Tracey Alexander

Director & Founder of Black Horses & The Friesian Experience

Tracey’s early background with horses was in the racing industry working in France, USA and South Africa where she worked predominantly with young racehorses after 3 years of training in the management of Thoroughbreds for racing at Witney College near Oxford.On returning to the UK she worked at Kempton Park Racecourse and completed a Diploma in Management Studies.

After spending a year travelling the world, Tracey moved to Greenbank Farm in Cumbria with her mother and father.The farm had been in the family for over 100 years and was previously home to her great grandfather Major Tom Dixon back in the 1950’s where he successfully bred Thoroughbreds.

To help fund her dream of fields full of beautiful Friesian horses, Tracey set up a carriage driving business after training with Chairman of the British Driving Society, John Parker.During her time there John entrusted the training of two young homebred horses to her which gave Tracey a valuable insight into the work involved in producing a carriage driving horse.

Tracey wanted to find out more about the Friesian horse breed she so loved and struggling to find information in the UK, she travelled to The Netherlands where she spent time researching the Friesian horse with the help of many large and small breeders, trainers and producers who were all keen to share their knowledge and passion for the breed.She came home with 3 young stallions and a mare in foal!

After enjoying great success with her horses at the official studbook gradings over the early years Tracey became involved with FHAGBI (the UK Friesian breed society) and was invited to become a Director in 2008 and subsequently took on the role of President in 2011.Increasingly she found her time taken up giving people advice about the breed and introducing them to her own Friesians to explain what to look out for when buying.

Tracey specialises in the training of Friesians for all disciplines and has an enviable, unmatched list of achievements in the UK with the Friesian horses she has had in her care over the years as you will see from the list below. She has produced 3 separate Breed Champions over the years, taking the title in 2008, 2011, 2014, 2016 & 2018.

• Femma (Teunis 332) became the first Friesian in the UK to gain the prestigious Model title having completed her performance tests in the Netherlands.
• Anja (Ait 410) trained solely by Tracey became only the second Friesian mare to achieve the Model status in 2018.
• Anja (Ait 410) & Berber (Arjen 417) trained by Tracey were the first two mares in the UK to achieve the Kroon status.
• Wouter (Arjen 417) ridden and trained by Tracey became the first and only Friesian to qualify for the British Dressage Young Horse finals as a 4yo and 5yo.

Tracey's passion and commitment to the breed is remarkable and is clearly demonstrated in all that she does to maintain the welfare and happiness of her horses and share her knowledge with others both virtually and to visitors to the farm. Having had a number of Friesians abandoned with her over the years she established The Friesian Experience as a 'not for profit' organisation in order to secure the farm as a safe Sanctuary for any Friesian whose owners are unable to care for them in the short or long term.

The Friesian Experience is not a trekking centre

Official KFPS Studbook Inspections History

2018

OVERALL BREED CHAMPION - (Anja)

CHAMPION MARE - (Anja)

MODEL Mare (Anja)

2nd Premie Ster (Maaike)

2016

OVERALL BREED CHAMPION - (Anja)

CHAMPION MARE - (Anja)

CHAMPION FOAL - (Ciska fan de Groenbank)

1st Premie - (Ciska fan de Groenbank)

2015

CHAMPION MARE - (Doutzen)

2nd Premie STER (Doutzen)

IBOP Champion with 79 points (Doutzen)

2nd Premie - 2yo (Sjoukje)

2014

KROON & OVERALL BREED CHAMPION - (Berber)

Definitive KROON (Anja) with an IBOP performance score of 77.5

2nd Premie STER (Dibbrich)

2013

1st Premie STER & PROVISIONAL KROON (Anja)

2nd Premie STER (Berber)

2nd Premie STER (Renske)

IBOP Performance tests:

Berber - 77.5 points

Renske - 77 points

Wouter - 74 points

2011

OVERALL BREED CHAMPION (Anja)

Best Mare (Anja)

STER Stallion & Overall Best Stallion (Wouter)

2nd Premie STER (Anja)

1st Premie (Femma)

1st Premie (Jolanda fan de Groenbank)

2010

1st Premie (Ischka fan de Groenbank)

2nd Premie (Ineka fan de Groenbank)

2nd Premie (Hannes)

1st Premie STER (Welmoed - imported and sold from our farm and subsequently prepared for inspections by Tracey)

2008

OVERALL BREED CHAMPION (Femma)

Best Mare (Femma)

MODEL Mare (Femma)

1st Premie (Femma)

2006

STER Stallion (Hidde)

2nd Premie (Vela)