The horse breeding industry in North America dates back to the 17th century, with the import of the first English Thoroughbred horses. According to Gonçalo Torrealba, the President of Three Chimneys Farm, selective breeding practices have shaped the modern breeds that dominate the landscape today. The American Quarter Horse, for instance, which is derived from the English Thoroughbred, became an icon of both farm life and competitive racing in America.
In this article, learn more about the culture of horse breeding in North America, more specifically the United States, with some insights from the Brazilian executive Gonçalo Torrealba.
Horse Breeding: Historical Context
The history of horses is inseparable from the history of humans. Since the beginning of civilization, these majestic animals have been serving humans as a means of transportation and entertainment and by working in early settlements.
“The domestication of the horse itself happened because of selective horse breeding,” explains Gonçalo Torrealba.
According to the article ‘The origins and spread of domestic horses from the Western Eurasian steppes’, published in Nature, the usage of domestic horses started expanding rapidly across Eurasia from about 2000 BC. “Although humans didn’t have the knowledge we have today about genetics, we knew by intuition that breeding more docile and obedient horses would be the key to domesticating the species,” said Torrealba.
The evolution from farm animals to racing and sport horses was a product of more intentional breeding practices. Horse races began before written history, and many scholars believe that they debuted during the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece, between 700 and 40 BC.
Turkish and Arabic horses gained recognition in the Crusades and contributed to the first races in Europe. In medieval England, horse racing started when sellers rode the horses to compete and show the animals’ speed to clients.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, 43 local mares, called the Royal Mares, were bred with the stallions Byerley Turk (1680s), Darley Arabian (1704), and Godolphin Arabian (1729). Their offspring were considered the first English Thoroughbred horses, registered in the general Stud Book, which was published for the first time in 1791.
Horse Breeding in America
After the first English Thoroughbred horses came to the United States, they were bred with assorted local horses, which established the American Quarter Horse. This breed was employed for quarter racing (racing ¼ of a mile) and used to work in ranches and farms.
Although the American Quarter Horse is currently the most popular horse breed in the United States, other animals have gained recognition in North America, including the American Paint Horse and the Draft Horse. With time, horse breeding has become a part of North America’s social, economic, and even political context.
The English Thoroughbred remains the top racing horse breed worldwide, accounting for 7.1% of the horse breeds in the United States, according to data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
“With the practice of thoroughbred breeding, horse racing is becoming more popular across the country, and breeding farms are thriving as businesses. These operations have been impacting regional economies – particularly in Kentucky – by creating jobs, encouraging the exportation of horses, influencing tourism and the broader racing industry,” says Gonçalo Torrealba.
Kentucky: Horse Capital of the World
The US horse breeding industry produces tens of thousands of English Thoroughbreds each year. The Jockey Club pedigree database, which keeps the official North American breed registry for thoroughbred horses, dates back to the late 1800s. Currently, it contains information on over 1.8 million horses.
According to The Jockey Club, quoted in a BloodHorse article, Kentucky-based stallions were responsible for 55% of the mares reported bred in North America in 2019, and 60% of the live foals reported for 2020.
“Kentucky consistently leads all states and provinces in the United States in terms of thoroughbred breeding activity,” highlights Gonçalo Torrealba. The leader of Three Chimneys Farm, one of the most prominent farms in Kentucky, explains that the southeastern American state is considered the heart of thoroughbred breeding and is home to award-winning stallions.
The bluegrass and rolling hills surrounding Lexington, Kentucky, are where many of the world’s elite horses are bred. “These thoroughbred horses must be a result of a live cover to be officially registered with the national Jockey Club – which means they cannot be bred via artificial insemination, embryo transfers, or even cloning,” details Gonçalo Torrealba. The executive notes that these practices help maintain the tradition of the purebred lineage while controlling the population.
Gonçalo Torrealba’s Three Chimneys Farm
Founded over 40 years ago, Three Chimneys Farm is one of the most influential breeding facilities located in the grasslands of Versailles, Kentucky. In 2013, the Brazilian executive Gonçalo Borges Torrealba became the president of the operation.
At the time, when questioned by the Thoroughbred Daily News website on the reason why he decided to invest in the US breeding industry, Gonçalo Torrealba said: “I was the first one in my family to get interested in horse racing. Over the years, my family has also developed a taste for it. We believe in horse racing in America, we believe in the horsemanship in America, and we think that it is still the best place in the world to raise and race horses. The quality is second to none. Look at the sales.”
After years of managing a similar business in Brazil, Torrealba’s debut in the American thoroughbred market was marked by Three Chimneys Farm’s acquisition of Gun Runner. The racing horse, who retired with earnings of $15,988,500, is a Hall of Fame inductee, producing 10 winners in Grade 1 races and 13 millionaires.
Leaders such as Gonçalo Torrealba and operations similar to Three Chimneys Farm work tirelessly to preserve the rich culture and tradition of horse breeding in the United States. Under Gonçalo Torrealba’s guidance, Three Chimneys Farm has flourished along with the breeding industry in Kentucky. The operation preserves its prestigious status in the global racing community by combining traditional breeding techniques with unique approaches, such as maintaining partnerships with other relevant operations.
Besides Gun Runner, the Three Chimneys Farm stallion roster comprises the icons Sky Mesa, Volatile, and Funtastic. Gun Runner’s G1-winning millionaire son, Gun Pilot, is listed in the stallion roster for 2025, as well as the G1 winner by leading sire Into Mischief, Newgate.
