The Cleveland Bay originated from Britain in the Cleveland area, which is Northern Yorkshire. It is the oldest of all the indigenous breeds of all the English horses; Yorkshire is actually referred to as the source of two breeds, the Thoroughbred and the Cleveland Bay. The Cleveland Bay is thought to be the result of a crossbreeding between oriental horse and bay colored mares, which took place in the 17th century. They were often raised in harsh environments and this experience hardened the breed making it a durable horse. The Cleveland Bay was originally called the Chapman Horse after a man who used them specifically for sales.
During the 19th century, many Cleveland Bays were bred with the Thoroughbreds. As a result, the Yorkshire Coach Horse was born, a breed favored because of their speed and power.
Like many horses, the Cleveland Bay lost a lot of work to the introduction of machinery, their numbers also declined especially in the First World War as they were used as artillery horses. It did survive the ups and downs throughout history, but during the 1960s, there were only about five or six mature stallions in existence. The breed survived total extinction through the efforts of enthusiasts worldwide, such as the Queen of England who was the Patron of the breed and today the horse is still used in many of the royal ceremonies and as well as by her royal mews.
The Cleveland Bay is listed as endangered with there only being around 500 around the world; horse lovers from North America, Japan, Britain, New Zealand, and Australia are working to make sure they don't move from endangered to extinct.
The Cleveland Bay was first imported to the United States in 1820; the states of Virginia, Maryland, and Massachusetts were some of the first to import the horse. Many were later used as stagecoach horses out in the western states. In 1884, the Upperville Colt and Horse Show was established in Virginia to showcase "Scrivington," a Cleveland Bay owned by Col. Dulany. William Fredrick Cody, or "Buffalo Bill" as he was known to history, chose a Cleveland Bay as his horse for his Wild West show.
The Cleveland Bay Society of North America was formed in 1885. There were 2000 of the horses registered by 1907. Today there are only about 50 purebred Cleveland Bays left in the United States and Canada, but with many half-breeds competing in all categories.
The Galloway Pony, which is no longer in existence, was thought to have given the Cleveland Bay a more surefooted gait, while the Barb was added to the bloodline to make the horses more refined. A Cleveland Bay by the name of "Tregoyd Journeyman" is a particularly well known horse of the breed. He is a multi-time Champion in Britain and he was imported to Round Hill, Virginia as a part of a breeding program that was to help make people more aware of the endangerment of this breed.
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