North American Sportpony

The North American Sportpony is a relatively new pony breed in the United States. Its origins are from a diverse group of breeds, because the "Sportpony" is not derived from specific bloodlines, but rather is a conformation type, akin to the American Warmblood.

As their name suggests, they are commonly used as smaller mounts for both adult and youth competitors in sporting competitions that range from dressage to jumping with competitiveness that ranges from local shows, to the international level. The Sportpony registry was a spinoff from the American Warmblood registry, and originated to fill the need for an equine mount that could be as athletic and competitive as its Warmblood cousins, but in a size more practical and manageable for smaller riders.

The Sportpony is first and foremost a pony with a height range of 13.2–14.2 hands (54–58 inches, 137–147 cm). It must look and move like a small horse ideally, and must be physically capable of competing in a wide variety of disciplines. Bloodlines of both horses and ponies, including the Quarter Horse, the Thoroughbred, the Arabian, the Morgan, the Connemara pony, and the Welsh Pony, can be found in the Sportpony. The ideal Sportpony is capable of being family-friendly as well as a successful animal in the show ring.