FYRE ME UP
DOUBLE NATIONAL CHAMPION COLT
GETTING BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS
Reminiscent of the story of Bey Shah’s beginnings with Lester and Jenny Walton turning into Shelia Varian’s driveway because they were lost on the way to dropping Star of Ofir off to another stallion for breeding, so too, the fortuitous meeting of Donna Wright and Tex Kam happened in a very similar fashion. Donna was en route to a breeding farm in Alberta with her two broodmares when she decided almost on a whim, to stop in at Little Acre Arabians in Edmonton. She wanted to see a new stallion whom Tex had recently imported, namely WA Fools Gold, a U.S. National Top Ten Stallion. Neither of them had ever met and, after a quick introduction, the two hit it off instantly and Donna left the mares with Tex instead of their intended destination. That introductory meeting lead to a nearly 20-year friendship
which culminated in what could be termed “a Cinderella story” with the 2017 crowning of Donna’s homebred colt, Fyre Me Up, as the first double National Champion Yearling Colt in the breed’s history. While Fyre Me Up is wholly owned by Donna, the horses in this colt’s pedigree are a mix of both Donna and Tex’s breeding programs over the last 20 years. Fyre Me Up represents the fifth generation of Donna’s breeding program and is a true testament to belief in oneself and your horses.
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Continued page 120
Multi-National Champion Now Siring Multi-National Champions! Regional Winners in Western Pleasure
Standing at: MORNING SUN ARABIANS 403-946-5292 morningsunarabians@gmail.com www.morningsunarabians.com Ar abian Horse Times | 118 | Volume 48, No. 6
Nominated to: Sweepstakes Scottsdale Signature Minnesota Medallion Silver Sire and now AWPA
SPITFYRE VF ...
Producing Futurity, Regional and National winners across North America.
Dare to be different ... Breeding Incentives available for 2018.
M S AMETHYST
M S SALEEN
FYREFUL
M S SOLARA
M S AVATAR
M S CENTAUR
M S SANTIAGO
RD AVONNYA
RD ARMANDO
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DESERT GAYLA
Donna at age 7 with her first horse Shawnee.
DEVINE CHANCE SA
Donna showing in the 70’s.
Donna showing in the 70’s.
FONTANA AHT 2012 Beautiful Baby Contest winner.
The incredible story of Fyre Me Up’s pedigree began in 1980 when Donna had the opportunity to purchase at auction, the *Naborr daughter Desert Gayla, bred by Anne McCormick of Scottsdale, Arizona, and the owner and importer of *Naborr. Desert Gayla was the high selling mare in the Great Northern auction in Edmonton, Alberta, put on by Ron Palelek of Vantage Point Farms and Don Jackson of Jackson Farms. Donna’s pursuits with horses began at a very young age and was encouraged by her parents as she grew up in the small northwestern community of Grande Prairie, Alberta. She was active in the show ring and exhibited her horses all the way up to national competition. Although Donna had been around horses all her life, this purchase of Desert Gayla in 1980 solidified in her mind that she wanted to breed the best Arabian horses she could afford. She promptly hauled Desert Gayla down to Lasma in Scottsdale in 1981 and bred her to the famed Continued from page 117
park horse and *Bask son, Cognac. That mating produced a filly named Fawgnac. Tex entered the picture in 1999 when Fawgnac was 17 and came to be bred to his stallion WA Fools Gold. That mating then produced a grey filly named Fawgnicks Gold in 2000. In 2001 at Scottsdale, Tex had spotted a young, upcoming stallion that he really liked and purchased two breedings on the spot. That horse happened to be no other than ATA Bey Starr. Tex tried for years to use the breedings, but had no luck getting his mares in foal by transported semen. Out of frustration, he sold one breeding to Donna to see if she would have better luck (on a side note: Tex liked ATA Bey Starr so much, he ended up buying his dam, the *Fawor daughter Kirscha). Donna dropped Fawgnicks Gold off at Tex’s to be bred. In 2004, the mare was inseminated with one dose, and low and behold, Donna’s mare was in foal after one cover, much to Tex’ s chagrin. That mating
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FYRE ME UP 2017 U.S. National Champion Yearling Colt
again produced another filly for Donna named Fawnette, and who has become Donna’s premiere producing broodmare. Each foal Fawnette has produced has been of excellent quality, by varied stallions such as Magnum Chall HVP, TF Psymreekhe and now Spitfyre VF. Fawnette too, has a great show record with many Class A, Regional and National wins. In fact, Fontana, her Magnum Chall colt, won Arabian Horse Times’ 2012 Beautiful Baby Contest. Interestingly enough, when Donna was looking for a stallion to breed Fawnette to, she chose Spitfyre VF, whom Tex discovered as a weanling in the pastures of Ventura Farms and owned for a brief time before selling to his current owners, Mike and Sheena Steenhart of Crossfield, Alberta. This intertwining of breeding programs and philosophies has worked well for these two friends. Tex regularly travels the country searching
out new opportunities for the both of them and Donna has foaled many of Tex’s mares out while he does so. Donna and Tex have owned several horses together, such as the famous *Aladdinn daughter Replika, who was also bred by Ventura Farms in California. Most recently, they have partnered on TC Padron Bastiste, a daughter of *Padron and out of the pure Polish *Bask daughter, MS Batista, and own her 2017 filly Cytation, by Out of Cyte. In recent years, Tex found another gorgeous mare for Donna, Devine Chance SA, from Royal Arabians in Scottsdale, who foaled a very nice colt by KM Bugatti this year. Prior to Tex’s partnerships with Donna in the horse business, Donna’s partners were her mom and dad, Pete and Elvie Wright. Although no longer with us, they have influenced Donna greatly and made her the person she is today. It seems almost destiny that Donna chose to give
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First Canadian Bred & Owned Double National Champion Yearling Colt ... Ever! Psymadre TF Psymreekhe Lappes Mreekhie Spitfyre VF *Red Bear Red Flame Expoflame In
FYRE ME UP
ATA Echo Bey
ATA Bey Starr Kirscha Fawnette+ WA Fools Gold Fawgnicks Gold Fawgnac *Red denotes horses in Donna’s Breeding Program F I V E GE N ER AT IONS !
the barn name “Petey,” after her dad, to her newborn foal by Spitfyre VF and out of Fawnette in 2016. Donna called Tex the day Fyre Me Up (Petey) was born, to come over and see her colt. Tex recalls, “Donna disliked colts and had a lot of them the last few years; let’s just say, she wasn’t too enthusiastic about the prospect of another one. When I arrived, I had never seen a colt so developed for a newborn. He looked three weeks old at 24 hours. I told Donna, ‘this one is special.’” Fast forward nearly a year later to May 2017, after returning from a 10,000-mile trip across the U.S which included several open houses and the Las Vegas World Cup, Tex again stopped to see Fyre Me Up on the way home, at Mike and Sheena Steenhart’s, where he was being boarded. “I had not seen him in 5-6 months,” shares Tex, “and was completely bowled over again. I called Donna immediately and told her you she had a super star on her hands—the best colt I had personally seen in years.”
Padrons Psyche Tomorrows Dream Hi-Fashion Mreekh Lappes Jalena Bey Shah Kamasi Sachet Expoente *Flame And Fortune Bey Shah ZA Echos Song *Fawor Krysia Barzik Bold Brilliance Cognac Desert Gayla
Fyre Me Up made his show ring debut a month later at the Aurora Arabian Horse Show with Todd Ehret, and was not only Junior Champion Colt, but also Supreme Champion Halter Horse of the whole show against all age and sex groups. Even exhibitors unfamiliar with halter were talking about this awesome, showy colt at the show. He continued on with Todd and won the Western Canadian Breeders Yearling Colt Championship, followed by a Regional Yearling Colt Championship in July. Fyre Me Up’s first gigantic hurdle was in Brandon, Manitoba, where he went up against several regional champion colts from all over North America to win the Canadian National Yearling Colt Championship. With Austin Colangelo of Michael Byatt Arabians at the lead, it is the first time ever—to the best of their knowledge—that a Canadian bred and/or owned horse won this title. Everyone stated that his entrance and charisma won him the class as soon as he entered the ring with that “look of Eagles.”
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FYRE ME UP 2017 Canadian & U.S. National Champion Yearling Colt
Donna had made the decision even before Canadian Nationals that Petey would go to U.S. Nationals also. It truly took a team of dedicated people to get him to Tulsa. Todd Ehret and family managed Petey’s conditioning program in Canada, and Austin Colangelo and Michael Byatt gave their support by agreeing to school and show the colt in Tulsa, while Tex handled all the advertising and promotion leading up to both Nationals. While everyone played their cards pretty close to their chests about Petey’s chance of winning in Tulsa, Donna was a cool customer, but assuredly told everyone don’t worry, “he is going to win.” It was like she knew it was her turn, and she was spot on! Austin did a fantastic job of schooling and presenting him and the rest was now for the history books. Fyre Me Up is now the reigning Canadian and U.S. National Champion Yearling Colt. The first colt in our breed to win both titles.
Tex told Donna with a grin, “We better enjoy this moment, as it doesn’t happen to little folks very often!” Sometimes it’s easy to get disillusioned in this big Arabian business we are all so addicted to, but there was another aspect to this that seemed more important than the win itself. A whole community of people came together from both the United States and Canada in support of Donna and Fyre Me Up, her champion colt from her little farm in Canada. All Donna’s hard work and sacrifice of 40 years in the horse business culminated in a half hour class in Oklahoma. Whether you were cheering in the stands or on the live feed from the comforts of your home, your support did not go unnoticed. If there is one message to take away from this, it’s not to discount the impact of the small breeder and the dedication to their craft.
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RAHERESS
ARIA VALENTINA BR
TIFARAHA
STALLIONS Dream Quest (*Ali Jamaal x Calypso Tessa) 1992 bay FILLIES Raheress (*Rahere x Ashantii) 2016 bay Aria Valentina BR (Truest x EVG Pilahr) 2016 Cytation (pending) (Out of Cyte x TC Padron Bastiste, by *Padron) 2017 bay Fawnmeekha (TF Psymreekhe x Fawnette, by ATA Bey Starr) 2015 bay MARES IN FOAL Fawnette (ATA Bey Starr x Fawgnicks Gold, by WA Fools Gold) 2005 chestnut In foal to Coltrane DD Crystalline (*Utrillo NY x JJ La Estrella, by Magnum Psyche) 2004 chestnut In foal to *Fadi Al Shaqab Mariage Eternelly CLL (Eternety x Aladda Magnum CLL, by Magnum Psyche) 2006 bay In foal to Bey Ambition Korvette (*Ecaho x Kawa, by *Fawor) 2009 grey | In foal to *Pogrom Extaszy (*Escape Ibn Navarrone-D x Duet VF, by Gwydion) 2012 grey In foal to Bey Ambition EVG Petra (Stival x *Palestyna, by *Monogramm) 2013 bay | In foal to Audacious PS Giana DMA (WH Justice x MSP Jada, by A Jakarta) 2014 grey In foal to TF Royal Shahbaz OPEN MARES G Edycja (*Pilot x *Etana, by *Aloes) 1992 black TC Padron Batiste (*Padron x MS Batista, by *Bask) 1995 bay OFW Erys (*Parys El Jamaal x *Etana, by *Aloes) 1998 bay Cicadia (*Monogramm x Opalesce, by *Bandos) 1999 chestnut/full sister to Concensus Femme Finale (*Penitent x Falindaa, by Strike) 2000 grey Fanciful (AD Magnitude x Fawgnicks Gold, WA Fools Gold) 2009 bay Rinali (Ames Charisma x Faith Shines On, by Shine On Mahogany) 2009 black Regional Halter Champion and Canadian National Top Ten Futurity Filly Tifaraha (Aria Impresario x Precious Moments, by Shine On Mahogany) 2010 black National Top Ten Mare Open and AOTH Khariszma (Kalahari x Kawa, by *Fawor) 2012 bay Celestial (TF Psymreekhe x DD Crystalline, by *Utrillo NY) 2014 bay Maiandra (*Ecaho x Majaa, by *Probat) 2014 grey Dark Obsession TK (TF Psymreekhe x AD Jasmine, by WA Fools Gold) 2014 bay COLTS
Diverse (KM Bugatti x Devine Chance SA, by CWP Chances Are) 2017 grey Red denotes FOR SALE Ar abian Horse Times | 124 | Volume 48, No. 6
RINALI
FAWNMEEKHA
CONTACT: WRIGHT WAY ARABIANS Donna Wright | Leduc, Alberta wrightwayarabian@yahoo.ca text 1-780-915-6102 LITTLE ACRE ARABIANS Tex Kam | Edmonton, Alberta texmkam@gmail.com text 1-780-977-8003