At the Waterhole - June 2009

At the

Waterhole

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Santa Barbara Jesusita Fire Closes Pacific Slopes

by Pam Hess

D

uring our 37 years in business and over 950 horse shows, this was one of the most frightening situations that we have ever been in. When we flew in on Wednesday, May 6, we could see the spreading wildfires but were confident that they would not affect the horse show. Thursday morning it was difficult to even reach the Earl Warren Showgrounds, as it had become the staging area for all of the firefighters, fire equipment, and the emergency response teams.

By sunset on Thursday the sky took on a glow and a dark green hue. You could also see the full moon rising through the smoke. It was truly like something out of a science fiction film. When the sundowner winds kicked in, the ash started falling and it was difficult for the horses, exhibitors, and officials to breathe. Everyone began having vision troubles. Toward the end of the evening session, the steward came in and asked us to do whatever we could to hurry, as our hotel was now under a mandatory evacuation. We were the only vehicles in the parking lot of the hotel as everyone else had already evacuated. We hastily packed and returned to the show grounds to find out where we would be living. Fortunately, a farm in Santa Ynez made their multi-bedroom guesthouse available to all of the show officials and we made the hour drive north.

Earl Warren Showgrounds became the staging area for firefighters.

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Easter Presentation of Arabian Horses at Sax Arabians April 11, 2009

by Monika Heckinger

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t was a beautiful 72-degree April day at Sax Arabians for the Easter presentation of Arabian horses.

Five hundred Arabian horse enthusiasts from Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Switzerland, Croatia, and Slovakia accepted Reinhard Sax’s invitation to Sax Arabians, which is located in southern Germany near the Munich airport and the city of Landshut.

After a dressage presentation, the typey stallion and German National Champion Al Milan (Al Lahab x Milena by Ibn Narav) came into the arena, presented by Sax Arabians’ trainer Simon Kelly from the U.K. Crown Milan, out of the World Champion Mare Crown Muscosa, followed Al Milan to begin the presentation of Al Milan’s outstanding foal group.

Several more of Al Milan’s get followed, all with the same look; wide between the eyes with cute little ears and an easy, flying trot. These horses were followed by the dark bay power man Massimo Ibn Mirokan (Mirokan x Marenga by *Menes). Massimo is a full brother to Massai Ibn Marenga, both bred by Reinhard Sax. Sax bought the European Champion mare Marenga as a yearling filly at Silvia GardeEhlert’s Gut Alemich stud in Germany.

Marenga won not only many National and international championship titles, but she also earned the title “Elite

Guests enjoy a beautiful day at Sax Arabians.

Mare” from the German Registry for her excellent breeding stock.

Two yearling fillies sired by Massimo Ibn Mirokan were presented, both having the big, beautiful black eyes from Massimo as well his amazing movement. Also, Esstah (Massimo Ibn Mirokan x Esstascha

by Essteem), who was presented as a foal last year, was National Reserve Champion Filly at Ströhen in Germany.

The golden bay stallion Mirokan entered the arena next. A son of Mirok Monpelou out of the Menes daughter Merana, he was also bred

by Reinhard Sax. Representing Mirokan’s get was Mirka, a very elegant chestnut filly out of Musinga (BJ Thee Mustafa x Krushinka) led in by Simon Kelly. She exhibited a beautiful head and neck and fantastic movement!

The next stallion was the outstanding chestnut Meshan Ibn

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PHOTO: SAX ARABIANS, GERMANY

Kubinec, a son of world famous and “Elite Stallion” Kubinec (Balaton x Kosmetica) out of “Elite Mare” Menascha (Menes x Nascha). “He combines the best Russian bloodlines you can get at this time,” said Reinhard Sax to the audience. The company Etienne Aigner used Meshan Ibn Kubinec as a photo model for their advertising brochure, which will be published in the autumn of 2009.

Meshan Ibn Kubinec not only has an amazing golden chestnut shine, but as a sire, he promises great future stock for Sax Arabians.

The first son by Meshan Ibn Kubinec presented was the chestnut colt foal Mashari, who is just two months old and out of the Narav Ibn Aswan daughter Magnolia. Next was the charming dark bay filly Marshana born the first of January 2009 out of the black Windsprees Mirage daughter Marni. She jumped straight into the hearts of all visitors.

Top: Reinhard Sax presents Al Amrya (BJ Thee Mustafa x Krushinka by Kubinec) with her filly Amely Al Khidar by Khidar.

Middle; 2009 filly Amely Al Khidar with Reinhard Sax. Bottom: 2009 colt Al Maraan by Al Milan.

PHOTO: SAX ARABIANS, GERMANY

PHOTO: SAX ARABIANS, GERMANY

PHOTO: SAX ARABIANS, GERMANY

The bay Marshan entered the arena, proudly presented by Simon Kelly to well-deserved applause from the audience. Marshan (Meshan Ibn Kubinec x Marni by Windsprees Mirage) was foaled in 2008. As a foal, Marshan was presented three times, catching the eyes of the judges and receiving the Champion Colt Foal title three times, including the German National Reserve Champion title. He was the crowd’s favorite.

The presentation of offspring sired by World Reserve Champion Stallion Khidar (Ansata Sinan x Elizja) began with the two-year-old Khidar son Europe Al Khidar out of Triple Crown winner Essteema. Europe Al Khidar has just bred his first mares; one straight Egyptian mare and one straight Russian mare.

Also, Amely Al Khidar was presented with her outstanding dam Al Amrya (BJ Thee Mustafa x Krushinka), and her 2008 full sister Amyra Bint Khidar, exotic, and an outstanding combination of Egyptian- and Russianbred Arabians.

As a special surprise for the audience, the Khidar filly Esskhija, out of Sax’s homebred Triple Crown winning filly Essteema, was presented. “Esskhija is the dream of every Arabian horse breeder — words can hardly describe her! I really needed to thank Khidar and Essteema for their great gift,” Reinhard said, “We are overwhelmed!”

Nearing the end of the presentation, Simon Kelly brought out two yearling fillies he will also be showing in the coming 2009 season: the elegant Laman HVP daughter Laminka out of Taminka (Taman II x Krushinka) and Naha, a daughter of world-famous WH Justice out of the last Nahbay daughter 3 ▪ ARABIAN HORSE WORLD ▪ JUNE 2009

PHOTO: SAX ARABIANS, GERMANY

Top left: The yarling colt Al Justice (WH Justice x Milena by Ibn Narav).

Above: The gelding Eastwind and Ivan Vieder.

PHOTO: SAX ARABIANS, GERMANY

Nahbayka, as well as a yearling colt named Al Justice, a WH Justice son out of Milena (half brother to the stallion Al Milan).

Concluding the Sax-bred horse presentation was the gelding Menesk, presented under saddle by Manuela Frech, who is breaking in and working young horses at Sax Arabians.

Finally, Reinhard Sax welcomed the Feuerstein brothers from Südtirol, Italy, with their horses, the nine-yearold grey mare Elfe and the six-yearold bay gelding Eastwind. The two brothers, Ivan and Hannes, like to show owners of Arabian horses how they can have fun with their horses, and they received well-deserved hearty applause for their extraordinary demonstration.

When all was said and done, it truly had been great day: great horses; a great presentation; and an outstanding advertisement for the Arabian horse!

PHOTO: SAX ARABIANS, GERMANY

Bottom Left: Reinhold Sax proudly presents Esskhija (Khidar x Essteema).

A Day at Jadem Arabians

by Robin Hopkinson

I

n the United States and around the world, the reality finally set in for everyone that the great stallion Padrons Psyche (*Padron x Kilika) had been sold by his previous owners Bob and Dixie North at 21 years of age and had found a new home in Belgium at Christine Jamar’s Jadem Arabians. His new owner, Mr. Paul Gheysens, had entrusted Christine with his care, confident that she would help him continue to leave his legacy as one of the greatest Arabian stallions of the breed.

Meanwhile, this grand old gentleman happily greets the morning sounds as each new day begins 4 ▪ ARABIAN HORSE WORLD ▪ JUNE 2009

Padrons Psyche ( *Padron x Kilika) looks forward to “his special time” each morning.

At the

Waterhole

in Balen, Belgium. As the fog starts to rise the ducks are still asleep with their heads nestled under their wings while afloat on the pond. They are awakened by the family of geese that patrol their beautiful territory and announce that Cezary (a gentleman from Poland who has been with Jadem Arabians for 20 years now) is on the way to the ivycovered 18th-century barn.

As the fog is still rising, the ducks and geese wait for their caretaker to pass by with their gift of golden corn.

Then, he heads to the pastures where the foals from last foaling season live with one another and are allowed to simply grow up and run in the fields until their time has come to prepare for either the showring or breeding. The two-year-olds also know that Cezary will soon arrive, and they celebrate the anticipation of their morning feast running and grazing in the fields.

From the other side of the pond and the 18th century barn emanate excited calls and whinnies from within the new state of the art structures where beautiful Arabian horses eagerly await the coming day.

It is just another day in the life for all of the creatures that reside at Jadem Arabians, and now that Padrons Psyche has arrived, he, too, listens for the sounds that have become a part of his morning ritual. Not least in importance to him is the arrival of his caretaker (me!) with a morning menu of a warm mash with bran, oats, corn, barley, and hay taken from the farm’s lush meadows. As his

Padrons Psyche settled into his new home at Jadem Arabians in Belgium.

caretaker, Padrons Psyche is the first horse of the day that I deal with. I open up the windows in the morning; I feed him. When I first got here, he had been here for a couple of months and I could see that he perked up when he heard English speaker.

Padrons Psyche also now looks forward to “his special time” each morning to be groomed. I am blessed to be able to be a part of Padrons Psyche’s morning ritual. He brings a smile to my face while I am currying his back, he bows down in the cross ties to stretch and warm up to his daily exercise in his own personal paddock, overseeing the world that, in his mind, was created for him alone.

After the morning chores have been completed and all of the animals are cared for, the windows are opened, the sunshine pours in, and Padrons Psyche takes into his sight the beauty of his life as it should be, on this glorious new day. Tomorrow will be even better.

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National Payback Program: Over $40,000 in Prize Money to Date

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he Sport Horse Nationals Payback Program 2009 is proving to be just the ticket for breeders again in this year. With deep discounts on the stud fees of almost 300 stallions of all breeds, Payback is the go-to resource in today’s economic climate.

Included in the offered stallion services are world-class Warmbloods, Thoroughbreds, Arabians, AngloArabians, Saddlebreds, Welsh, Friesians, Hackneys, Quarter Horses, and others.

Many are National or World Champions,

or have sired champions. The total number of stallions enrolled for 2009 exceeds two hundred and ninety so far.

The money raised will be paid out at the Sport Horse National Championships in September 2009, with 10 percent of the total going to the top two Payback sires of the show. There is also a special award for the most winning Payback stallion competing at the show.

All offspring of enrolled stallions are eligible for the cash payouts in the designated Payback classes throughout

their lifetime. Classes include Working Hunter, Sport Horse In-Hand, Dressage, Driving, Jumper, Sport Horse Under Saddle, and Hunter Hack.

Stallions may be enrolled, or breeding services purchased for 2009 by visiting the SHN Payback Web site and downloading the appropriate form. Stallions must meet eligibility requirements and there is no cost for enrollment.

The deadline for enrollment is June 30. Learn more about Payback at www. shnpayback.com.

Recognition for Ango-Arabians

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he North American AngloArabian Horse Association (NAAAHA) will again be honoring Anglo-Arabian horses competing at Youth Nationals and Sport Horse Nationals in 2009. The top five winning Anglos in all classes at each show will be awarded an embroidered cooler and neck ribbon, with a gold trophy also going to the Supreme Champions.

NAAAHA has also implemented a High Point Program for Anglo-Arabians that compete in working hunter, jumper, eventing, dressage, sport horse

under saddle, conformation, endurance, and competitive trail. All shows/rides whether rated or unrated will count toward these awards. Points are retroactive from December 1, 2008. Details are posted on the Web site. Registration is required to participate.

Sponsorships of these awards are available and are tax-deductible, as NAAAHA is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization. Current sponsors include Anglo-Arabians. com, The Inverted Y Anglos, Miranda Kuchera, Starstruck Farms, Greenbriar Farm, Herbst Farms, and Bayview Farm.

Anglo-Arabians are the third-oldest breed in the world, having been bred in France as far back as the early 1800s. The breed is comprised of a combination of Thoroughbred and Arabian blood, requiring no more than 75 percent Thoroughbred and no less than 25 percent Arabian to be registered. Anglo-Arabians are highly respected worldwide as exceptional athletes, especially in the Olympic disciplines, and are ranked third in the world in the sport of eventing. You can visit NAAAHA’s Web site for more information.

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Passages Corky Randall 1929 – April 20, 2009

Legendary Hollywood Horse Trainer Corky Randall Dies – Randall’s Pivotal Film “The Black Stallion” Turns 30

by Elizabeth Kaye McCall

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n Monday, April 20, 2009, the legendary Hollywood horse trainer Buford “Corky” Randall died in Newhall, California, at age 80 after a prolonged illness with cancer. Born in 1929 in Gering, Nebraska, Randall was diagnosed with polio as a child. Rather than following the prescribed treatments of the day (metal braces on legs), his father insisted the boy exercise. By age 10, Corky was galloping Thoroughbred colts each morning before school for his father, Glenn Randall Sr., who earned fame training Roy Rogers’s Trigger (and even housebroke the horse) and for “Ben Hur.” Corky dove into the film business at Republic Studios during high school and never looked back. From his first major assignment on “The Alamo,” Corky’s half-century Hollywood career included dozens of feature films and television shows — from “How the West Was Won,” “Soldier Blue,” and “The Misfits” to “Buffalo Girls,” “Hot to Trot,” and “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.”

From classics like “Spin & Marty” and the “Zorro” TV series, Corky traveled the globe, winding up his career in Mexico on “The Mask of Zorro” starring Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

But it was the film adaptation of Walter Farley’s novel “The Black Stallion” that established Corky as a trainer in his own right. Released 30 years ago in 1979, the Carroll Ballard-directed production (executive produced by Francis Ford Coppola) contained some of the most challenging horse scenes ever filmed.

Years later, Corky described the black Arabian stallion who starred in it as his all-time favorite horse actor. (The horse’s real name was Cass Olé.) “He was so smart and such a character, he was almost human. Cass Olé (Al-Marah Cassanova x LA Bahia) loved to be around people and he loved to make pictures,” said Corky.

Movie trivia: for the TriStar film label’s animated feature logo Pegasus (which was filmed on the Randall Ranch in Newhall), Corky used the same grey (white on camera) Arabian horse that appeared in “The Black Stallion Returns” as the black stallion’s love interest.

“Corky was a fantastic horseman with generations of knowledge and wonderful stories from a lifetime of working in the strange and demanding world of horse movies,” remarked Tim Farley, son of the late author and president of Florida-based Black Stallion, Inc. “All of us who love horses and been have carried away by the excitement and beauty we see on the screen, can think of Corky. He was one of the most generous people I’ve ever met.”

A two-time winner of the Patsy Award (once the animal trainer’s Oscar) and recipient of the Humanitarian Award in 1982 from what was then the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Los Angeles, Corky furthered legislation safeguarding animals.

During one of his final interviews Corky reflected, “I think there are still a lot of successful pictures to be made with horses if you can capture the relationship between the animal and the person — like they did in ‘The Black Stallion.’”

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Sally Rodman Swift April 20,1913 – April 20, 2009

S

ally Swift, the founder of Centered Riding, Inc., passed away on April 2, 2009. Sally (Sarah Rodman Swift), was born on April 20, 1913, in Hingham, Massachusetts. She was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of seven and wore a full-length back brace until she was in her seventies. She worked for many years with Mabel Ellsworth Todd, the author of “The Thinking Body,” who believed that people could control parts of their own bodies by their minds when they were unable to do so with physical movement.

Sally graduated from Cornell University in 1947 with a BS in agriculture and worked for many years at the Holstein Association of America.

She was active with the Brattleboro Riding Club in Brattleboro, Vermont, and under her leadership the Brattleboro Riding Club Horse Show grew to be the largest single day horse show in the U.S. After “retiring” at the age of 62, Sally went on to teach riding and developed the four basic concepts of “Centered Riding.” She became known all over the world for her innovative horse riding methodology and wrote books and created videos in order to teach the principles and promote awareness of her philosophy. She received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Riding Instructor Certification program and was inducted into the U.S. Dressage Foundation’s Hall of Fame in 2006 at the age of 93.