The French Chaser (also known as 'AQPS') is a new racehorse breed which was officially recognized in 2005. It is famous for being the ultimate horse for steeplechase racing.

The birth of the AQPS:
Unlike flat racing, steeplechase racing involves jumping over obstacles on the way to the finish line. Therefore, horses who compete in this discipline need to have decent speed and good jumping ability.

Unfortunately, Thoroughbreds don't perform well in these races, which is why the French breeders started to cross their Thoroughbreds with Selle Francais and Anglo-Arab horses, who are both French breeds that excel at jumping. The result was a crossbred horse, of no official breed, which was named "Autre Que Pur-Sang" ("Other than Thoroughbred"), or "AQPS" for short.

Official recognition:
The crossbred horses excelled in steeplechase racing, and soon enough selective breeding of only the best horses ensured their constant improvement. Eventually, specific breeding lines were formed, lineages were recorded, and it was only a matter of time until this 'type' of horse will be officially recognized as a breed.

Since 2005, when the AQPS breed was officially recognized, AQPS horses were exported to other countries, one of them was the UK where the breed became known as "French Chaser".

The French Chaser today:
Today, French Chasers are primarily used for steeplechase racing and for show-jumping.

Breeding:
French Chasers can be crossed with Thoroughbreds, Anglo-Arabs, and Selle Francais horses. However, they must have at least 87.5% Thoroughbred blood in order to be eligible for registration. Therefore, in Horse Isle, French Chasers may be crossed only with Thoroughbreds.

Conformation:
Being a cross between an athletic racehorse and a powerful show-jumper, the French Chaser combines the lightness of the Thoroughbreds with the massiveness of the Selle-Francais.

As such, French Chasers have a light head with a straight profile and long ears. An ewed neck which is long and thin. Prominent withers, and long, slender legs whose hooves can be small. The body is more muscular than the Thoroughbred's, but not as heavily muscular as some lines of sport warmbloods.

The mane and tail are thin, their length ranges from short to medium. The legs are clean from feathering.

Performance metrics:
The following are the: range, average, (SD), and MOE of performance metrics of ordered French Chasers in Horse Isle (not bred ones). In rare cases, horses might have metrics outside of the range. Breeders can produce horses that are beyond this range.

Speed: 17.1-18.2, 17.7 (0.3), 0.05.
Sprint: 47-62, 55 (3), 0.62.

Accel: 0.77-0.96, 0.85 (0.04), 0.01.
Decel: 0.90-1.05, 0.98 (0.03), 0.01.

Jump: 5.45-5.65, 5.55 (0.04), 0.01.
Pull: 2.19-2.76, 2.44 (0.13), 0.03.

Turning: 40.64-54.67, 47.74 (2.98), 0.58.
Reverse: 2.2-2.8, 2.5 (0.1), 0.02.

Stamina: 46.53-51.40, 48.97 (0.99), 0.19.
Reaction: 0.79-0.86, 0.83 (0.02), 0.00.

Coats & Height:
Colors: bay, black, brown, chestnut, and grey.

Additionals: flaxen, sooty, dark mane & tail.

Height: 15.3hh to 16.3hh.