Jack & Elizabeth Milam, Breeders of Distinction, published in Arabian Horse Times

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by THERESA CARDAMONE

It was a cold morning in late January; the frosty air pinked Elizabeth Milam’s cheeks as she hurried back down to the barn. She’d been up nearly all night on foal watch and was returning to her post after a brief respite. She and her husband, Jack, were excited to be foaling out mares at home for the first time since they began raising Arabian horses in 2011. Five babies were expected in 2017 and the Milam’s looked forward to watching them grow into champions. Little did Elizabeth and Jack know the dizzying heights to which those foals would begin to soar, carrying the name of Regency Cove Farms into the upper echelon of the breed.

Within the span of a few days, Elizabeth and Jack welcomed two bay colts who would grow up to become the Arabian industry’s two most decorated and talked-about yearling colts of 2018: ABWC Supreme Gold Champion and Scottsdale class winner, Antares RCF (Barzan Al Shahania x Forever Mi Dream,

by Ever After NA); and ABWC Supreme Silver Champion and unanimous Scottsdale Champion, El Rey Magnum RCF (Basilio CS x Cirque du Soleil BF, by Apalo).

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Apalo with trainer and friend Greg Hazlewood

Some breeders wait a lifetime—producing hundreds of horses—before they experience the satisfaction of seeing animals that they bred standing in the champion’s spotlight at world-class horse shows like Scottsdale or the Arabian Breeders World Cup in Las Vegas. Within two months in 2018—after breeding less than two dozen horses—the Milam’s had accomplished both.

A chance outing to an open house in October 2011 introduced renowned bulldog and French bulldog breeders Jack and Elizabeth to the Arabian horse; they were smitten. Two weeks later, they owned their first Arabian. They did their research and attended the annual Scottsdale farm tours the following January, listening and learning all they could absorb. “We heard/ the announcer say the same names over and over,” says Elizabeth. “We heard him say ‘Psyche’ and ‘Ever After’ and ‘Magic Dream’ and what important producers their daughters were.” Those names stuck in Elizabeth’s head and created a strong thread in the tapestry of bloodlines she and Jack were weaving.

For the next year or two, the Milams acquired a few more mares and 2012 U.S. National Reserve Champion 4-5 Stallion Apalo, a royally bred chestnut by Justify (himself by Magnum Psyche and from the ten-time national champion S Justadream) and out of Gloria Apal (Psytadel US x SA Misha Apal). Apalo was the Milams choice for herd sire for Regency Cove and is a special favorite of Jack’s.

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“There are truly special horses that tell you what they are right from the start. This colt has done exactly that.

It is no wonder. His pedigree is full of horses everyone remembers the first time they saw them. He was the third consecutive Gold Champion Yearling Colt, I’ve had the honor to present in Las Vegas, and it could not have been for two more dedicated or enthusiastic breeders. Jack and Liz have one of the special ones here!” ~ Sandro Pinha

Antares RCF (Barzan Al Shahania x Forever Mi Dream) Ar abian Horse Times | 37 | Br azil ~ 2018

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Elizabeth used that affection to their advantage during a regional show when trainer Greg Hazlewood told her that two Ever After fillies had come available for purchase.

“Apalo ended up winning the championship and Jack was in a celebratory mood,” Elizabeth confides. “Greg kind of nudged me and said, ‘Let’s hit him up right now!’ It was perfect timing and the next thing I knew, we bought those two fillies.” One of the fillies was Forever Mi Dream (Eva), whose dam, Psyches Amber Dream, is a Padrons Psyche daughter out of a Magic Dream daughter. Eva was named the Scottsdale Signature Stallion Reserve Champion as a yearling before beginning her broodmare duties and was also Scottsdale Reserve Champion 3-Year-Old Mare with Sandro Pinha.

The Milams selected multi-national champion Barzan Al Shahania to breed to her, in large part due to his phenomenal dam, NW Siena Psyche, herself a national champion many times over. The result was Antares RCF, the colt born on that cold day in January 2017. The first time he was shown, Antares won his large yearling class at Scottsdale and was the crowd favorite in the championship. The second time he was shown, in Las Vegas among the finest colts on the planet, he was named the ABWC Supreme Gold Champion Yearling Colt.

Elizabeth still can’t quite believe that what occurred wasn’t a wonderful dream.

Las Vegas, 2018

“He’s really the horse of our dreams at this point. We are excited about the prospect of breeding him to our Apalo daughters, because he really offers the ingredient that they need.”

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~Elizabeth Milam

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“We watch that video of Vegas and pinch ourselves that it happened,” she laughs.

“We just have to thank luck. It’s not like we’ve been breeding for twenty years and have a strung-together, generational breeding program we can point to; ‘this is our master plan.’ We certainly want to be successful, but at that level, it was quite a jolt!”

El Rey Magnum with David Boggs

And a jolly jolt at that. “The trick will be to hold on to that success,” Elizabeth continues. “It can be rather fleeting in this industry because you never know who is going to have the next big thing. For as small of an industry as it is, it’s really difficult to break through when there are so many high-powered people involved and a small amount of top shows.”

Partially due to the fact that he was the first Arabian foal born at Regency Cove, Antares has always been the Milams favorite. But his several-days-younger pasture buddy, El Rey Magnum RCF, caught the eye of master marketer David Boggs when he came to Oklahoma City for the Youth Nationals, and a deal was made that eventually sent the colt to Orrion Farms. At the 2018 Scottsdale show, El Rey Magnum won the Scottsdale Champion Yearling Colt honors for his new owners. In Las Vegas, El Rey received the ABWC Supreme Silver Champion award behind his old friend, Gold Champion Antares.

“We couldn’t have custom-ordered a better ownership team for that colt, with Orrion Farms and Doug Leadley managing,” states Elizabeth. “Just knowing that he will have the kind of home that he’ll have was really more satisfying than all of the hype. But that’s been nice, too. It’s a way to put a little more attention on our farm than there ever was before. We thought, what a perfect opportunity to get a colt with Midwest Training Centre and get that kind of exposure for him. We couldn’t buy that kind of notoriety. We just thought it was a perfect situation for him.”

In a perfect world, Jack and Elizabeth would partner with another breeder to promote Antares in the future. “He’s really the horse of our dreams at this point,” Elizabeth confides. “We are excited about the prospect of breeding him to our Apalo daughters, Jack and Antares RCF waiting for the results.

because he really offers the ingredient that they need. It would be my dream to have an ownership group where we retain part ownership and a lot of breeding rights. I would like to maintain some kind of contact with that horse.”

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Barzan Al Shahania

Forever Mi Dream

Stival Barzan Al Shahania NW Siena Psyche

Gazal Al Shaqab Paloma De Jamaal Padrons Psyche NV Shanteuse

ANTARES RCF

Sir Fames HBV

Ever After NA Entaicyng NA

Forever Mi Dream

Padrons Psyche

Psyches Amber Dream

Stival

NW Siena Psyche

Mi Amber Dream

Ever After NA

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Anaza El Farid Kajora Soho Carol Palomara Padron Kilika Bey Shah GA Ryna Ffamess Cajun Lady HCF Aicyng Bint Bay Beau Padron Kilika Magic Dream CAHR Mi Fire Dream

Psyches Amber Dream

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The Milams faith in their Apalo mares is well-grounded. El Rey Magnum’s dam is the Apalo daughter Cirque du Soleil BF. Cirque’s mother En Soleil was also in the Regency Cove mare band and has left a full sister to Cirque du Soleil in her place. El

Cirque du Soleil BF

Rey’s father, Basilio CS (JJ Bellagio x Goddess of Da Vinci), is also owned by Regency Cove and is another of Jack’s favorites. “We liked the prospect of trying to find another anchor stallion to mix with our Apalo daughters,” Elizabeth explains. “Basilio was our first attempt at that. We’re curious to see if that match will be a click or if it’s a oneand-out, we don’t know yet. We’ve just bred another one of our more beautiful Apalo daughters to Basilio to see if there is something there.”

En Soleil

As Jack and Elizabeth Milam continue to unfold their program at Regency Cove Arabians, they do so with their efforts already rewarded; because of Antares and El Rey, the Milams received the Arabian Breeders World Cup’s Breeder of Distinction award. It was a huge honor for relatively novice breeders, who are on the ride of their lives. “It was such a thrill to see them both in that big ring in Vegas,” Elizabeth reiterates. “We have to watch it back on video to really experience it. Even the announcers…we didn’t hear half the things that were being said or what went on, we were so wrapped up in the moment.”

Elizabeth still sounds incredulous. “When El Rey got called for Silver Supreme, I was thrilled,” she says. “We were standing in El Rey’s win picture when they called Antares for the Gold! I had to contain myself! After that, Jack and I went back up in the stands by ourselves with our trophy and were just kind of numb. Unfortunately, we had left early because we had to get to the airport, so we missed the presentation of the Breeders award. It was slightly disappointing that we didn’t get to be present for that portion of it, too, but it was an amazing experience that we will never forget.”

Silver & Gold Champions El Rey Magnum & Antares RCF

As honored as they are to have earned such prestigious awards, Jack and Elizabeth Milam appreciate the response that their horses receive from their colleagues even more.

“So many people in Scottsdale made their way over to us for no other reason than to compliment Antares,” Elizabeth relates. “That’s been even more satisfying than the show wins. That’s the real validation, the feedback from your peers.”

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