AHW's Greener Pastures

Arabian horse world ’s Greener Pastures Good Thunder (Wisdom x GL Americle) April 1983 - June 2009

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he Arabian breed is grieving yet another loss of an extraordinary Arabian horse, Good Thunder (Wisdom x GL Americle), owned and ridden by Marikate Matthews and trained by John Rannenberg. Thunder has been called the winningest Arabian horse of all time, with 18 National Championships and Reserves, and nine National Top Tens in pleasure driving, native costume, and informal combination. He was 26.

“He was a tremendous athlete and had a great desire to perform and to please,” says John, who spent 20 years with the bay stallion at Rohara Arabians. “He wanted to do his best and was charismatic, personable, and loved people. He was also a gentleman — not aggressive, but he was like a peacock. A little horse with a super big heart.”

Marikate Matthews, who enjoyed nine years of showring success with Good Thunder, purchased him as a 12-year-old — a time when many horses end their show careers. “I went to Rohara to shop for a new western pleasure horse and ended up buying Thunder,” recalls Marikate.

“My first ride on him was so thrilling — he responded to me with such a connection I knew he was the one.

“And he was so fun,” she continues. “When we hit the ring Thunder was all show horse. When I first started driving him, John would forever tell me I was going too fast — well, it was the way Thunder liked it! He loved the crowds and the cheering — and costume too. I know John used to fear for my safety when I would careen around the corners on Thunder going full blast!”

Good Thunder (Wisdom x GL Americle), with

Marikate Matthews at the 2003 U.S. Nationals.

Full of spirit, Thunder was still breeding as little as two weeks before his death. Recalls John, “Even at 26 he came into the breeding shed and had to announce to the world that he was there. He also always knew when it was time to go to a horse show. I’d walk him from the barn to the horse trailer he’d just whinny, carry on, call and strut and prance around. He just couldn’t wait to go.”

Later in his life Thunder loved to stand on the hill and gaze at all the other horses. “We had a group of two-year-old fillies in the pasture next to his and they’d all stand there with him for hours throughout the day,” John says. “It wasn’t like he was pacing the fence — he’d just stand there, and

they would gather around him — almost like they felt safe.

“She and I have also become as one. She is so much like her

Like he was their protector. They could have grazed anywhere

father in her wisdom, kindness and intelligence. I hope we

in a 20-acre field yet they chose to stand next to him.”

will be companions, as her father and I were, for many years

Thunder was also a sire of champions, his most famous being For The Love Of Thunder (x By The Grace), a six-time

to come.”

As for Thunder, “He was such a joy to me and always

U.S. National champion in show hack (2006-2008). He also

a source of amazement,” Marikate concludes. “Not just a

sired The Thunder Rolls (x RL Fantazia), 2007 Canadian

horse — he thought like a higher being and had wisdom

National Champion Working Hunter JTR.

and knowledge unlike any other. Thunder lived a long and

Marikate says she will be forever grateful for Thunder’s greatest gift to her — his daughter, Forthe Loveof Thunder.

wonderful life at Rohara Arabians and the love and care that they showed him was unsurpassed.”

*El Ghazi (*Aloes x Elektra) 1983-2009

by Christy Egan

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t the end of May, 2009, the great Polish import *El Ghazi passed away. A son of *Aloes (Celebes x *Algoa by Czort) out of Elektra (*Bandos x Ellora by Witraz), *El Ghazi was foaled at Janów Podlaski State Stud in Poland in March of 1983. He was imported to the United States as a five-year-old by Lasma East International Centre.

Lasma considered *El Ghazi to be the ideal candidate for crossing on the many *Bask daughters and granddaughters in America. *El Ghazi was named 1989 U.S. National Reserve Champion English Pleasure Horse. *El Ghazi’s first foals

arrived in 1990. He was sold to his final owners, Val and Dolores Della Pello of Val-Delor LLC, in July 1996.

To date *El Ghazi has sired 480 registered foals, of which 334 are Half-Arabian and 146 are purebred. The vast majority of his offspring have been bay, though around 10 percent were grey and only two have been chestnut.

By the early 1990s, the first *El Ghazi offspring began to appear in the National arenas. He is the sire of 36 purebred national winners, 14 of them national and national reserve champions. As a sire of Half-Arabians he was even more impressive, with 19 national and national reserve champions and 43 national winners. His offspring have won a total of 467 national awards and 110 national and national reserve championships, the majority of these in the English arena. A remarkable 43 percent of his total offspring have been shown to championships, reserve championships, or regional top five wins. *El Ghazi’s leading purebred Arabian daughter is Morning El Ghaza (x Morning Dance QCA by *Aladdinn), the 1995 U.S. National Champion Halter Mare, Amateur, and 1997 U.S. National Champion Country Pleasure Driving, Amateur. His best Half-Arabian offspring is Ladighazi (x Junior Bridesmaid), 2004 Canadian and 2005 U.S. National Champion Half-Arabian Show Hack, Amateur. Each of these great national winners has 20 or more national awards to their credit. *El Ghazi offspring have distinguished themselves by virtue of their longevity as national winning show horses, often beginning as brilliant junior and open horses and finishing their stellar careers as great, national-winning amateur and junior rider horses. As one of the most successful outcross stallions for all English-oriented Arabian horses of *Bask and Huckleberry Bey breeding *El Ghazi will be sorely missed.

Val-Delor LLC has limited frozen semen available.

Classic Shadwan (Alidaar x Shagiah by Shadwan) 1992-2009

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nnette and Erwin Escher sadly report the passing of the typey, flea-bitten grey stallion Classic Shadwan (Alidaar x Shagiah). Classic Shadwan was bred by M. Hans Juergen and Anne Woelk in France and was exported to Germany in 1996. Classic Shadwan’s sire, Alidaar (Shaikh Al Badi x Bint Magidaa), is a full brother to Ruminaja Ali. Classic Shadwan’s dam Shagiah (Shadwan x Samar) was foaled at the El Zahraa State Stud in Cairo, Egypt.

Classic Shadwan was named Junior Reserve Champion as a twoyear-old colt at the international show at Wels, Austria. In 1997 he was named Reserve Champion Stallion at Kaub, Germany, and the European Egyptian Event. Last year he was named Champion and Best in Show at the Egyptian Classic Show in Holland, and Champion Stallion at the international show at Kaub, Germany, and at the Platinum Cup. Classic Shadwan’s foals inherit his quality and exotic type, and he has sired foals of every color, even black.

Many of Classic Shadwan’s get have earned honors at such shows as the

European Egyptian Event, Germany’s Stallion Show, and the Egyptian Classic Show in Tilburg, Holland. GR Amaretto was named Junior Champion Colt at the Egyptian Classic Show at Tilburg, and Junior Reserve Champion Colt of Germany at Aachen. He earned a gold medal at the German Stallion Show at Aachen in 2002. His daughter GR Amaretta was named Junior Reserve Champion Filly of Germany in 2002.

Classic Shadwan became known as the progenitor of classic type. “Classic Shadwan was always eager to work and eager to please,” say Annette and Erwin Escher. “He was a proud, self-confident stallion who exemplified the ‘picturebook’ Arabian horse. He was elegant and showy and we are still grieving his loss.”

Henderson Arabian Stud, Brownwood, Texas, Thunder made his debut for the Broncos at Mile High Stadium on September 12, 1993, for the Broncos’ victory over the San Diego Chargers.

He appeared at both Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIII. Ridden at events by Colorado trainer Ann Judge Wegener and owner Sharon Magness, Thunder promoted the Arabian breed in grand style. He led the 1998 Super Bowl victory parade in downtown Denver before 600,000 fans, and was ridden by Sharon before eight of the world leaders, presenting the colors for the Summit of the Eight in Denver.

Throughout his lifetime Thunder spent time with numerous children at Denver’s Children’s Hospital, Ocean Journey, and various local schools, in addition to hosting Christmas and Halloween parties for scores of underprivileged children.

Thunder was not only a celebrity, but a great ambassador for the Arabian breed. His charisma and beauty charmed everyone who met him.

JB Kobask “Thunder” (GG Jabask x Kom-Nitah) 1983-2009

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ormer mascot for the Denver Broncos football team JB Kobask (GG Jabask x Kom-Nitah), more commonly known as “Thunder,” passed away in Littleton, Colorado, at the age of 27.

Owned by Sharon MagnessBlake, Denver, Colorado, and bred by

Denver Broncos mascot “Thunder,” JB Kobask (GG Jabask x Kom-Nitah) and Ann Judge Wegener at the Arabian Horse Celebration in Denver, Colorado in August 2004.