{"id":969,"date":"2026-04-22T15:45:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T13:45:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/horsesoffigueiras.bonsaidev.nl\/?post_type=voices-of-figueiras&p=969"},"modified":"2026-05-02T09:39:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T07:39:24","slug":"francisco-granate-fernandes-breeding-requires-knowledge-discipline-and-the-courage-to-make-difficult-decisions","status":"publish","type":"voices-of-figueiras","link":"https:\/\/horsesoffigueiras.bonsaidev.nl\/de\/voices-of-figueiras\/francisco-granate-fernandes-breeding-requires-knowledge-discipline-and-the-courage-to-make-difficult-decisions\/","title":{"rendered":"Francisco Granate Fernandes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cBreeding requires knowledge, discipline and the courage to make difficult decisions\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In the north of Portugal, far from the traditional center of the Lusitano breeding world, Francisco has quietly built a breeding program based on discipline, knowledge and strict selection criteria. As both a veterinarian and breeder, he represents Casa Agricola Irlanda Saraiva a stud farm that over the past two decades has developed a clear and focused breeding direction.\u00a0\u201cI represent a small stud farm in the north of Portugal,\u201d\u00a0 Francisco explains. \u201cI\u2019m also a veterinarian and over the years we\u2019ve had some breeding success.\u201d<\/p>\n

Taking responsibility for a breeding program
\n<\/strong>Francisco did not originally start the breeding project himself. The farm came into the family through inheritance, and at that moment he had to make an important decision about its future. \u201cA few years ago, my wife\u2019s family inherited the breeding farm,\u201d he explains. \u201cBefore that it had been managed by the late Mr Manuel Saraiva with the help of a very important figure in the Lusitano world, Mr. Francisco Sousa Cardoso.\u201d
\nAt that point, Francisco had already been working as a veterinarian for the farm. But once the responsibility for the breeding program fell into his hands, he realized that continuing without a clear direction was impossible. \u201cI had to make a big decision,\u201d he says. \u201cEither this breeding program had to become a professional and profitable operation, or it would have to stop. A stud farm is a heavy project in people\u2019s lives.\u201d The solution was to establish extremely strict breeding criteria. \u201cI became very demanding in the selection criteria,\u201d Francisco explains. \u201cThe selection level had to be very high, because we are located in the north, far from the traditional Lusitano breeding centers. So either we produced very high quality horses, or the project would not survive.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Nearly twenty years later, the results confirm that those difficult decisions were the right ones. \u201cIt has been a very interesting journey,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd I\u2019m very happy with the results.\u201d<\/p>\n

Figueiras as a reference
\n<\/strong>Throughout his career, Francisco has closely followed the development of the Figueiras breeding program, which he considers one of the most important references in modern Lusitano sport breeding. \u201cI\u2019ve known the Figueiras breeding program since the beginning of my career,\u201d he explains. \u201cThey do a wonderful job and their breeding criteria are amazing.\u201d
\nFor him, Figueiras represents a clear example of a breeding program focused on producing Lusitanos for sport. \u201cThey are really excellent in their purpose of using the Lusitano horse as a sport horse,\u201d he says. \u201cThat motivates me a lot.\u201d
\nStill, he emphasizes that breeders should not simply copy other programs.\u201cYou can never copy another breeder,\u201d Francisco explains. \u201cIf you become a copy, you will never be better than them. But you can use them as a reference while building your own identity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Opening and closing bloodlines
\n<\/strong>Francisco\u2019s breeding program is built around a carefully developed bloodline that he has maintained for many years. But even within a focused breeding strategy, introducing new genetics is sometimes necessary. \u201cWhen you work on a single bloodline for a long time, eventually you must open it again with other bloodlines.\u201d This process of opening and closing bloodlines forms a repeating cycle in his breeding program. \u201cYou introduce new qualities from another line, and then you start working again to refine your own line.\u201d Today, that cycle has led him back to the Figueiras stallions.<\/p>\n

Choosing the Figueiras stallions
\n<\/strong>Francisco recently introduced Figueiras bloodlines into his breeding program again.\u00a0 \u201cI have one mare bred to Queluz das Figueiras, and this year I will also use Oscar das Figueiras.\u201d His interest in these stallions comes largely from the qualities inherited from the famous stallion Drag\u00e3o.\u00a0 \u201cI absolutely loved Drag\u00e3o,\u201d Francisco says. \u201cAnd I believe that this bloodline will improve the quality of the gaits and also certain anatomical aspects that I want to improve in my horses.\u201d In particular, he is looking to strengthen specific physical characteristics in his own breeding program. \u201cThe Drag\u00e3o line transmits strong withers and powerful shoulders,\u201d he explains. \u201cThat is something I want to introduce more into my breeding program.\u201d<\/p>\n

Advice for young breeders
\n<\/strong>With decades of experience as both veterinarian and breeder, Francisco has a clear message for people starting their own breeding programs. \u201cFirst you must accumulate knowledge,\u201d he says. Knowledge must then be combined with experience. \u201cWhen you accumulate knowledge and experience, you start to understand where to go with your breeding program.\u201d But even that is not enough. \u201cYou must also have resilience,\u201d Francisco adds. \u201cThings will never go exactly as you planned in breeding.\u201d Perhaps the hardest part of breeding, according to him, is making objective decisions.\u00a0 \u201cWhen foals are born, you must be very strict in your selection,\u201d he says. \u201cYou must put your heart aside and work with your brain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Horses that made an impression
\n<\/strong>Over the years, several Figueiras horses have impressed him. \u201cI loved how the mare Batuta performed. She was an extraordinary horse.\u201d He also speaks with admiration about the famous stallion Craque, one of the pillars of the Figueiras breeding program.<\/p>\n

\u201cCraque is an absolutely amazing horse.\u201d Today, Francisco is especially curious to see how the next generation of Figueiras horses will develop. \u201cI\u2019m very interested in the careers of the grandsons now, like Queluz and Oscar. I\u2019m really looking forward to seeing what they will achieve.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":1056,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"class_list":["post-969","voices-of-figueiras","type-voices-of-figueiras","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/horsesoffigueiras.bonsaidev.nl\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/voices-of-figueiras\/969","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/horsesoffigueiras.bonsaidev.nl\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/voices-of-figueiras"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/horsesoffigueiras.bonsaidev.nl\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/voices-of-figueiras"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/horsesoffigueiras.bonsaidev.nl\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1056"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/horsesoffigueiras.bonsaidev.nl\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=969"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}