About Us

It all started with a king's wish....

It was the will of a king that gave birth to what would become the mother house of the Lusitano thoroughbred horse in Portugal, the Alter Stud Farm.

A horse enthusiast, King João V ordered the construction of the Royal Stables of Belém in 1726, transforming a baroque riding arena from one of three farms he had acquired in the area into a Royal Riding Arena. With the work completed, the monarch, encouraged by the queen, Dona Maria Ana of Austria – also a lover of horses and equestrian practice that was very much in vogue in all the courts of the time, as was the case of hers, in Vienna of Austria -, realised the need to provide Portugal with the best saddle horses of national production, suitable for the practice of the High School.

With this real desire in mind, the Royal Stud Farm of Alter was founded in 1748.

The place chosen to host this project was the Coutada do Arneiro, on a property of about 800 hectares. Between 1749 and 1770, a herd was formed here, the primitive nucleus of which was composed of mares of andalusian origin, most of them with brown coats.

Despite being driven by King João V, it was his son, D. José I, who was responsible for the installation and structuring of what is still today the most remarkable Portuguese Stud Farm.

Because it has managed to overcome challenging historical, genetic, social and economic adversities over several centuries, maintaining an undisturbed longevity, this stud farm is considered by many to be the oldest in the world to operate uninterruptedly on the same site.

Timeline

1748

The Alter Stud Farm was created in 1748 as part of a new stud policy, begun in 1708 by King D. João V, a consequence of European fashion. Dominating the stud politics, was the deep conviction that the national identity and the plastic and artistic characterization of Picaria Real would have to be based on the national production of saddle horses of Alta Escola. The Alter Stud Farm will be installed at Coutada do Arneiro, owned by Casa de Bragança, being the oldest and most remarkable Portuguese Stud Farm and, in the world, it takes the longest to operate continuously in the original seat.

1750

It is to King D. José I that, almost entirely, the merit of the installation and structuring of the Alter Stud Farm belongs to. The initial core of the herd was entirely mares, most of them purposely acquired in Spain. In the process of widening the grazing area, at the end of 1757, the Azambuja foal was organized to function as a complementary structure of the Alter Stud Farm, for recreation of the foals after weaning.

1770 - 1800

Between 1770 and 1800 the Picaria Real reached the maximum splendor, for which was also decisive the teaching of the, Ribeiro-Mor, D. Pedro de Meneses, 4th Marquis of Marialva. This period also reflects the 1790 edition of " A Luz da liberal e nobre arte da cavalaria" by Manoel Carlos de Andrade, Chipper of Picaria Real. In 1787, Queen D. Maria I decided to create a new arena, more in keeping with the lady of the Picaria Real and immediately began its construction. The new Neoclassical style arena was opened in 1793, and we can see it by visiting the National Coach Museum. It's not just in the arena that the Alter Real shine. They also shine in the Terreiro do Paço in the statue that Machado de Castro carved in 1775, to the glory of King D. José I, mounted in an Alter-Real, the Gentle and in the splendor of the Gala processions, mirror of the power and grandeur of the Court and of the country.

1800 - 1910

During the nineteenth century, the instability of national life was reflected in the administrative and technical life of the Alter Stud Farm. From 1842 to 1910, Stud Farm went through great difficulties and jolts, it was breeding time. At this point, what is wanted is completely different: firstly, the production of shooting horses is intended and, secondly, the production of racehorses, making the Alter Real secondary. Once the bad results of the introduction of Arab and shooting blood into the alter herd were found, from 1876 the Alter Real breeders were used again.

1910 - 1942

In 1942 the Alter do Chão Military Stud Farm was extinguished and the estates and the herd were integrated into the Ministry of Economy. In its place emerged Alter Stud Farm under the jurisdiction of the Directorate General of Livestock Services. The objective was immediately defined, being that the recovery of the Alter Real, at the time almost in extinction. The work towards this goal begins in 1942 from 11 mares and 3 stallions. The mares, the only pure Alter Real received from Military Stud Farm and the three breeders, “Regedor” and “Vigilante” (Breeders acquired at auction in 1938 by Dr. Ruy D'Andrade who now gives them to the state) and “Marialva II ”(From Stud Farm of Dr. Fontes Pereira de Melo, in which always ruled Alter Real blood). It was based on these three breeders that until 1979 the recovery of Alter Real was achieved.

1942 - 1979

From 1980 onwards, a constant work of specialization of the Alter Real Horse in Alta Escola has been carried out. It has been most sought after and fully attained since the launch in 1979 of the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art, following what was the Picaria Real. In 1996 steps are taken to intensify Alter Stud Farm's activity through the Integrated Development Program, which ran until 2006.

2007 - 2013

In 2007 Alter Stud Farm was integrated at the Alter Real Foundation, maintaining its background mission, breeding and appreciation of the Lusitano Alter Real horse.

2013 +

On the 2nd of August of 2013, Alter Stud Farm is now managed by Companhia das Lezírias, SA, and has been attributed to it through the delegation of public service competence, the preservation of the animal genetic heritage of the Lusitanian breed, either in the genetic line of the National Stud Farm, either on the Alter Real line.