In 1958, "Selle Français" or French Saddle Horse was created by merging the all of the regional half-blood horses in France under one name. The merged types included the Anglo-Norman, the Charolais (from the Charolles region), and the Vendeen. The merger was done to create a sport horse that would meet the needs of a mechanized society where horses were used for leisure and sport. The first Selle Français were not homogeneous in type,[9] but offered a wide genetic diversity, due to the wide variety of local horses crossed with Thoroughbreds, Anglo-Arabians and French Trotters. Norman origins, however, were the most widely represented, as the Anglo-Norman had been used for breeding throughout France (Wikipedia).