S H OW B U S I N E S S
A new phase in Christian’s young life began in 2010 when he received a spectacular gift for Christmas, the yearling gelding Aragonn (Aria Impresario x MFA Annies Song). “Aragonn was basically the horse that started me off in this industry,” Christian credits. “He was a Breeders Sweepstakes regional champion the previous year, and we did a lot of winning at the next year’s regionals; I think we had two unanimous wins that summer, which set us up for U.S. Nationals. It was the first year that there was a 2-year-old gelding championship, and it was also the first time that I competed at the national level, being only 14. It was incredible. We went Reserve National Champion and then we decided I would show him back in the junior gelding championship later in the show. I was competing against all of the top trainers and still ended up fourth at our first-ever Nationals!” That success did not go unnoticed by the other owners and trainers. The next summer, Christian was still showing as an amateur, although several trainers asked him to show horses for them at the regionals. Christian and Aragonn won a reserve championship and top ten at the Youth Nationals that year then returned to Tulsa for the 2012 U.S. National Championships. This time Christian got to cheer his horse on as Les Sichini presented Aragonn to the National Champion Futurity Gelding title. He remembers the pride and excitement of the moment. “I was so astonished to see Aragonn in first place when the cards were posted, I busted into tears,” he confides.
OV ERCO M I N G A DV ER S I T Y
FA M I LY FA R M Nestled in the hills of North Carolina is Generations Farm, a family farm steeped in a rich heritage spanning seven generations. The farm’s name was selected by owner Christian Cook to pay homage to those generations who have worked the land before him. Once a dairy operation run by his great-grandfather, the farm was transformed into an Arabian breeding and training center by his grandfather, Shannon Clark, beginning in 1982. A well-known figure in the local Arabian horse community, Clark instilled a deep passion for the horse and respect for the land itself in young Christian Cook’s heart. Clark’s stallion Deamon Deacon (Del Taurean x Rose of Silver) sired many champions, one of the best being Deacons Karma, out of Kaydette (Sur Elite x Caesars Queen), a foundation mare who produced a number of regional winners. Karma was a truly versatile champion in halter and performance. Arek (Kaborr x Arabask, by Bask), purchased from Tom Chauncey’s Desert Ara-
At the end of 2015, Christian gave up his amateur status and began training professionally. “I’ve worked with some great mentors: Ted Carson, Michael Byatt, Austin Boggs and Bobby and David. I’m humbled to have gotten to where I am, but I did it with their help.” Then, in 2016, Christian suffered a potentially career-ending injury to his knee. It became apparent that major surgery would be required. It was a tricky procedure that resulted in a lengthy rehabilitation. Christian cut no corners, balancing many hours of physical therapy with a deepening interest in genetics and pedigree studies. He was determined to fight his way back to the show ring and to continue to develop the Generations Farm training and breeding programs. On July 6, 2017 Christian ran into the show ring for the first time since his surgery, emerging with the regional reserve championship. It was a fantastic comeback. Christian appreciates the support he has received from everyone he’s met in the Arabian business, whether during hard times or good. He values those relationships and also relies on the strong team that he is developing at Generations Farm to allow him the time and energy to devote to the breeding side. Building on what he learned from his grandfather and coupled with his pedigree studies during rehab, Christian continues to carefully plan the next steps for Generations Farm.
bians, was another early stallion for the farm. A third stallion used was Cashvan Baskin, a son of the immortal *Bask++ out of the Geym daughter, Varina. These were the horses that Christian Cook grew up loving and learning from, the horses that shaped his ideals and dreams. ZADOK HR (ROL Intencyty x Princess Grace C) 2014 Bay Stallion, CHRISTIAN (in recovery), CHRISTIAN & HEIST