What is the difference between a German Riding Pony and a British Riding Pony (BRP)?
This is a rather academic debate, but our understanding is that the GRP is bred for sport and it has taken the best elements from many breeds to produce the current model, which has become a recognised breed in its own right. A GRP combines the gaits and jumping abilities of a Warmblood with the heart and mind of a Thoroughbred, the pretty heads of the Arabian with the friendly character of the Mountain and Moorland. It is bred to be an all-rounder, and is expected to have ability in jumping and dressage. Its temperament as a mount suitable for a child is of paramount importance. The BRP (which started life in the early years of the20th century) was originally bred to be a miniature version of the thoroughbred show hack, bred for its looks and movement and manners. As such, its use for sport is limited by the vision of its original purpose, which, in mimicking the thoroughbred hack, does not allow it to compete with the warmblood-type movement bred for in the GRP.
