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According to the textbooks, evolution may be a matter of survival of the fittest, but in the world of horse breeding, beauty can keep you alive just as long.

Take the Friesian, for example. The horse has a 1,100-year registration dating back to Western Europe. The horse was bred down as a knight's horse and later became useful as a carriage horse because of its size, strength and beauty.

Carriages made way for cars, and the age of the knights ended long ago, but people are still breeding Friesians with no plans to stop.

In recent years, breeders have found use for the horse in dressage competitions.

At Sunday afternoon's stallion parade, hosted by the Saddle Mountain Ranch, Gary and Pat Culver of Hayden brought a Friesian named Teyert who requires a stud fee of $800.

When Teyert walked into the ring at Saddle Mountain Ranch, he had two minutes to show that he was worth it. At the height of breeding season, a large crowd of mare owners and curious horse lovers had gathered to look at 15 stallions from across Routt County.

The Stallion Parade began when the owners of Saddle Mountain Ranch, Christi and John McCoy, opened their barns for a day to showcase their own stallions. On the suggestions of other horse owners, it became a countywide event.

Now in its third year, Stallion Parade organizers Christi McRoy and Jeannie Jo Logan made a conscious effort to bring in several horse breeds. In the past two years, the parade was made up mostly of quarter horses, but organizers saw the day as an opportunity to educate people about all the breeds in the area.

"The way we advertise, most of the people who come don't even have horses, so this is a way for them to learn," Logan said. Besides several quarter horses, there were Lucitanos, Andalusians, an Arabian, a pony and a Friesian. Their owners were present and happy to answer questions.

For those who were looking to breed, this was the perfect time for a showcase of stallions. April, May and June are the primary months for breeding horses in Northwest Colorado to ensure that foals are born the next spring after a 340-day gestation period.

The average stud fee in Routt County is $500, which comes with a live foal guarantee.

The event opened at 2 p.m., and visitors were given an hour to wander through the stables, take a close look at the breeding options and read fliers provided about each stallion. A little after 3 p.m., the horses were paraded through the arena so that onlookers had a chance to see how the animals moved.

"Each mare owner knows what they are looking for," Logan said.

-- To reach Autumn Phillips call 871-4210

or e-mail aphillips@steamboatpilot.com