José Pereira Palha Blanco
(Bronze statue).
José Pereira Palha Blanco founded the stud when he was only eighteen years old, in the month of Our Lady, May 1872!
He inherited a small herd of Alentejano mares in 1870 from his father, António José Pereira Palha.
In 1872, he bought one herd from the early Alter Stud and another from the Chavões Stud (Marquês de Niza).
In 1873, the herd was increased with the addition of two more groups of mares acquired from the Quinta das janelas «where the breeder Saldanha from Golegã originated» and from the Aranjuez Royal Herd - of the Spanish Royal Familiy.
José Pereira Palha Blanco owned 150 breeding mares at the time and continued to run the stud until he died in 1937. The stud was then left in the name of his Heirs and of his grandchildren (according to the Permanent Commission of Remonta do Norte).
In 1943, the stud was passed on to only two of his grandchildren, D. Júlia and António Van Zeller Pereira Palha who ran it togheter until 1970 (as registered in the Stud Service).
Due to the death in 1970 of António Van Zeller Pereira Palha the stud was registered at the Stud Service in the name of his heirs until 1980.
In 1981, the stud was handed down exclusively to his son, Fernando de Castro Van Zeller Pereira Palha. He registered the Palha Blanco Stud at the Portuguese Association of Selected Race Breeders and at the Portuguese Genealogical Equine Register.
Noble and warm blood of the best Peninsular studs flows trough its veins, due to the stallions wich have improved our herd troughout its 121 years of life.
Eduardo Miura, Calero, Marquez de la Conquista , D. Vicente Romero, Francisco Perea, Orbaneja in Spain and the early Alter Real, the National Stud (Fonte Boa), D. Luiz Ervideira, Dr. Ruy d´Andrade in Portugal are all the friends or «breeders» to whom we owe our dream of breading the Lusitano Horse!
At the present time, 121 years on, the herds continue to graze along the plains and heaths near the rivers Tagus and Sorraia. They have always remained in the Palha Family, and they now belong to D. Júlia and to Fernando de Castro Van Zeller Pereira Palha who have continued to encompass and implement the maxims of their Elders:
Elegance, in bearing and movement
Quality, in statute and model
Nobility, of character!
Generosity, at work!
