Maroon Fire Arabians, 2018 by Arabian Horse Times

2018

w w w. a r a b i a n e n g l i s h p e r f o r m a n c e a s s o c i a t i o n . c o m

2018

UNANIMOUS 2017 U.S. National Champion

IXL Noble Express x Bonita Afire, by Afire Bey V

AEPA Arabian Horse Times $100,000 Arabian Saddle Seat Futurity

Owned by Maroon Fire Arabians For breeding information Shea Stables • 810.329.6392 Kiesner Training • 865.556.0412 www.AfireBeyV.com

AEPA CovEr Story:

by Christy Egan

here are just a few ways for a horse breeding program to be successful, and most include an element of luck. In fact, the first way is “blind luck.” You have a good horse and you make a good guess and you produce a few more good horses. Some wonderful horses have come to be in this way. Unfortunately, longevity is seldom a side effect of this method. The luck runs out. And then, the years of building a program based on solid foundation bloodstock and the hard lessons that come from a multitude of successes and failures build the real horse breeder’s lifelong road. The combined breeding programs of Dave and Gail Liniger (Maroon Fire Arabians) and Tim and Marty Shea (Shea Stables) have totally dominated the Arabian English division for almost three decades using this latter, ageless formula. Between Afire Bey V, his sons and IXL Noble Express, this program has changed the Arabian show horse world forever, literally knocking previous records “out of the park.” This formula still needs luck, but also necessitates years of patience, ruthless annual evaluation and culling and, of course, testing. In the past decade, the national shows and the AEPA have been a critical measuring ground for these breeders. The Sheas and Linigers have won AEPA competitions on several occasions. The Shea-owned and bred stallion, Brave and Noble (by IXL Noble Express) won the 2008 AEPA Futurity at Scottsdale. The Maroon Fire Arabians owned and bred, Noble Ffyre (by IXL Noble Express) won both the AEPA Buckeye Yearling In-Hand Futurity in 2011 and the AEPA $100,000 Arabian Futurity in 2014. But it is the 2017 AEPA $100,000 Saddle Seat Futurity winner, Inception, owned and bred by Maroon Fire Arabians, that is quickly evolving into their most important breeding step-up and achievement to date. His name means “the beginning,” but his existence was molded upon a carefully orchestrated breeding legacy. From Inception’s sire lines: IXL Noble Express, Afire Bey V and his grandsires, Huckleberry Bey and MHR Nobility, came much of his quality, elegance, way-of-going and character. But it is the extraordinary depth and strength of his tail-female dam line that will be the bloodline that “tells” at day’s end. His dam, Bonita Afire, is a full sister to three national top tens, including the outstanding Brandie Afire, Buckeye Champion and U.S. National Top Ten English Pleasure Jr. Horse, as well as the dam of a top ten and a top ten producer. Bonita Afire is a three-quarter sister to national champions Maverick Afire and Monarch Afire, as well as the national winner and national producing sire, A Major Fire. Inception already has two full sisters that have gone on to national honors in country English and in the AEPA. His magnificent, maternal grand dam, Bacharah (Barbary), is the mother of nine national winners and producers. Inception and his siblings are the culmination of 30+ years of breeding, beginning with the programs of Sheila Varian, Don DeLongpre, the legendary Polish studs and others.

Ar abian Horse Times | 2 | A.E.P.A. Futurity

Last year, with fingers crossed and breath held, the Linigers and Sheas bred every Afire Bey V daughter they owned to Inception, and others followed suit, so there will be over 60 foals born to some extraordinary mares crossed with Inception in this coming year. There is much thought and long years of patient breeding and great bloodstock behind this stallion, carrying so many hopes for the future. And as spring approaches, there is much to be expected from this long-range, impeccably created breeding program. And yes â&#x20AC;Ś a fervent, whispered prayer for just one more bit of good luck! n

Ar abian Horse Times | 3 | A.E.P.A. Futurity

UNANIMOUS 2017 U.S. National Champion AEPA Arabian Horse Times $100,000 Arabian Saddle Seat Futurity

*Elimar MHR Nobility Har Nahra IXL Noble Express El Ghazi RY Fire Ghazi RL Rah Fire INCEPTION Huckleberry Bey Afire Bey V Autumn Fire Bonita Afire Barbary Bacharah NDL Bokara 2013 Bay Stallion | AEPA Enrolled Sire | AHA Breeders Sweepstakes

Trained by and Standing at: Kiesner

Training, Inc.

Joel and Ashton Kiesner | 3418 Miser Station Rd., Louisville, TN. 37777 Ashtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cell- 865-556-0412 | Email- Ashton@kiesnertraining.com | www.kiesnertraining.com

Maroon Fire Arabians & Shea Stables Dave & Gail Liniger | Castle Rock, CO Tim & Marty Shea | St. Clair, MI | sheastable@aol.com 810-329-6392 | www.afirebeyv.com

APAHA 2017 ARABIAN SADDLE SEAT HORSE AHT READERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; CHOICE 2017 FAVORITE COVER OF THE YEAR

IXL Noble Express x Bonita Afire, by Afire Bey V

U NA N I M OU S 2 0 1 7 U. S . NAT IO NA L C HA M P IO N A E PA A R A B IA N HO R SE T I M E S $ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 A R A B IA N S A D D L E SE AT F U T U R I T Y

Thank you to everyone for recognizing Inception with two great honors. The support we have received has been overwhelming. The future looks bright for the Arabian English horse. Thank you Howie Schaztberg for the incredible photo that graced the December AHT cover. MAROON FIRE ARABIANS & SHEA STABLES Dave & Gail Liniger | Castle Rock, Colorado Tim & Marty Shea | St. Clair, Michigan | sheastable@aol.com 810-329-6392 | www.afirebeyv.com Contact Ashton Kiesner for breeding information | 865-556-0412

Ar abian Horse Times | 57 | Volume 48, No. 9, Issue #4

Irwin ... a great breeder, a great supporter, a great inspiration! First he chose

Bred by Prestige Farms - Sired by Afire Bey V ABSOLUTELY AFIRE AFIRES CENTURIAN AMBITIONS AFIRE BARACUDA BEY BARRINGTON BEY+/ BB RUBY AFIRE ETERNAL FIRE PF FLIRTACIOUS FIRE PF HEAD OVER HEELS

NEWS FLASH OH BEY B REIGN AFIRE RUMORR HAS IT SHES A HOTTY SIMPLY SINFUL SURE FIRE REDEMPTION TT WISDOMS FIRE

And now, he was quick to breed to

Congratulations, Irwin, on a successful breeding program that the entire ind ustry loves and respects. It is breeders like you who have been an inspiration and mentor to so many. Wi th the basis of breeding for pedigree, along with individ ual characteristics, the Arabian horse has a bri ght future. We appreciate your choosi ng Afire Bey V and Inception to use in your pro gram. We eagerly await the arrival of your firs t Inception foals. Thank you for your suppor t of the industry and the friendship that we have come to cherish. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Dave & Gail Liniger Tim & Marty Shea

Unanimous National Champion IXL Noble Express x Bonita Afire Contact Ashton Kiesner for breeding information | 865-556-0412

ENGLISH PERFORMANCE

UN A N I MO U S 2 01 7 U.S. N A TI O N A L C H A MPI O N AEPA A R A B I A N H O R S E TI MES $100,000 A R A B I A N S A D D L E S EA T F U TU R I TY

IXL Noble Express x Bonita Afire, by Afire Bey V

English Cover Story:

The Long Awaited Arrival Of The First Foal Crop By Inception by Christy Egan

When Afire Bey V was five, his first foal arrived. By the time he was ten, offspring from his first three foal crops were competing at the national level and taking their first rose blanket victory laps in English competition. Within a few years, American Arabian breeders were fighting for spots on Afire Bey Vâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s breeding calendar. His owner Dave Liniger pursued a simple, but dynamic strategy: develop a good breeding program based on proven stock and breed enough horses to have a relatively expedient answer regarding his siring abilities. Ar abian Horse Times | 2 | English â&#x20AC;˘ 2018

2018 filly (x Heirs Noble Love)

2018 colt (x Rumina Afire)

“Our first program came from a combination of Don DeLongpre’s cross between *Eter daughters and Barbary+++/,” Dave notes. “We crossed those mares with Afire Bey V. Each great horse brought a different set of assets to the table. With Afire Bey V we hit the homerun of a lifetime. His record is probably unsurpassable. It took us almost a decade to find IXL Noble Express+ as the stallion for our Afire Bey V daughters.” As it turned out, the next step was even more difficult. What do you do for an encore when you’ve owned the number one stallion in the Arabian breed for decades? As luck would have it, the answer appears to be personified in a 2013 blood-bay stallion named Inception. A son of national champion IXL Noble Express+ and out of the Afire Bey V daughter Bonita Afire, Inception’s tail-female is the great producing Barbary daughter, Bacharah, dam of nine national winners or producers of national winners. Last October at the 2017 U.S. National Championships, both the crowd and the judges were fixated on Inception’s debut appearance with trainer, Joel Kiesner. The unanimous winners of the prestigious AEPA $100,000 AHT Arabian Futurity, Inception’s appearance had breeders tracking down Tim and Marty Shea all over the Tulsa fairgrounds. “I could barely get through a meal,” laughs Marty. “They slammed the internet with accolades for Inception. We have 12 foals coming this spring from several Nutcrackers and we bred all of the Afire Bey V daughters, as well as any others that we thought compatible. It’s

been a great rollercoaster ride.” In addition, there were a large number of mares bred to the young stallion while he was in training at Joel Kiesner’s last spring and summer. It appears that Inception will have more foals on the ground in his first two years as a sire than either his sire, IXL Noble Express+ or his iconic grandsire, Afire Bey V. The first few have already arrived to great applause. These include a filly and a colt out of multi-National Champion and national winning producer, Rumina Afire+ and a spectacular filly out of 5-time U.S. National Champion, Heirs Noble Love. Is Dave Liniger nervous about so many “proof of sire” foals arriving in 2018? Not really. “He could be the one,” says Dave. “We’ve bred a great many good horses in the last 30 years and Inception is as good as it gets. I don’t think any horse since *Bask++ has gotten this kind of exposure. But, you know there’s only one way to find out. I’ve only seen photos and videos of the first babies, and they will have to grow up and have a chance at training and becoming successful show horses. I know that Inception has the heart and soul of a great horse; he’s got a classic Arabian temperament, all fire and show and trot in the ring, but then he will walk up to you and put his head down on your chest …” Dave and Gail Liniger will visit the babies in person in June. Joel and Inception are planning on the Buckeye in May and the U.S. Nationals in October. Proof, one way or another, is en route. n

Ar abian Horse Times | 3 | English • 2018

ENGLISH PLEASURE Junior Horse with Joel Kiesner IXL Noble Express x Bonita Afire Proudly owned by Maroon Fire Arabians www.AfireBeyV.com For breeding information contact Shea Stables 810-329-6392

Ar abian Horse Times | 20 | Volume 49, No. 3

Ar abian Horse Times | 21 | Volume 49, No. 3

MAROON FIRE ARABIANS & SSHEA HEA STABLES

Much has been written about the fascinating stories of Dave and Gail Liniger of Maroon Fire Arabians and Tim and Marty Shea of Shea Stables. The stories, many written by Arabian horsewoman Christy Egan, can be found on the Shea Stables website and are truly worth your time to read. The equine histories, as well as the personal histories, are noteworthy and very inspiring. Whether you have been associated with the Arabian horse for five years or fifty, you are either already familiar with these leaders of our community, or you want to be.

The Linigers’ Arabian horse story begins with the life-changing moment of falling in love with Arabian horses more than 30 years ago. Being the brilliant businessman that he is, Dave Liniger, founder of ReMax Real Estate, applied the same practices that made his business so successful to his equine venture and surrounded himself with the most knowledgeable and experienced Arabian horsemen and women in the breed, including Sheila Varian, Don DeLongpre, Gordon Potts, and of course, Tim and Marty Shea of Shea Stables. As the story goes, Dave and Gail were on the hunt for a stallion and had been looking at horses all over the country. While visiting Shea Stables, Tim and Marty presented them with a very special young colt - Afire Bey V (Huckleberry Bey x Autumn Fire, by *Bask). It was one of those pivotal moments when life changes forever - Dave and Gail Liniger, Tim and Marty Shea, and the great Afire Bey V were forged into one team. The Linigers purchased Afire Bey V in SepSep tember of 1989; he was just four-years-old. He went on to win Buckeye Champion English Pleasure Open, as well as U.S. National Top Ten Park. After just one look at his first foals, the Linigers and the Sheas chose to focus on Afire Bey V’s breeding career. At that time, the Linigers began putting together one of the greatest group of mares in history for Afire Bey V. As a Varian-bred stallion, sired by Huckleberry Bey out the Bask daughter Autumn Fire, Afire Bey V’s heriheri tage was legendary and his potential unlimited. Afire Bey V had one registered foal in 1990, and 16 foals in 1991, which included the spectacular mare, Can Can Dancer, 1995 U.S. National Champion Arabian English Pleasure Junior Horse and three-time National Champion Pleasure Driving Champion, Afires Lullabye+. These were among the many champion get and grand get that made Afire Bey V the All-Time Leading Sire of the Arabian horse breed for 20 consecutive years. As of his passing, Afire Bey V had 1,369 registered offspring, 4,642 second generation offspring and his influence grows with each generation.

A stallion can possess all the potential in the world, but it takes an owner and a team to see his potential and believes in him. They must be fully committed to managing him and willing to provide the support required for him to achieve his ultimate destiny. Together, Dave and Gail Liniger and Tim and Marty Shea were that team. Their belief in Afire Bey V was unshakable. With the help of an aggressive ad campaign, as well as the phenomenal group of mares they collected, they guided him to his place in Arabian horse history as the number one sire of the breed. Afire Bey V spent the majority of his life at Shea Stables under Tim and Marty's watchful care and he remained with them until he passed in November of 2015. The influence of this great stallion cannot be overstated and he lives on in every generation of offspring through eternety. The next step for Maroon Fire Arabians and Shea Stables was the stallion IXL Noble Express (MHR Nobility x RY Fire Ghazi). He was purchased in 2001, as a four-year-old, by the Linigers to cross with their Afire Bey V daughters. IXL Noble Express was a supremely talented stallion and was 2006 U.S. National Champion Park Horse, 2007 Ohio Buckeye Champion Halter Stallion, as well as 2007 U.S. National Top Ten Halter Stallion, placing third in the class. Not only did IXL Noble Express prove himself in the show ring, he also became a leading sire of champions with over 400 Arabian and Half-Arabian offspring, 126 champions, and 58 national winners, with 33 national championships and 22 reserve national championship titles. In 2013, a colt by IXL Noble Express and out of the Afire Bey V daughter, Bonita Afire, was born at Shea Stables. Bred and owned by Maroon Fire Arabians, the colt, named Inception, was a standout among his 10-15 pasture mates. “It was his stature, his silhouette, his shoulder, neck, throat and face that made him stand out. And then, there was his carriage – so impressive, yet totally natural – he was special from day one,” says Marty Shea... special indeed. In November of his twoyear-old year, Inception started his training at Shea Stables and soon, he was sent to Joel Kiesner to complete his training and begin his show career. 2017 was a landmark year for Inception. In his show ring debut, he and Joel were the Unanimous U.S. National AEPA Arabian Horse Times $100,000 Arabian Futurity Champions – he was spectacular. That same year, Inception also bred 50-60 mares in his first breeding season. Inception’s first foals arrived in the spring of 2018, which now represent fourth and fifth generation breeding for Maroon Fire Arabians and Shea Stables. Everyone associated with Inception had eager anticipation and he did

Ar abian Horse Times | 20 | U.S.A. Breeders

not disappoint. In fact, his foals blew everyone away and exceeded even the greatest expectations. In this, his second season, 75-80 mares were bred. In addition, Inception will return to the U.S. Nationals in English Pleasure Junior Horse with Joel Kiesner in October. This talented show horse and gifted young sire inspires indescribable hope for the Arabian horse breed. Once again, it is the dream team of Dave and Gail Liniger and Tim and Marty Shea who stand firm in their belief of Inception and who are committed to guiding him. For more than 30 years, the Linigers and the Sheas have worked together in partnership. Through decades of efforts, they have established the most successful sire in the history of the breed and bred more champions and champion producers than we can count. Along the way, they have received many well-deserved awards and recognition of their achievements. Between the Linigers and the Sheas, the team has been honored as the APHA Breeder Of The Year five times and nominated for the Arabian Horse Times Readers’ Choice Breeder Of The Year Award numerous times. Two of the their horses, Afires Heir and Adams Fire, were chosen as USEF Horse of the Year, which is an astounding achievement as it is an all-breed award. These same two horses were also nominated to the USEF and Equus Foundation Horse Stars Hall Of Fame. Perhaps the highest award for the Linigers and Sheas was winning the all-breed USEF Pegasus Award for 2012 Breeder of the Year. What can possibly be new and inspiring for these icons of the Arabian breed? The possibilities of the future… the growth and development of their young horses, their young stallion – Inception – and all the promise he brings to Maroon Fire Arabians, Shea Stables and to others; the Inception foals born this year and expected next year; and working together with other breeders to ensure a bright future for the Arabian horse breed. 1) David and Gail Liniger & Marty and Tim Shea. 2) Afire Bey V 3) IXL Noble Express 4) Inception 5) 2018 FOAL (Inception x Heirs Noble Love 6) 2018 FOAL (Inception x Rumina Afire)

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