Member Report from Romania
REPORT MADE AT 2025 WAHO CONFERENCE
Dr. Simona Alecu, Romania: Good morning Your Highness, Mr. President, Members of the Executive Committee, esteemed Delegates, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Simona Alecu, I’m a veterinarian and I represent Romania, the Competent Authority in Zootechnics, partner of the Ministry of Agriculture. In our country that is the Stud-Book keeper for the Arabian Horses and another 14 breeds. I would like to introduce also the General Director of the Authority, Mr. Iulian Bucur, who has gratefully joined us to this gathering of the WAHO family. We would like to thank our hosts for the opportunity to participate to this unique event.
Romania has a long tradition in breeding Arabian horses. We still proudly have in Mangalia, the oldest Arabian stud belonging to the Romanian State, 230 horses including the offspring of this year. The private breeders in Romania number 331 and they own around 800 horses. Unfortunately, the statistic showed a decrease in the number of the offspring from 72 in 2023 to 66 in 2024. In general, Romania has around 80 foals a year but last year some of the offspring died in the first 2 months. This year all the foals are alive and heathy.
The export and import of the Arabian horses officially decreased but in reality the private breeders do not yet have the habit to declare the selling or the buying at the right moment. Even at this moment we proudly say that we have more than 1,000 Arabian horses but we do not have a lot of popular activities involving them. We are ECAHO members but we host only 1-2 horse shows per year.
For Arabian races we have 6 – 8 per year, and for endurance competitions in general we host more than 10 per year. Recently, in the last few years, some private companies ruled by horse lovers started to organize different event, dressage events for children and adolescents, children with special needs and many mature Arabian horses participate in all these events. But at the same time, we have a famous private breeder, Danubius Arabian that participates every year in more then 10-20 international Shows. In Romania all these events are planned and organized by the Romanian Equestrian Federation and Societies or Associations of private breeders. Unfortunately, only 10-20 % of our Arabian horses are participating these equestrian events.
In Romania we do our best to support and to promote all horses, and of course the Arabians are not an exception. Our web page is always full with all the events, competitions and also with all the information about the participating horses. Through this we try to educate and motivate all the other breeders by showing that good quality and hard work is paid in the end. We try our best to make a very good selection of the winner of the WAHO Trophy each year. And you will all see on the WAHO website, the last winner was a beautiful young horse, he obtained more than 6 international awards just in the last period. This nomination highlights the contribution of Romanian breeders to the Arabian horse industry and showcases the potential of locally bred horses. Danubius Arabians, who bred this WAHO Trophy winner, has undeniably raised the standard, inspiring our breeders to aim for producing horses of the highest quality.
We have a National Horse Database which is online and up to date. We also managed to add a new module, the stud book module. And by this we can now make the Stud Book in pdf format automatically. We have made the last one, Volume 4, including horses from 2014-2024 and we wait for WAHO approval and after this we will put it on our web page online. Thank you very much.
2019 REPORT:
The Romanian Arabian Stud Book has provided the following information. In 2017, 30 foals were registered and 20 horses imported. There were 20 shows or classes and 15 endurance competitions. In 2018, 32 foals were registered with 17 horses imported, the number of competitions remained the same.
2017 REPORT:
The Romanian Arabian Stud Book has provided the following information. In 2016, 41 Arabian foals were registered, with additional registrations pending until completion of parent verification. 28 horses were imported in 2017. There were 5 races for Arabian horses and 10 endurance competitions.
JANUARY 2010 PLEASE NOTE: At the end of 2009, by order of Law no. 329, the work of the National Horse Authority ended and the functions taken over by National Agency for Genetic Improvement and Reproduction in Animal Husbandry. The Registrar for the Arabian Stud Book remains the same, Mrs. Petrica Tureac. She informed WAHO as follows in January 2010: “All attributions of National Horse Authority have been taken by the National Agency for Genetic Improvement and Reproduction in Animal Husbandry by this new Direction, “Department for Breeding and Amelioration of Horses“ which keeps the stud books for all breeds, state studs and private studs, issue the documents of origin, keeps in touch with all international organizations and national organization, etc.”
REPORT FOR 2008:
The Autoritate Hipica Nationala reports that 35 foals were registered in 2008, with 70 broodmares and 13 stallions currently active. All foals are parent verified by DNA, and are microchipped. Passports will be issued from 2009. There were no imports or exports in 2008. The use of Artificial Insemination and Embryo Transfer is permitted. There are estimated to be 400 living Arabians in Romania. Showing is a popular activity, with approximately 30 shows or classes each year. Endurance riding is growing in popularity, with some 30 rides annually.
REPORT MADE AT THE 2007 WAHO CONFERENCE:
The National Horse Authority of Romania is a new strong institution now in charge of the Romanian Arabian Stud Book.
In Romania we have about 500 purebred Arabian horses altogether, both State owned and privately owned. Our latest Stud Book was ready in April 2007, available in printed form and on a CD as well. The number of active breeding stallions is about 20, but we have 120 breeding mares. In 2006 the number of foals registered was 40, and every year it remains about the same number. There were no imports or exports in 2006. We have used blood-typing in the past, but now we are changing to DNA this year, we will be using a laboratory recognized by ISAG. All horses from the National Studs are microchipped, and this activity continues and will extend to the horses of the private breeders. We don’t yet use Artificial Insemination, nor Transported Semen nor Embryo transfer. Maybe we will do so in the future.
For the past 2 years, the Romanian Equestrian Federation has promoted and run endurance riding events, and every year about 50 horses take part. Also many horses are shown at Agricultural Exhibitions which take place all over Romania. We have a magazine on horses, and our Authority has several pages in this and every month we write articles about horses including Arabians.
In 2007, Romania registered 50 foals. There were no reported imports or exports in this year.
