  under President Peter Slowák. Slovenia is a member with the  „Slovenian Breeder Association Haflinger“ with President Stane Bergant. Switzerland is alos a member with the „Schweizerischen Haflingerverband“ under President Albert Peter. The USA is a member with the organization „American Haflinger Registry“ under President Bill Jameson. Hungary is a member with the State Association of Pony and Small Horse Breeders, Haflinger Department under the manager Zoltan Nemeth. And Tyrol is a member under the chairman For two years there has been an arrangement in groups of individual members, for all breeders from countries that either do not achieve the required total population or whose national association is not itself a member of the World Haflinger Federation. Members of these groups at the momernt are breeders from Germany (almost all imoprtant breedersare members), the Czech Repbulic, Poland and Namibia. The World Haflinger Federation is negotiating at the moment with Norway and Poland about membership. The functionaries of the World Haflinger Federation are Johannes Schweisgut as President, Honrary Presidents are Robert W. McArthur and as Vice-President John White, also John Newman, Inge Nobel and the fourth Vice-President is Dr. Johan Michiels. The World Haflinger Federation holds an annual meeting and has its headquarters in the country of the elected President. According to the resolution of the general meeting in Luxembourg 2008 in the future each second meeting will be held always on Monday after the foal auction at Fohlen Ebbs, the administrative headquarters of the World Hafliner Federation. Organizations can only become members if they are committed to breeding Haflinger horses in their country, have a stud book and fulfill the requirements of the World Haflinger Federation in regard to purebreeding, breeding aims and breeding programme. There is also the possibility for Haflinger Associations e.g without a stud book to become an associate member.    

The Federation holds an annual meeting where all member organizations are entitled to vote. The goal is to standardise Haflinger breeding, Haflinger breeding guidelines and performance tests. Another task of the World Haflinger Federation is the international training of judges. National judges who already have several years experience at the national level have the chance to become a judge for the World Haflinger Federation after a two year training. There are Federation judges in Belgium, Denmark, Great Britain, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerlandand and the USA. In total this group of judges is very small as only very experienced judges come into question as World Federation judges who are then involved worldwide in stud book registrations, stallion selection and large shows. 

The training of judges is a part of the work that the World Haflinger Federation specifically performs for the member organizations to be able to have internationally uniform judging according to the same criteria. Naturally there is also a World Haflinger Federation breeding objective which has been exactly defined. This can be adapted or improved only after detailed discussion with all Federation functionaries and delegates but also with international judges who can add their practical experience. Breeding success depends on a long term uniform direction and guarantees satisfied breeders with a worldwide uniform Haflinger model. In addition the regulations at international exhibitions are uniformly regulated. These and the breeding objective can be downloaded as a PDF.      

Today the World Haflinger Federation is an active organization that operates globally. 
The congresses are not only a meeting point for officials but are always in combination with a breeding event. Thus giving the members a good overview of the state of breeding, performance and quality of Haflinger horses in each member organization. The members then amongst themselves get a very good insight into the state of the Haflinger breed, the realisation of the breeding objective and above all the same direction of the Haflinger at international standard. The World Haflinger Federation is not only an organization of talking and theoretical meetings but also an organization of breeding and Haflinger breeders. So since the beginning in 1976 a mutual breeding objective has been developed, a uniform performance test established and an international judge training introduced, accepted and adopted. This training is still being worked on intensively, to give the Haflinger an internationally uniform look, to create an internationally uniform breeding direction and thereby guaranteeing the success of the breed in the future. Pioneers such as Otto Schweisgut recognised the necessity for a global and international success and determined that only an individual country cannot breed and achieve breeding progress but rather that this is only possible in the entirety of all Haflinger breeding countries of the world. Today the World Haflinger Federation has reached this position and will undeniablly hold it in the future. The goal not only in the breeding direction but also in the global distibution of the same Haflinger can be achieved only with reliability. This means that if you mean Haflinger you get a Haflinger. That is the basis that made the Haflinger globally successful. The Haflinger - the universal horse, the leisure horse - the Haflinger, the strong character horse with a quiet temperament - the Haflinger, the chestnut with a white mane - the Haflinger with its ideal size for children, young people, adults and the elderly - will continue to be so in the future if the mutual global breeding objective is upheld. The World Haflinger Federation is an organization where the 25 members try to work together and will continue to be so in the future for all Haflinger breeders worldwide.  

Member Organizations and Nations