Arabian Horse News - April 2019 - Vol 53/1

A T R A DI T ION OF E XC E L L E NC E

Vangelis

MI

AUGUST 2013 (DA VALENTINO X ALWAYS AN ANGEL BY SK SHAKLA KHAN)

Seventh-Generation Mulawa-Bred International Champion Member of the M ANGELIQUE Family AANC Gold Champion Senior Stallion | 2019 AANC Champion Yearling Colt | 2015 ~ unanimous Full brother to unanimous Australian National Champions ALWAYS VALENTINE MI & VALENTINO’S ANGEL MI

GE N E R AT ION A F T E R GE N E R AT ION

Venecia

MI

OCTOBER 2014 (ALLEGIANCE MI X VALENTINE MI BY DA VALENTINO) Fifth-Generation Mulawa-Bred Gold Champion Member of the VALENTINE MI Family AANC Gold Champion Arabian Senior Mare | 2019 - unanimous AANC Gold Champion Arabian Junior Filly | 2017 - unanimous AANC Gold Champion Arabian Yearling Filly | 2016 Full sister to Australian National Champions VENICE MI & ADVANTAGE MI

Klassical Fame

MI

SEPTEMBER 2015 (KLASS X FOREVER FAME BY FAME MAKER R) Fifth-Generation Mulawa-Bred Gold Champion Member of the DZINA Family

AANC Gold Champion Arabian Junior Filly | 2019 - unanimous AANC Highest Scoring Female Purebred Exhibit | 2019 AANC Gold Champion Arabian Junior Filly | 2018 - unanimous

Klassical Tiara

MI

OCTOBER 2017 (KLASS X MUSTANG’S MAGNUM

BY MAGNUM FORTY FOUR)

Second-Generation Mulawa-Bred Champion Member of the SAHTARAH Family AANC Gold Champion Yearling Filly | 2019 Full sister to Australian National Champions MI KLASSIC FANTASY & KLASSICAL DREAM MI

A DVA N C I N G E Q U I N E E XC E L L E N C E www.mulawaarabians.com.au Greg, Julie & Jane Farrell 61-65 Bay Rd, Berrilee NSW 2159 P: (02) 9655 1000 M: 0412 517 188 E: enquiries@mulawa.com.au

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Contents From the Editor.....................................................4 From the Chairman | ROM...................................6 Trick Riding...........................................................6 Office Bearers | Life Members of AHSA Ltd Distinguished Service Awards..............................8 Affiliates..............................................................10 Once upon a Time – Country Life.......................12 The Life and Times of Wilfrid Scawen Blunt......16 WAHO Trophy Winner – Mulawa Kara Mia MI...24 Horses & Houses of Fashion..............................26 Society Awards...................................................29 Stallion Profiles...................................................34 The Breeders | Fawley Arabians.........................36 2019 WAHO Australia Conference.....................40 2019 Tom Quilty Preview...................................47 2019 Australian Arabian National Championships...65 WAHO Queensland Tour....................................79 Bone Fatigue in Racehorses...............................82 It all Begins with a Foal.......................................84 Highly Fermentable Fibres – The Good Fibre!....87 A Quiet Achiever – Danjera Arabian Stud...........91 Stud, Services & Trainers Directory....................94

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T H E

D R E A M

C O N T I N U E S … T A N YA

H AW L E Y

A R A B I A N S

S PRI NGDA LE FA R M DARN UM 3 8 2 2 VIC TO RIA AUS T R A LI A T ELEP H O N E: 04 9 9 89 6 38 6 EM A I L: t a nya h a w l ey @ m a c .c o m N A Z Z A I ( N A AVA H - N A Z L I ) D O U B L E N A A D I R A H G R E A T G R A N D S O N S H O W N H E R E A T 2 1 Y E A R S , N O W 2 6 JENNI OGDEN PHOTO

From the Editor What an exciting start to the year with our Arabian Horse Society of Australia hosting the 2019 World Arabian Horse Organization (WAHO) Conference at Terrigal, NSW.

T

he importance of WAHO can never be understated, it’s a crucial organisation supporting the Arabian horse globally.

Founded in 1970, WAHO has the responsibility of ensuring that standards acceptable to all Registering Authority Members are established and maintained in the matters of regulations, methods of registration and production of Stud Books.

From the inception of WAHO it was apparent that one of the most important and needed objects as stated in the WAHO Constitution was to maintain throughout the world the purity of the blood of the horses of the Arabian breed. The WAHO Arabian Horse Definition reads as follows: A Purebred Arabian horse is one which appears in any purebred Arabian Stud Book or Register listed by WAHO as acceptable.

Usually held bi-annually, WAHO conferences are always eagerly awaited by the Arabian horse community worldwide.

Conferences bring together like-minded people, are educational, plus give everyone the opportunity to meet Arabian horse breeders and owners in the host countries. Please turn to page 40 to read about the 2019 conference.

Another WAHO mantra is to promote and facilitate the acquisition and distribution of the knowledge in all countries of the history, care and treatment of horses of the Arabian breed.

A number of outstanding guest speakers were engaged for this conference and covered a wide range of issues in a superb manner. On page 82 we have included an article written by

Professor Chris Whitton, entitled Bone Fatigue in Racehorses.

This new research will be of great interest to all equestrians. Our foaling season starts in August, so we have published the bulk of Cindy Reich’s excellent talk It All Starts with a Foal on page 84.

For more information about the important work of WAHO, visit their website at www.waho.org.

From all accounts this year’s Australian Arabian National Championships held in Victoria was a wonderful success. Rotating the show along the East Coast certainly gives everyone a fair-go with either competing or spectating at the breed’s most prestigious event. Looking at the catalogue, the Victorians embraced the championships with the largest number of competitors, and rightly so. It was also heart-warming to see a group of Tasmanians take advantage of their proximity to Victoria to come and compete.

Logistically it takes a mighty effort for them to cross Bass Strait.

Holding the championships in Victoria brought the show into easier reach for South and Western Australians, who always travel long distances to attend, no matter where it’s held. A report on the championships appears on page 65.

The next Australian Arabian National Championships will be held 4–7 March 2020 at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre at Horsley Park, NSW.

Sharon Meyers

Photo Credits | Cover: Anglo Arabian mare Castlebar Belair (Arabian Park Batal x Castlebar Blue Chip) ridden by Kristie Taprell. Castlebar Belair is bred and owned by Castlebar Endurance Arabians. Photo by Rob Featonby.

Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/AustralianVAH To keep up-to-date visit www.arabianhorse.com.au Publisher: Michael Vink P: (07) 3334 8000 | E: michael@interactivink.com.au Editor: Sharon Meyers P: 0409 270 535 | E: sharon@meyers.id.au Advertising: Michael Vink P: (07) 3334 8000 | E: michael@interactivink.com.au All ADVERTISING enquiries to: VINK Publishing PO Box 8369 Woolloongabba QLD 4102 P: (07) 3334 8000 | E: michael@interactivink.com.au All EDITORIAL and ‘Letters to the Editor’: E: sharon@meyers.id.au P: 0409 270 535 PO Box 8369, Woolloongabba QLD 4102 Production Team: Julia Lefik, Lauren Lavin, Richard Locke & Karen Belik 4

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SUBSCRIPTION Enquiries (for non-AHSA members): Interactivink PO Box 8369, Woolloongabba QLD 4102 P: (07) 3334 8010 | E: donna@interactivink.com.au www.interactivink.com.au Office Address: 38–40 Fisher Street, East Brisbane QLD 4169 *Recommended Retail Price. All material appearing in Arabian Horse News is subject to copyright laws. Reproduction of articles in part or thereof is not permitted without prior permission of the publishers. The opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those held by the publishers or staff. Any written material may be submitted, but no responsibility will be accepted for the return of solicited or unsolicited material. Photographs must have a return name and address written on the flip side, and must be accompanied by a stamped, self addressed envelope. Although every care is taken, no responsibility is accepted by the publisher nor the staff of Arabian Horse News, for loss or damage of any material submitted for publication.

Arabian Horse News (AHN) is published by Interactivink for the Arabian Horse Society of Australia Ltd. The Society and the Board thereof and the publishers of the magazine are not responsible for any opinion or statement expressed in signed articles or paid advertisements. These opinions are not necessarily those of the Board or those responsible for the publication of the magazine.

The publisher reserves the right to reject any advertisement, booked or otherwise, on sighting of material.

Interactivink | ABN 3107 478 5676

Count Crysdafa Count Crysdafa 2006 Purebred stallion  2006 Purebred stallion  Chip Chase Sadaqa x Countess Crysan  Chip Chase Sadaqa x Countess Crysan  2015 Quilty finisher & yellow-book horse  2015 Quilty finisher & yellow-book horse  Supreme champion in hand  yellow-book Supreme champion inmares hand $1000.00 all mares or $850.00 endurance $1000.00 all mares or $850.00 yellow-book endurance mares LFG LFG 

Kalkadoon Zorro Kalkadoon Zorro          

2002 Purebred stallion 2002 Purebred stallion Maf-Ue Sultan x Autumn Leaf Maf-Ue Sultan x Autumn Leaf 7x Quilty finisher & 2014 Pat Slater Cup 7x Quilty finisher & 2014 Pat Slater Cup Winner Winner 2013-2015 Shareym Trophy winner 2013-2015 Shareym Trophy winner & FEI 3* Horse & FEI 3* Horse Awarded AHSA Lifetime achievement Awarded Lifetime & Honour AHSA Roll member atachievement the 2019 & Honour Roll member at the 2019 WAHO presentation WAHO presentation

$1000.00 all mares $1000.00 all mares endurance mares $850.00 yellow-book $850.00 yellow-book endurance mares LFG LFG

Standing at Standing at GLENGANNON ARABIANS GLENGANNON ARABIANSAustralia Beaudesert, Queensland, Beaudesert, Queensland, Australia P +61 7 55442212 E sakrahnen@gmail.com P +61 7 55442212 E sakrahnen@gmail.com

From the Chairman ARABIAN HORSE SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA

Welcome to the first edition of the AHN for 2019.

The year has certainly started with a bang.

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he Arabian Horse Society of Australia was honoured to be chosen to host the 2019 World Arabian Horse Organization Conference in Australia. This gave us the opportunity to showcase Australia and many of our Arabians to delegates and guests from Australia and around the world. The Conference was held at the beautiful Crowne Plaza, Terrigal, New South Wales and included post conference tours in Queensland, Victoria and New Zealand. The event commenced at the East Coast Championships with a parade of Arabians and Arabian Derivatives from around the country.

Our guests were impressed by the quality of horses paraded and the versatility shown.

Although a huge amount of work by a very small team, it was a wonderful success.

The Australian Arabian National Championships for 2019 was held at the amazing Boneo Park, Victoria. An excellent venue that provided a happy and relaxed atmosphere for a great show. I am sure you will enjoy the coverage of these events in this edition.

My tenure of the position of Chairman of the Board will come to an end on March 30, 2019 with my retirement from the Board. I would like to thank members for their support over the past six years and leave feeling proud of what has been achieved over that time.

I wish the new board every success and wish for harmony between the members. We all love this magnificent horse, the Arabian.

Trick

Roll of Merit

ARRETON MAJNOUN APS3108 | Awarded 20/2/19 Merit for Performance & Working Owned by J & J Preece & C Payne

Photo: Naomi Forge

Leonie Williamson

AUSTRALIAN ARABIAN

Riding Navarra Eclipse, bred by David Konig, was purchased from Navarra Arabians in 2010 as a general riding horse.

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avarra Eclipse (aka Rahnee) is a Partbred Arabian mare sired by an unregistered Warmblood/ Thoroughbred stallion out of the Arabian mare Belbowrie Fairwind. Rahnee was not a planned breeding; it happened that the stallion next door, where several of the mares were being agisted, escaped.

Now broken-in, it became apparent there was a very special bond between Alicia Daly and Rahnee. Together they tried hacking, dressage and pony club; but it

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was show jumping and trick riding where their talent lay.

Under the guidance of Marian Mawby, Rahnee and Alicia began with liberty training, developing a special trust and communication between horse and rider.

After having done training with Heath and Krissy Harris and also Christy Davidson for trick riding, Alicia continues to train Rahnee on performing those special tricks.

It is not uncommon to see Alicia galloping around the horse arena

suspended from the saddle or standing on top of the mare bareback, jumping medium height jumps. Alicia’s ambition is to succeed in show jumping. She competes with Rahnee up to 1.20 metres with good success and is now receiving training from Robert Stewart. It is just wonderful to see a young talented rider and horse form a very special relationship based on love, trust and clear communication. Rahnee is a great example of the true versatile breed – the Arabian horse.

2016 AUSTRALIAN ARABIAN RESERVE CHAMPION JNR AP COLT | 2017 AUSTRALIAN ARABIAN GOLD CHAMPION JNR AP

2019 AUSTRALIAN ARABIAN GOLD CHAMPION SNR AP

Little G Pageboy

B'ANEMBO KOOL COLOUR x CRESTWOOD PAGEANT 4 year old Arabian Pony/Part Welsh Stallion – already proving himself as a sire of Supreme winning progeny.

Standing at stud via AI (fresh/chilled) to a limited number of approved mares – SCIDS, CA and LFS clear.

Stud Fee $990

Paula Cowling tajara181@gmail.com 0459 704 301

Arabian Horse Society of Australia Office Bearers Chairperson: Mr Greg Liddle P: 0419 407 154 Senior Vice Chairperson: Ms Karen Fletcher-Grieve P: 0435 340 137 Junior Vice Chairperson: Mr Heath Rowbottom P: 0406 358 842 Treasurer: Mrs Kristin Galea P: 0418 327 127

Directors: Mr Wayne Beasley Mr Scott Benjamin Mr Clint Bilson Mrs Yvonne Downes Mrs Glenys Lilley Mr Richard Shipton Patron: Mrs Cecily Cornish

P: 0417 665 356 P: 0466 627 744 P: 0407 934 194 P: (03) 6429 1353 P: 0413 273 349 P: 0408 508 726

Secretary/Registrar: Ms Helen Dohan P: (02) 4577 5366 Assistant Registrar: Mrs Teresa Edwards P: (02) 4577 5366 Auditors: William Buck (NSW) Pty Ltd Solicitors: MinterEllison

Life Members of the Arabian Horse Society of Australia 1993: Mrs V. Males Mr R.P. Males Mr P.J. Pond Mr C.H.D. Nye 1995: Mrs E. Bligh Mrs C. Ros Mrs M. Sharman Mr T. Sharman 1998: Mrs H. Nichol Mrs P. Slater Mrs C. Gordon 2000: Mr K. Snell Mrs S.A. George

1967: Mrs A.D.D. Maclean 1972: Mrs E.E. Hirst Mr W.J.B. Murphy 1973: Mrs J. Luckock Mr G. Prince 1976: Mr J.A. Wyatt 1979: Mr L.A. Campbell Mr C.C. Readhead Mr P.S. James Mr G.M. Cockburn 1982: Mr J.H. Mathiske 1986: Dr F.R. Staunton 1992: Mrs L.W. Dowey

2001: Mrs R.M. Sayer Mrs C. Cornish 2002: Mrs M. Bennett-Elliott 2004: Mr T. Canacott 2005: Mr P. Absell Mrs E. Staunton Mrs L. Bailey 2007: Mrs E. Williams Mrs G. Lanigan Mr R. Smith 2008: Mrs T. Hawley

Mrs W. Carins 2009: Mr L. Nicolle 2010: Bro. P. McIntosh

2011: Miss K. Luckock

Mrs J. Marsh 2013: Mrs N. Kinnear

Mrs L. Currie 2014: Mrs S. Meyers Ms S. Ahel Mrs J. Bromley 2016: Ms K. McMahon 2017: Mr A. Preston

Mrs M. Duncan 2018: Mrs L. Williamson

Ms H. Dohan 2019: Mr G. Farrell

Mrs D. Watson

Distinguished Service Awards

2019

2015

2013

2010

2007

Carolyn Potts Josie Potts Meg Wade

Greg Farrell Julie Farrell Jane Farrell Richard Sharman Maya Jaehne Kathy Saggers Graham Smith

Gail Iskra Janet Fritz Jean Muir Robert Browne Andrea Dobson

Narelle Kinnear Gudrun Martini Mrs Joan Flynn Sue Gredley

Patricia (Rica) Ainge Leonie Williamson Marty and Charles (Chuck) Stephens Kaye Rogers Karen Bruce Ian and Dalveen Gregory Keith Stevens Yvonne and Rob Day Eileen Wolfe Larry Osborn

2018

Melissa Batchelor Miranda Beasley Lehan Britten Nadine Holland Glenys Lilley

2017

Karen Fletcher-Grieve Sandra Hale

2016

Kirsty Bayliss Marian Duncan Kay Edward Christine Haigh Sheila Jones NSW Arabian Horse Association

2014

Donna Greene Rosemary Dumbleton Kaye Slattery Colleen Rutherford Marilynn Thomas Deborah Barrett

Arabian Horse Society of Australia Ltd. Enquiries The Secretary: Arabian Horse Society of Australia Ltd. OFFICE ADDRESS: Unit 12/40 Bowman Street Richmond NSW 2753 POSTAL ADDRESS: Post Office Box 415 Richmond NSW 2753

P: (02) 4577 5366 OFFICE HOURS: 8am – 4pm Monday to Friday (Public holidays in NSW excepted) Web: www.ahsa.asn.au Email: secretary@ahsa.asn.au | ABN 12 001 281 590

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2012

Nell Marshman Camille Alexander Alison Hudson Robert Burgess

2011

Margaret Potts Geoff Tucker Kevin Howard Mini Pankhurst Sue Warren Peter Toft Jill Vanstone Richard Walsh

2009

Katherine McMahon Ruth Liddel Carole Rose Virginia Dodson Sherry Fenton Penny Jenkins John Newton

2008

Jill Gregson Maureen Milburn Sue Crockett Lindsay Knight Francesca Davies-Graham Sheila Weigall Marie Hutchison Dr and Mrs Arnheim

For enquiries about AHN (Arabian Horse News) please contact Interactivink Advertising | P: (07) 3334 8000 & Editorial | E: sharon@meyers.id.au Arabian Horse Society of Australia: The Arabian Horse Society of Australia had its origins in an advisory committee of Arabian breeders which was formed under the auspices of the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW in 1950. The aim of the committee was to assist in the collection and maintenance of the records of Arabian horses in Australia. The Arabian Horse Society of Australasia, which later became the Arabian Horse Society of Australia Limited, was officially formed in 1957, with a membership of 47. In 2017 the Society’s membership is in excess of 2,500 and the Registry has recorded over 60,000 Pure Arabian Horses and almost 80,000 Arabian Derivative Horses. The Society’s first responsibility is to maintain accurate records for all registered Arabian horses and Arabian Derivative horses in Australia. It also seeks to promote the popularity of Arabian horses to non-members throughout Australia and state-wide, regional and local affiliate organisations.

Affiliates P: 02 4577 5366 E: general@ahsa.asn.au

THE ARABIAN HORSE JUDGES & OFFICIALS GUILD Executive Council: Email: theguild@ahsa.asn.au Chief Councillor: Mr Allan Preston P: 0416 183 478 Honorary Treasurer: Mrs Debra Watson P: 0408 656 776 Secretary: Ms Selina Ahel P: 0417 536 473 Director: Ms Annette Vickery P: 0418 251 580 Guild Working Delegates: WA & SA: Ms Karen Fletcher-Grieve P: 0435 340 137 VIC & TAS: Mrs Kerry Rogers P: 0435 920 638 NSW: Mr Greg Liddle P: 0419 407 154 QLD: Kathy Saggers P: 0413 054 182

AHSA YOUTH GROUPS The Victorian Arabian Horse Youth Group Co-ordinator: Bridie White P: 0412 254 088 Queensland Arabian Horse Youth Group Co-ordinator: Miranda Beasley P: 0438 176 575

NEW SOUTH WALES Buckskin Horse Association of NSW Inc. c/- Belinda Shepley, PO Box 3087, Freemans Reach NSW 2756 P: 0404 495 064 E: belindashepley@yahoo.com.au www.buckskinnsw.com Hunter Valley Arabians Inc. c/- Karen Pryor, 78 Rose St, South Maitland NSW 2320 P: 0412 154 230 E: cardiffproduce@idl.net.au NSW Arabian Horse Association Inc. c/- The Secretary PO Box 125, Richmond NSW 2753 P: 0408 232 162 E: secretary@nswarabian.org.au www.nswarabian.org.au 10

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ATTENTION CLUB SECRETARIES Please contact the AHSA Ltd to advise of any changes to your club’s details.

NSW Palomino Society Inc. c/- Liz Eurell, PO Box 330, Windsor NSW 2756 P: (02) 4777 4567 E: info@nswpalominosociety.asn.au www.nswpalominosociety.asn.au Roan Horse & Pony Society of Australia Inc. c/- Kerrilyn Papworth, PO Box 158, Kurrajong Hills NSW 2758 P: 0402 811 216 E: kpapworth40@gmail.com www.roanhorsepony.com The Crabbet Arabian Group Of Australia Inc. c/- Jacki Dand, 502 Tizzana Rd, Ebenezer NSW 2756 P: (02) 4579 1037 E: mabrooka1@gmail.com Facebook group The Pinto Association of NSW Inc. c/- Margaret Madden PO Box 96, Austral NSW 2179 P: 0408 628 965 E: margmadden2000@yahoo.com.au www.pintonsw.com

QUEENSLAND Arabian Horse Association Qld Inc. c/- Charmaine Burrows, PO Box 23, Wondai QLD 4606 P: 0427 849 576 E: secretary@ahaq.asn.au www.ahaq.asn.au Arabian Valley Horse Club Inc. c/- The Secretary, 777 Sandy Creek Rd, Josephville QLD 4285 P: 0410 519 087 E: secretary@arabianvalley.com.au www.arabianvalley.com.au Downs Arabian Club Inc. c/- Ashleigh McClelland, 536 Marburg Rd, Glamorganvale QLD 4306 P: 0406 242 310 E: sierralodge@bigpond.com www.downsarabianclub.com Mackay & District Arabian Horse Club Inc. c/- Mrs Wendy Saunders, 158 Bally Keel Rd, Hay Point QLD 4740 P: 0429 841 993 E: shanlewenarabians@hotmail.com

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

VICTORIA

South Australian Arabian Riders and Breeders Society Inc. c/- The Secretary, PO Box 2063, Gawler SA 5118 P: 0419 804 681 E: secretary@sa-arabs.org.au www.sa-arabs.org.au South Australian Buckskin Association Inc. c/- Leah Chapman, PO Box 197, Wasleys SA 5400 P: 0402 019 455 E: alingapark80@gmail.com South Australian Friends and Equines Inc. c/- Jessie Preece, PO Box 279, Wasleys SA 5400 E: safriendsandequines@gmail.com

Arabian Horse Connection Inc. c/- Naomi Schofield, 1048 ScardalePitfield Rd, Springdallah VIC 3351 P: 0411 592 450 E: arabianconnect@gmail.com www.arabianhorseconnection.org Australian Crabbet Arabian Association Inc. c/- Lisa Mullen, 235 Buckley Rd South, Buckley VIC 3240 P: 0497 690 853 or (03) 5266 1338 E: auscrabbet@hotmail.com Central Arabian Riders and Breeders Inc. c/- Despina Mitrakas, PO Box 259, Doreen VIC 3754 P: 0403 156 999 E: carabi@live.com.au www.carabivictoria.com Dilutes Enthusiasts of Victoria Association Inc. c/- Marilyn Marr, 40 Dunhelen Lane, Yuroke VIC 3063 P: 0408 108 871 E: duranbahstud@gmail.com Goulburn Valley Arabian Horse Club Inc. c/- Amy Blades, 924 Lowe Road, Ballendella VIC 3561 P: 0448 442 388 E: gvahclub@outlook.com National Buckskin Society Inc. c/- Lyn Gates, 3 The Knoll, Langwarrin VIC 3910 P: (03) 9775 8090 E: lynmgates@gmail.com www.nbs.org.au The Victorian Arabian Horse Association Inc. c/- Nadine Holland, PO Box 15, Newbridge VIC 3551 P: 0438 468 761 E: mylani@bigpond.com E:vaha_secretary@outlook.com www.vahainc.com Western District Arabian Riders and Breeders Inc. c/- Lauren Jantzen, 4129 Western Highway, Beaufort VIC 3373 P: 0409 977 467 E: kayelle80@bigpond.com Yarra Valley Arabian Horse Action Club Inc. c/- Kim Pentreath, 69 Gray Rd, Huntly VIC 3551 P: 0438 434 529 E: kimpentreath2@bigpond.com

www.safriendsandequines.weebly.com

TASMANIA Tasmanian Arabian Action Club Inc. c/- Jo Shackcloth 100 Old Forcett Rd, Forcett TAS 7173 P: 0417 557 277 E: jo.shackcloth@outlook.com Tasmanian Arabian Riders and Breeders Inc. c/- Sherry Fenton, 318 Hop Valley Rd, Blackwood Creek TAS 7301 P: 0438 324 956 E: sherryfenton18@bigpond.com www.tasarabs.com Tasmanian Buckskins Inc. c/- Mel Prewer, 154 Bishopbourne Rd, Carrick TAS 7291 P: 0417 596 967 E: tasbuckskins@gmail.com Tasmanian Crabbet Arabian Group Inc. c/- Mel Batchelor, PO Box 111, Nubeena TAS 7184 P: 0474 214 568 E: mel.batchelor@yahoo.com.au www.tascrabbet.weebly.com Tasmanian Pinto Society Inc. c/- Melita Gard, 73 Maneys Rd, Bridgenorth TAS 7277 P: 0428 302 318 E: rivertonlodge1@yahoo.com.au www.freewebs.com/taspintosociety

WESTERN AUSTRALIA West Australian Arabian Horse Association Inc. c/- Melanie Bray, Lot 7 Cranleigh St, West Swan WA 6055 P: 0405 643 389 E: lanarynarabians@bigpond.com www.waaha.com.au

g n i t a r b e l e C

OUR BELOVED AR ABI A N HORSE

Journey through the 230 year history of Australasia’s Arabian Horses COPIES AVAILABLE

Contact ARABIAN HORSE SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA P: 02 4577 5366 E: receipts@ahsa.asn.au

Hoofprints in History STUART VESTY

Hoofprints in History PETER POND

Hoofprints in History

SPARAGOWSKI

ofprints in History

M Angelique when shown.

Ansata El Shahwan (US).

27 Ibn Galal-5 was the first A

PETER POND

The celebrated stallion Shahzada.

Karmaa with Greg, Julie and Jane Farrell.

Hansan (US).

TANYA HAWLEY

Prince Nejd was added to Tehama Stud in 1933.

Mr. A. J. McDonald of Tehama Stud.

Forest Hill Stud imported the handsome, royally-bred Prince Fa Moniet from Ansata Arabian Stud.

Al Karim Sirhalima (US).

Shahzada’s grandson, The Shah, was a successful show horse.

The imported straight Egyptian stallion, Fayrid.

A treasured dam line is that of Mulawa Chance.

Another of Shahzada’s grandsons, Zadaran, was a notable show horse and sire.

Simeon Shuala (left) with daughters Simeon Suzannah and Simeon Shiraz.

Genghis Khan was a well-known son of Shahzada.

An early Arab imported from India in 1896 was the successful racehorse Magistrate. He was later sold to another early Australian breeder, Samuel Winter Cooke. Artwork by Jill Vanstone.

New Zealand judge Kevin Cholmondeley-Smith (left) with Dick Best of Newbridge Stud.

Mr Joseph (Jos) Jelbart.

Shareefa’s daughter Tarong Bint Shareefa (pictured) was the dam of the 1990 Australian Champion, Tarong Shahgig.

Mr Jelbart obtained the eminent Shahzada son, Sirdar.

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Omayma’s daughter Suddona with US judge Sheila Varian.

Arabian Park Egyptian Magnetic (pictured) sired Princeton, an influential endurance sire.

Simeon Shirli with Marion Richmond.

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Anaza Bay Shahh was a celebrated Simeon stallion.

Once Upon A Time

Country Life

WORDS VIRGINIE BAUER ILLUSTRATIONS © MUSÉE DE LA CHASSE ET DE LA NATURE – CLICHÉ DAVID BORDES © THE PAUL MELLON COLLECTION, VIRGINIA MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS

A young lad in a red jacket is holding the bridle of a dark bay horse on Newmarket Heath.

Hyaena (1762–1787) was a champion racehorse and she became a famous broodmare.

H

yaena raced successfully in four-mile heats during the late 1760s. She later became a famous broodmare from whose line English and American winners were bred. Stubbs carefully observed the lean anatomy of Hyaena, which was likely caused by the practice of layering blankets on the horse and then running her long distances

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to induce weight loss through sweating.

He also took pains to establish the gentle relationship between her and her groom, who is touchingly shown on the verge of outgrowing his clothes.

The landscape, which at first glance appears exact, contains oddities such as the abruptly chopped-off rubbingdown house at left, the windmill fitted

under Hyaena’s neck and the empty but voluminous sky.

The anatomy of the horse and the relationship established between the two characters leave no doubt as to who painted it: George Stubbs, the British artist. I saw this painting on a poster advertising an exhibition at the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature in Paris, France

Far Left: Hyaena with a groom on Newmarket Heath circa 1765–1767

by George Stubbs (1724–1806).

Top Left: Jockey in blue on a chestnut horse, circa 1889

by Edgar Degas (1734–1917).

Main Image/Left: The artwork was exhibited in stalls/stables.

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April 2019 • 13

First, let me give you some information about Paul Mellon (1907–1999). This art collector and philanthropist was also a dedicated breeder of Thoroughbred horses. Indeed he was designated as an important personality in the world of racing, donating large sums of money for the improvement of the welfare and security of racehorses. His horse Mill Reef (1968–1986) was even considered as one of the best racehorses of the 20th century – he won such prestigious races as the Epsom Derby (1971) and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (1971). Paul Mellon had a true passion for England, for sport and country leisure which were illustrated by Sporting Art. As the industrial revolutions were about to transform British society, the paintings in the exhibition express a sensitivity and nostalgia for nature threatened by urbanisation.

The Story of an Exhibition ... EVERYTHING STARTED FIVE YEARS AGO

Above (Top): Linin’up, Newmarket (1940–1953) by Alfred James Munnings (1878 –1959).

Above: A gentleman with his horse and dogs, 1780 by Thomas Gooch (1750– circa 1802).

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from September to December 2018. A quick search enabled me to find out the Museum exhibited 41 paintings from the Mellon Collection at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, VA, USA. I had many questions: who were Paul and Bunny Mellon? Why and how did they collect so many masterpieces signed by Monet, Delacroix, Géricault, Degas, Bonnard and Munnings? How do you put together such an exhibition? This is the story of the exhibition and what a better guide for our readers than Claude d’Anthenaise, Director and Head Curator of the Museum as well as Curator of the exhibition.

Claude d’Anthenaise continues, ‘The idea of the exhibition was born when I met Richard Merling, who oversees the Paul Mellon collection in Richmond, five years ago. We tried to develop a project.

Three years later he told me the Museum was going to be renovated. The paintings would be taken down and would travel.

I got interested. I went to Richmond and met the director who was eager to do something. Then he came to see me. We shared the same interests. We wished to do something personal, specific, to design an exhibition based on the principles of art history or to present an exhibition with paintings of the best quality and the lesser one. Paul Mellon’s passion for horses led him to collect paintings. The exhibition had to reflect his personal choices and the masterpieces. We also wanted to show the links between the French School and the English one, which is not that wellknown by the French public.’

BACK TO VIRGINIA, OAK SPRING COTTAGE ‘I went with Karen Chastagnol (Deputy Curator) on a pilgrimage of a sort to Paul Mellon’s house. With his wife Bunny, they tried to replicate the life of the English gentry, a lifestyle illustrated in the magazine Country Life, which is a bit of a British institution. We thought that the exhibition could reflect the spirit of

the cottage, the way of life of a billionaire who dreamed of being a gentlemanrider. Bunny was a horticulturalist and landscaper and designed the garden. She worked for Jackie Kennedy and designed the rose garden at the White House. She also had a passion for Impressionism and the collection reflects their passions. There were paintings everywhere in the building.

A Monet was hanging over the fridge in the kitchen, a Van Gogh over the bath tub and in another room you could find a collection of baskets. All Paul’s paintings were of horses and he also had a beautiful stable for his own horses.’

The Exhibition at Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature

AN EDUCATIONAL PLUS ‘Our exhibition enabled us to analyse the paintings. Merchants who specialised in English art were hunting them. Paul Mellon was an insatiable buyer. He bequeathed three collections to Yale and Richmond. No studies of the works had been made. We modestly sought the opinions of experts for each painting in the catalogue. It was part of a scientific questioning and that’s the plus we added.’

WELCOMING THE PARISIAN VISITORS ‘The exhibition attracted specialised amateurs, especially from the horse world. It was quite new for the Parisians who were more interested in contemporary art and French culture. I could see that some of our usual visitors were baffled.’

GEORGE STUBBS ‘Stubbs can’t be reduced to the anatomy of horses. Paul Mellon gathered the largest collection of his paintings and because of him the prices went up. As a consequence the interest for the painter was aroused. Paul Mellon made him famous so today you can’t afford Stubbs’ paintings.’

‘When I understood that I wouldn’t be able to recreate the evocation of the cottage, I decided to make a reference to that stable which was nice but beautifully built and decorated. The idea of organising an exhibition in a stable seduced me and it was also a convenient solution as the exhibition room is not very big, thus was born the idea of having stalls. We contacted the House of Hermès whose DNA is the horse. They made their designer Antoine Platteau available to us and he went along with the idea. He made an architectural drawing and trompe l’oeil details suggesting the shape of the stalls in the shades of the stable, ten concepts of stalls which enabled us to evoke Paul Mellon’s real horses. I searched for the history of the racing stable as well as the names of the horses. Each stall was named after one. When you arrived in the room you could see the diversity of the collection: Paul’s taste with the portraits of the horses in a space which evoked breeding, races, owners and breeders.

On the opposite side the influence of the French school via anglophilia as the French society discovered the pleasure of the countryside. Then various themes are developed like the ‘flying gallop’ as seen by the English and French schools.

Monet’s and Caillebotte’s paintings presented that dream of a life.’

Right (Top): Thomas Dawson and his family, 1842 by John Frederick Herring Sr. (1795–1865).

Right: Haystacks, circa 1904–1905

by Kees Van Dongen (1877–1968).

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April 2019 • 15

The Life and Times of

Wilfrid Scawen Blunt WORDS ELIZABETH ARCHER PHOTOGRAPHY REPRODUCED WITH PERMISSION – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Wilfrid was an accomplished poet and author, was devastatingly handsome and charming, and had many mistresses. In the Arab horse world he is linked with his wife, Lady Anne Blunt, as the founder of the Crabbet Arabian Stud.

H

e enjoyed interesting conversation and sport, especially if it was dangerous, had a great eye for a horse, and was not very good at managing his financial affairs. Perhaps also he craved admiration.

He was scandalous in Victorian eyes as a dangerous political agitator due to his outspoken efforts to curb the imperialist policies of the British Empire, about which he wrote in his diary on September 7, 1880 ‘that the day of England’s empire is fast ending – for my own part I do not care how soon’. Even the Prince of

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Wales called him a ‘disloyal and eccentric Jesuit’. He was totally unconcerned with kowtowing to convention, and was easily swept away with anything he felt passionate about. Domestic quarrels were also fiery.

He was born into a family of landed gentry at Petworth House on August 17, 1840, three years after Victoria became queen. His family, who owned several estates in the south of England, had strong conservative traditions and were well connected with some leading members of the Tory party. At the age of 18 he was

placed in the Diplomatic Service, and for the following 12 years little was expected of him other than to make himself pleasant.

During these years he was posted to Constantinople and South America, and various places in continental Europe.

Although not an unpleasant time, it soured politics for Wilfrid and it wasn’t until after his marriage that he renewed his interest in them. His pursuits as an attaché were those of pleasure, social intercourse and poetry, with occasional assistance in diplomatic dramas. Importantly during this

spell he met and befriended many people who were to be useful contacts in the future, and he learned the mechanics of foreign policy.

Shortly after his marriage in 1869 to Lady Anne Isabella Noel King, his elder brother Francis died, leaving Wilfrid the family estates in Sussex, which included Crabbet and Newbuildings. He retired from the Diplomatic Service without regret.

Deeply saddened by the loss of his brother, whom he loved dearly, he made a sculpture of him in alabaster, which has been described as a masterpiece. He was very artistic and it was intended before the death of his mother that he should be apprenticed to the portrait painter, G F Watts. His daughter, Judith, said that it was his love of beauty and symmetry that drew him to Arabian horses; it must have also contributed to his good eye for a horse.

The many farms that Wilfrid inherited from his brother were flourishing, but not the Manor House at Crabbet, which was in poor condition. Together with Lady Anne they designed a new section, keeping only some servant rooms, a conservatory and library (later to be Lady Wentworth’s favourite lair). The bricks for the new part came entirely from Wilfrid’s own brickyards, the slates for the roof from Horsham, the wood from nearby forest, only the Portland stone was not local. The sun’s rays surrounding the porthole window on the front of the building symbolised the Blunt motto ‘By thy light I live’.

‘Nor has the world a better thing, Though one should search it round, Than thus to live one’s own sole king, Upon one’s own sole ground.’

He shared the anguish of Lady Anne’s miscarriages and the tragic loss of a longed for son after just a couple of days, and later on twin girls. When Judith was born one month early in 1873 he feared another tragedy and he described her survival as miraculous and which brought tears to his eyes. He wanted to baptise her himself until his cousin intervened.

His one regret was that the Holy Father ‘might have made it a boy’. Nevertheless, she was taught to shoot, taken rabbiting, fishing and other such expeditions that a father would take a son.

Wilfrid experienced bouts of ill health throughout his life, made worse by pneumonia in 1873 that caused permanent damage to one lung. It was partly due to one of these episodes of sickness that he and Lady Anne made their first common journey to Eastern lands, initially Constantinople, with which he was familiar and where he knew many people connected with the Embassy. Free from the constraints of the Diplomatic Service and the Victorian views of the world in which he had grown up, they travelled around Turkey seeing how the poor suffered due to bad government. They travelled to Algeria, where they discovered an Eastern people in violent subjection to western. Lady Anne, granddaughter of Byron, had inherited in some way, sympathies in the cause of freedom in the East, which Wilfrid admitted had affected his subsequent actions.

Their interest and love of the eastern way of life grew, and during these times Lady Anne was an essential part; his mistresses were unimportant and out of

temptation’s reach. Wilfrid described his life in the East as ‘sober and restrained’ and loved the experience of ‘penetrating unknown regions of the earth’. ‘My pleasures in the East were not those of the flesh and almost as little of intellect.

They were the pleasures of an outdoor life which is too soberly severe for folly, a life of bodily toil, of an abstemious habit in meat and drink, rough lying on the ground by night, endurance of sun wind and rain by day. There was little time for thought still less for passionate longings bred of idleness…’. Wilfrid and Lady Anne’s feelings were shared: ‘what I thought she thought, what I did she did, what I felt she felt. These times were our true times of marriage, more than in Europe, and they were happy times.’

In the winter of 1877, they went to Aleppo to meet the British Consul, Mr Skene who gave them the help and the advice on Bedouin horse-breeding that they needed to start the Crabbet Arabian Stud. Wilfrid, Lady Anne and her brother Ralph were all interested in Skene’s idea to start a stud of purebred Arabian horses in England, but it was Lady Anne and her brother Ralph who financed it. Wilfrid commented: ‘If I can introduce a pure Arabian breed of horses into England and help to see Arabia free of the Turks, I shall not have quite lived in vain.’ The Blunts’ first purchases were made that winter of 1877/78 – the very first was Dajania on Christmas Day 1877.

The following winter they returned to Arabia for more horses and to visit the desert of Nejd, described by Wilfrid: ‘in the imagination of the Bedouins of the

Left: Lady Anne Blunt’s painting of Wilfrid on Pharoah. Photo: Archives of Rosemary Archer.

Right: Wilfrid as a young man.

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April 2019 • 17

Above: Kars, the stud’s first stallion. He proved to have outstanding stamina.

Photo: The Crabbet Arabian Stud – Its History & Influence.

Above (Right): Group of mares. From left Zefifia, Sherifa, Hagar, Dahma, and Rodania, who Wilfrid considered the best of the imported mares when he assessed their contribution to the stud in his memo of 1897. Photo: Archives of Rosemary Archer.

North, is a region of romance, the cradle of their race, and of those ideas of chivalry by which they still live’. The trip however turned out to be a nightmare; the horses were a disappointment, and they suffered many hardships, dangers and illnesses.

During their travels they met Faris, one of two rival leaders of the Shammar tribe. Faris admired Wilfrid for his good breeding and because he could shoot and hit a saucepan thrown up into the air. In a ceremony in Faris’ tent they swore blood brotherhood, after which no Shammar could take Wilfrid’s life or property and vice versa. Two further brotherhoods were forged with Meshur Ibn Mersin of the Gomussa tribe, and Mohammed Ibn Aruk.

Back in England, all was well with the horses and Kars proved to have outstanding stamina: ‘Today, all day, I rode upon the Down, With hounds and horsemen, a brave company, On this side in its glory lay the sea, On that the Sussex Weald, a sea of brown.

The wind was light, and brightly the sun shone, And still we galloped on from gorse to gorse.

And once, when checked, a thrush sang, and my horse Pricked his quick ears as to a sound unknown.’

In the winter of 1880, the Blunts returned to Egypt, and it was during this visit that they first met Ali Pasha Sherif, and made the first of many visits to his 18

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stud. A step that was to have a major impact on not just the Crabbet Stud but the stud they were to establish at Sheykh Obeyd. Wilfrid also pursued his interest in the Mohammedan religion.

Wilfrid had soon recognised a need for independence for many countries, from both the British and Ottoman Empires. At the time his, and Lady Anne’s views were very unfashionable. Lord Salisbury, then Minister of Foreign Affairs, had learned of the Blunts’ travels and was interested to learn about them. Wilfrid gave him his views and one of his suggestions was that Syria should someday be independent (at that time Syria included Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan).

He became embroiled in furthering Egypt’s cause and its freedom from British exploitation. Matters came to a head when Wilfrid stood up for five Egyptians that he maintained had been wrongly imprisoned. He had become so unpopular with the British hierarchy that in 1883 he was warned he would be arrested by the British naval commander if he set foot in Egypt. They had by this time acquired Sheykh Obeyd, but they were only able to enjoy its delights for a short while and could not return to Egypt until 1887. The Blunts enjoyed winters there together, with Judith too, until 1905, when Wilfrid had to return to England due to ill health.

He never made the trip again.

Back in 1882 the Crabbet Stud was growing and the Blunts wanted to sell surplus stock, both some of the original

imports and some they had bred. At this time it was Wilfrid who had the final say on what was sold. Colts were shown loose in a large yard or small paddock. Wilfrid wrote: ‘there is no better test of quality than to turn a colt loose in a paddock and take note of how he moves his shoulders and forearms’.

The first sale was held in July 1882, which was unlikely to make a profit as Wilfrid had invited two hundred guests.

Eleven out of 14 horses were sold, which was more than satisfactory as the three that were not sold – Jerboa, Dajania, and Queen of Sheba – had only been entered to raise the standard and had been given very high reserves. Several more sales were held, and they became an annual social event. Wilfrid pitched their travelling tent in the garden, with a spear at its entrance and generally a mare tethered nearby – the ensemble being known as the ‘Desert’.

Wilfrid felt strongly that the Thoroughbred would benefit from an infusion of Arab blood, and lobbied the Jockey Club on this matter. He persuaded them to run a race in 1884 for purebred Arabs but the experiment was a failure, and the press scorned the lack of pace.

There was doubt over whether the race was rigged, as the winner was well beaten by the same opponents in another race, and one of the Blunts’ two runners ran suspiciously wide. Nevertheless, he did manage to persuade James Weatherby to include a section for Arabian horses in his stud list (General Stud Book).

In 1885 Wilfrid made the first of two unsuccessful attempts to be elected to parliament, but he used to get far too carried away with his passionate backing of the underdog, in this case the Irish wish for Home Rule.

VICKI JOHNSON p: 03 9716 2393 | m: 0418 307 366 fenwickstud1925@bigpond.com 1740 Donnybrook Road, Woodstock VIC Australia 3751 www.fenwickstud.com.au

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April 2019 • 19

In 1887 Wilfrid founded ‘The Crabbet Club’, on the following lines: 1. The Crabbet Club is a convivial association which has for its object to discourage serious views of life by holding up a constant standard of its amusements.

2. It consists of a President, four public officers and forty ordinary members, who engage to meet annually at Crabbet Park on the invitation of the President, there to promote the purposes of the Club.

There was also a bar on women and old age (the latter was approved of by Lady Anne as the older guests that came to other gatherings, such as for tennis, were too noisy). A great addition to the club later on was Oscar Wilde.

Later that year Wilfrid rushed to Ireland when protesters against evictions were shot by police; with Lady Anne following on. Whilst attempting to hold a public meeting, the police arrested Wilfrid, in what became quite a scuffle. He was

sentenced to two months’ hard labour for holding an ‘illegal’ meeting. After the trial Lady Anne managed to get onto the omnibus that took him to gaol in Galway town, and they spoke in Arabic to prevent eavesdropping. It was not hard labour but very cold, and worse was to come as he was moved to Kilmainham which made Galway gaol seem like paradise. Here he succumbed to a depression, which lasted many months after his release.

Throughout their marriage Lady Anne did not receive the love and attention she longed for, but as far as Wilfrid was concerned the situation was fine: ‘Lady Anne and I are like two ships in the regular trade winds, going pleasantly on together without trouble and without anxiety.’

His relationship with Judith broke down when she was in her early twenties, as she found out that the father she had worshipped all her life, had not only fathered an illegitimate child (or more) but had tried to seduce her best friend Emily Lytton. When Judith discovered the

Above: Poets at Newbuildings, centre Wilfrid Blunt.

Left: Razaz (Astraled x Rose of Hind). One of the horses taken by Wilfrid to Newbuildings, shortly after Lady Anne’s death. Three daughters were purchased

by W R Brown for his Maynesboro Stud in America and some strong lines were established – Razaz himself was sold to Egypt in 1920 aged 13. Photo: Archives of Rosemary Archer.

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relationship she intervened and incurred the wrath of her father for doing so.

He disliked figures, and it was largely up to Lady Anne to manage their finances, which dwindled in time, not helped by Wilfrid’s extravagances. He had capital through all the inherited properties, but was cash poor. Lady Anne was the opposite. In 1895 Wilfrid made plans to cut costs; Crabbet House was let and the Blunts moved to Newbuildings. Part of the stud remained at Crabbet as there was insufficient land at Newbuildings for all the horses. In 1904 Wilfrid made Crabbet, still let, over to Judith. As well as avoiding potential death duties he conveniently managed to pass on the £15,000 mortgage. Matters were coming to a head in his relationship with Lady Anne. A large factor was the nurse who had been employed in 1898, Miss Lawrence. She was a domineering woman and rather pushed Lady Anne out, not allowing her into Wilfrid’s sick room on one occasion.

Wilfrid, possibly affected by his ill health and the drugs he was taking for his illnesses, did not defend Lady Anne.

Rather than blame himself, or Miss Lawrence, he blamed religion – he had never had the faith that Lady Anne had. He had been raised a Catholic, was interested at times in Islam and atheism, but was not particularly dedicated to any of them.

Following Lady Anne’s conversion to Catholicism in 1880 Wilfrid commented: ‘I had been, as it were, for all these years a god to her and now she had come to acknowledge another god and another service….she had accepted a new standard and by it I stood condemned.’

Lady Anne was adamant when she heard this that Wilfrid had never been her god.

‘I am convinced a religious life is best’ he concluded ‘and equally that I am made for pleasure. Love is to me what a dram is to a drinker’.

To make matters worse, Dorothy Carleton, sister of Guy Carleton, the new stud manager at Newbuildings and relation of Wilfrid, had also been installed.

He formally adopted her as his ‘niece’, further straining relations with his family and upsetting some of Dorothy’s. Guy Carleton resigned and became Lady Anne’s stud manager at Crabbet. Wilfrid and Lady Anne could not continue with their marriage, or run the stud together.

Lady Anne found Wilfrid impossible to deal with as he was constantly changing his mind, she disagreed with his decisions over sales and breeding, and he would try to keep money from sales (horses and land) to bolster his own finances, but still expected Lady Anne to contribute.

wootton wootton wootton arabian arabianstud stud stud arabian Preservation Preservation breeder breeder of pure of pure crabbet crabbet arabians arabians Preservation breeder of pure crabbet arabians

RE-INTRODUCES RE-INTRODUCESRENASAR RENASAR RE-INTRODUCES RENASAR

(Sarafire/Fenwick (Sarafire/Fenwick Renaq) Renaq)

Renasar RenasarS19305 S1930515.1hh 15.1hhPure PureCrabbet Crabbet Crabbet Renasar S19305 LFS LFS && CA & CA Clear, Clear, SCID SCID Positive Positive LFS CA Clear, Positive andand in other in other exciting exciting ‘New ‘New Arrival’ Arrival’ news news and in other exciting ‘New Arrival’Brilliance) news Fenwick Fenwick Briar Briar Rose Rose (Riamus/Fenwick (Riamus/Fenwick Brilliance) Fenwick Briar Rose (Riamus/Fenwick Brilliance) hadhad a lovely a lovely coltcolt “BJ”“BJ” by by Jamahl Jamahl (Boomori (Boomori had a lovely colt “BJ” by Jamahl (Boomori Finale/Fenwick Finale/Fenwick Vision) Vision) in mid in mid January.

January.

BJ isBJais a Finale/Fenwick Vision) in mid January. BJ is a lovely lovely boyboy whowho looks looks likelike going going Liver Liver lovely boy who looks like going Liver Chestnut.

Chestnut.

Chestnut.

Fenwick Fenwick Briar Briar Rose, Rose, (left) (left) is on is on lease lease Fenwick Briar Rose, (left) is on lease but we fell butbut wewe fellfell in love in love withwith herher so so sheshe willwill bebe in love with her so she will be staying with us staying staying withwith us here us here at Wootton. at Wootton.

Wootton Wootton here at Wootton. Wootton Charisma Charisma Charisma (Boomori (Boomori Finale/Chamara), Finale/Chamara), on on the the was (Boomori Finale/Chamara), on the right, right, right, waswas served by by Renasar in December in December so so served byserved Renasar inRenasar December so hopefully hopefully hopefully willwill deliver our firstfirst Renasar Renasar foalfoal in in will deliver ourdeliver firstour Renasar foal in 2019.

2019.

2019.

Wootton Wootton Arabian Arabian Stud Stud are are delighted delighted announce announce thethe Wootton Arabian Stud are to to announce the Stallion Stallion Renasar Renasar has has joined joined ourour Stud.

Stud.

We We firstfirst looked looked atat purchasing purchasing him him 17 17 years years ago ago and and ecstatic ecstatic toto have have purchasing him 17 years ago areare ecstatic to have himhim finally finally here. here.Since Since arriving arriving ‘Ren’ ‘Ren’ has has covered covered three three ofof ourour pure pure crabbet crabbet mares mares and and wewe eagerly eagerly await await hishis firstfirst pure pure crabbet foals 2019. welcome. crabbet crabbet foals foals ininin 2019.

2019.Visitors Visitors welcome. welcome.

www.woottonarabianstud.com.au www.woottonarabianstud.com.au www.woottonarabianstud.com.au

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April 2019 • 21

Above: The Desert at Crabbet. Photo © British Library Board X.320/11581.

Right: Wilfrid Blunt, 1905. Photo: Lady Anne Blunt Journals and Correspondence 1878–1917.

Separation came in 1906. The horses were divided without much trouble and Lady Anne left Newbuildings for good to live in a rented house in Three Bridges. Her share of the horses were kept at Caxtons, part of the Crabbet Estate. There was however continual interchange of stock in the years after that, and no horse could be sold without the permission of the other, and even Judith was to intervene.

Wilfrid loved Worth Forest, which was part of the Crabbet Estate, and he built a house there, both to enjoy the forest and to entertain; guests included Winston Churchill, son of his great friend Randolf Churchill. Winston was given a ride on Rijm during one of his stays at Newbuildings. Rijm was greatly admired by the Blunts, and when Wilfrid wanted to sell him, having received a very high offer, Lady Anne vetoed the sale. Eventually, she bought him from Wilfrid and he went to Crabbet.

Selling horses in England had never been easy, as the nation was more attuned to hunters and Thoroughbreds, and the Arabian was considered too small. The Blunts were true to their original intention to save the Arabian horse as it was, despite these difficulties, and Wilfrid was pleased with the horses they had bred. ‘It has been done by selection and a careful avoidance of breeding for mere size.’ In his memorandum on the stud he outlined his principles for breeding; firstly ‘to 22

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preserve the blood rigidly pure’ and ‘not to improve the breed but to preserve it’ as the Bedouin had done, and secondly, ‘to preserve type. By type I mean those special lines of beauty which are characteristics of the Kehailan and which distinguish him to the eye from every other breed’.

He was as ever, worried about costs, and now that he and Lady Anne were becoming old, they worried about the future of the stud. Judith had financial problems of her own and found that the mortgage of Crabbet was a millstone she could no longer bear. Her wish to sell large parts of the Crabbet Estate was unpopular with both her parents, but particularly so with Wilfrid who almost exploded. In the end, land was sold, some of which was bought by the Blunts.

The Blunts were reunited in 1915, some nine years after they had last met, and found they could enjoy each other’s company. When Lady Anne died in 1917, she left almost everything in trust for her granddaughters, Anne and Winifred Lytton. Wilfrid thought that all the horses would become his, and intended to keep

just 27 of the 84 horses alive at the time of Lady Anne’s death. Judith, now Lady Wentworth, had other ideas and after a lawsuit, the Trustees took ownership of the majority of the stud. By this time, Wilfrid was becoming very infirm and not supervising the management of the horses. The stallions were kept in good condition, but the mares, who Blunt expected to be tough enough to get through winter on grass, supplemented at times with acorns, were in such bad condition by the time Lady Wentworth took them to Crabbet that several of the mares either died or never bred again.

Wilfrid suffered great pain in his last years, describing it as ‘this death in life’, and eventually he died on September 10, 1922. He left Newbuildings to Dorothy Carleton, who lived there for 30 years before she died, leaving it in her will to Lady Anne Lytton with succession to Lord Lytton’s heir. Wilfrid was buried at Newbuildings in the woods, wrapped in his favourite Eastern travelling carpet, lying on a bed of greenery and his favourite flowers, as he wished. There was no coffin, or religious or other ceremony.

REFERENCES: Rosemary Archer, Colin Pearson and Cecil Covey, with Betty Finke: Crabbet Arabian Stud – Its History and Influence The Earl of Lytton: Wilfrid Scawen Blunt. Photo credits for Newbuildings, Poets at Newbuildings, Wilfrid as a Young Man: The Earl of Lytton: Wilfrid Scawen Blunt.

Elizabeth Longford: A Pilgrimage of Passion – The Life of Wilfrid Scawen Blunt

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April 2019 • 23

Mulawa Kara Mia MI WAHO Trophy Winner

At 23 years of age, Mulawa Kara Mia MI (GLF Apollo x Karmaa by Kaborr) is the senior member of the universally renowned Karmaa family of international champions in residence at Alabama Stud.

A

n icon in her own right as the source of the most prolific branch of her esteemed dam family, Kara is beloved the world over as the maternal source of Arabian excellence for elite breeding horses, show horses and equine athletes. Bred and owned by the Farrell family of Mulawa Arabian Stud, Kara Mia MI enjoyed a successful show career as a young mare as 1996 National Stud Show Champion Yearling Filly and 2001 Australian National Top Ten Senior Mare.

As a mature mare, Kara has left an indelible mark on the breed as a brood

Above: Julie, Mulawa Kara Mia MI, Greg and Jane Farrell.

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matron both at home and abroad in her most important role for Mulawa. With a lifetime production record of a modest eleven foals, Kara has achieved Aristocrat Dam status with seven champion produce.

All four of her surviving daughters have become invaluable brood matrons with multiple champion produce of their own.

Of these daughters, three – Mulawa Kiara, Krystal MI and, most importantly, Karess, have produced sons who have matured into sires of significance, the result of which has disseminated the Mulawa Kara Mia MI influence around the world. Karess is, most incredibly, the dam of five sons who have been used as chief sires both in Australia and abroad, including Australian National Champions Kavalle MI in North America and Konfidence MI in Thailand.

The exceptional Mulawa Kara Mia MI

granddaughter Klassical Devotion MI is now owned by Al Zobair Stud in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A twice Australian National Champion, she has achieved success for her family on the international stage in the Arabian Gulf, the most competitive arena for the Arabian horse in the world.

Descendants of Mulawa Kara Mia MI are now thriving and impacting the breed on four continents, contributing significantly to the advancement of breeding and athletic achievement in important emerging communities such as China and Thailand, amongst the leading centres of activity in Europe and North America, as well as in the heart of the Arabian homeland in Qatar, UAE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. With nearly ten important male descendants siring the next generation of excellence around the world, dozens of multi-generational descendants succeeding at the elite level of equine sport on the global stage and her best producing daughters, granddaughters and great-granddaughters in the prime of their lives, the influence of Mulawa Kara Mia MI is destined to exponentially expand, both positively and profoundly, over the next several decades.

Four generations of Mulawa Kara Mia MI descendants were present to celebrate the achievement of the family matriarch during the Arabian Ambassadors Parade in early February, including National Stud Show and East Coast Champion Karess, NSW State Titles Champion Katar MI, Australian National Silver Champion Kharacter MI, and National Stud Show Champions Kavalia MI and NH Khe Sahn.

Now retired from broodmare duties, Mulawa Kara Mia MI still upholds her daily responsibility of raising the next generation of excellence at Mulawa as a full-time nanny for the yearling fillies maturing at Alabama Stud. Healthy and vibrant, and still as endearingly charming as the day she blessed the world with her presence, Mulawa Kara Mia MI is an undeniable testament to the enduring excellence of the Arabian mare and to the inherent attributes for which the Australian-bred Arabian horse continues to be respected around the world.

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Horses & Houses of Fashion WORDS VIRGINIE BAUER PHOTOGRAPHY COLLECTION DIOR (UNLESS STATED)

The history of horses and of fashion are closely linked together. From time immemorial men and women adapted their outfits to their equine partners, with whom they shared their daily life.

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hose practical clothes have become an inspiration for today’s creators and designers who, like Coco Chanel, Gucci, Hermès, Dior or Stella McCartney, are writing the history of contemporary fashion.

The French word ‘redingote’, which is used to name a frock coat, comes from the English ‘riding coat’. This item of clothing influenced fashion at the end of the 18th Century in Europe. Indeed, British people enjoyed living outdoors and travelling, so they needed comfortable and practical clothes which could protect them from bad weather as well as heat, and to be

adaptable when journeying on horseback.

This clothing was often made of quality fabric with long durability. Boots kept people safe from branches as did hats, which also protected them from rain, snow and sun.

English fashion was also inspired by jockey suits and in this democratic monarchy without court etiquette, a certain idea of elegance was born.

Moreover, British aristocrats spent most of their time living in their country estates. Buckskin breeches, high boots, top hats and frock coats are the different parts of the outfit worn by the British men and influenced by equestrian fashion.

Since the end of the ancient regime (prior to the French Revolution), France was seized by Anglomania. Men and women imitated this fashion coming from across the channel. Women even adopted the attributes of men’s fashion, wearing long coats with two panels at the back, buttoned across the chest with a flat collar.

At the end of the 19th Century, in the 1880s, women’s fashion experienced a new major change. Women started to put on breeches beneath their riding skirts as well as wearing men’s tweed jackets – remember, tweed is a woollen fabric closely woven, sometimes in a herringbone twill pattern, first worn by peasants, then by the gentry and later by the middle class who associated it with leisurely sport. From the original dull and coarse fabric it became a more sophisticated one with new colours blending in the natural surroundings.

With the arrival of the 20th Century, women stopped riding sidesaddle and took to jodhpurs. Originally they were Indian long pants which were adapted for riding.

An avid polo player, the youngest son of the Maharaja of Jodhpur travelled to England with his team for Queen Victoria’s Jubilee in 1897. He popularised the jodhpurs which, in turn, were adapted by the British as riding breeches. They would

move from sportswear to the fashion sphere. Always ahead of her time, Coco Chanel was one of the first women to wear them after seeing them on a groom.

She made tweed a popular fabric in 1954.

At the same time tweed jackets became street wear and are still widely worn today.

But garments are not the only items from the horse and rider’s world which have inspired fashion designers.

Accessories like bags and saddle bags, bits, helmets or jockey silks have been customised in many different ways.

We have one example with the house of Gucci founded in 1921 by Guccio Gucci in Florence, Italy. His store was selling leather goods with designs that relied on the equestrian world before becoming an international fashion house. In the 1950s, Gucci established his green-red-green stripes, inspired by horse saddle straps which immediately went down well with his customers. The snaffle-bit was also used on moccasins, as a bracelet or as a pattern on fabrics. They all became iconic.

Hermès is another brand closely associated with the horse world in France.

In 1837, Thierry Hermès established a harness workshop in Paris to make harnesses and various items of equipment for horses. Very quickly the house of

Hermès became a leader in the world of luxury saddlery and fine equestrian leather goods. His son, Charles-Émile developed the range of products offering riding items and racing silks, and his grandson, ÉmileMaurice revolutionised leather work. Since the end of the 19th Century, Hermès has been providing leather bags, pouches and saddle bags to his clients, including the ‘haut à courroies’ bag intended to allow riders to carry their saddle and boots in 1892.

Adapting to innovations and fashion, the saddler designed a smaller version of the bag, reducing its size and giving it a feminine touch. A photograph of the Princess of Monaco, Grace Kelly, carrying the handbag led to a flood of demand and the handbag was renamed ‘The Kelly.’ The horse world also developed on the patterns of silk scarves, inspired by the items collected by Émile, such as buttons from hunting coats or beautiful bits adorned with mermaids.

Everything refers to the world of the saddler, from saddle stitches to the famous orange packaging boxes which cardboard texture reminds us of pig-skin, the most-used leather in saddlery. Hermès also developed a ready-to-wear line, these collections have been evoking the equestrian world, such as the 2011 spring-summer collection inspired

by Spanish riders.

Far Left: Ralph Lauren re-invented René Lacoste’s tennis shirt, which was adapted to the one used by polo players in 1972.

Photo R&B Presse.

Left: A woman’s redingote (riding habit), Europe circa 1790.

Silk and cotton satin and plain weave.

Collection LACMA. Below: Beautiful handbags were inspired by horse equipment.

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In the United States, Ralph Lauren launched the Polo brand in 1968.

Fascinated by both the equine and polo universes, he re-invented René Lacoste’s tennis shirt, which was adapted to the one used by polo players in 1972. One of them, Nacho Figueras from Argentina, became one of the faces of the brand’s campaigns. The designer was also inspired by the red coats worn by the British fox hunters. However, he didn’t forget his American origins: the West, cowboys and native Americans inspired his Santa Fe collection in 1981. Ralph Lauren also posed for advertisements wearing jeans on horseback.

The influence of British equestrian tailoring was at the core of the 2017 autumn-winter collection designed by Stella McCartney with jackets and coats made of tweed, quilted coats reminiscent of the jackets worn by Queen Elizabeth II when she stays in the countryside. One motif stood out, a pictorial of ‘A Horse

Above: The equestrian world influenced the Dior 2018 Cruise collection.

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Frightened by a Lion’ by George Stubbs, on sweaters, skirts and trouser suits. The subject of this painting from 1770 is one of the most important of Stubbs’ art. He made 17 works about this theme. The designer had also used the lion and horse theme developed by the British painter in another collection for Chloe, inspired by another painting from 1762, ‘Horse Attacked by a Lion’.

Presented last May at the Great Stables in Chantilly, Dior Cruise collection was inspired by the outfit of the ‘escaramuzas’ Mexican lady riders.

Inscribed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, the ‘charreria’ or ‘charreada’ is an equestrian tradition of livestock herding. First performed by men, it has been open to women since 1953.

They show their skill riding side-saddle to precision according to choreographed patterns. Their outfit consists of trousers and boots, petticoats, long dresses, a high belt, a hair bow and a large hat.

‘The way they practise this sport while remaining so feminine is incredible,’ said Artistic Director Maria Grazia Chiuri, who also drew from the past of the house for this collection. ‘Dior archives include

equestrian jackets that we re-interpreted,’ she added. The Mexican riders travelled to Chantilly where they performed their routine before the crowd, then stood at the centre of the Great Stables’ court yard where the show was to take place. Then the models marched on, wearing brimmed hats, ruffle dresses and skirts, high leather belts, a tribute to the culture of South America and to Chantilly’s famous lace.

Equestrian references remain a source of inspiration for the 2018–2019 fall-winter collection with the iconic saddle bag back on trend. Shaped like a saddle, made of leather, logoed canvas or embroidered, it was created in 1999 by then Artistic Director John Galliano. He also drew his inspiration from the riding world in his 2010–2011 fall-winter collection.

At last the world of fashion and the equestrian world fused on a project when the National Equestrian Academy in Versailles was founded. Bartabas asked Belgian designer Dries Van Noten to create the uniform for the riders: grey breeches, belts of striped silk, linen jackets with embroidered sleeves. As for the saddles, they were designed by Hermès. Finally, fashion and horses, an old story which will keep us dreaming for a long time.

Society Awards Arabian Endurance Horse Lifetime Achievement Award: Kalkadoon Zorro DOB 28/2/2002 OWNER SIMONE KRAHNEN BREEDER KAREN JOHANSON

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alkadoon Zorro (Maf-Ue Sultan x Autumn Leaf): Simone bought Zorro as a yearling as a future sire for Anglo Arabian endurance horses and as an endurance horse in his own right. Simone started him under saddle at three and began his saddle career with slow work, trail riding and a few 20km intro

rides and 40km training rides as he matured.

In 2007, Zorro finished his first 80km endurance ride, beginning a career that has so far spanned 12 years.

Zorro has completed over 3,500km of endurance rides throughout Australia, competing in every state except Tasmania.

Notably, Zorro is the only stallion to have

finished the Tom Quilty Gold Cup seven times, winning the Shareym Award in 2013, 2014, 2015 and the Pat Slater Cup in 2014. He is one of only a few horses to have completed the Quilty so many times and he is an FEI 3* horse, giving him eight by 100 mile starts for eight completions.

As well as having numerous wins and placings in AERA 80–120km rides, FEI 1* and 2* classes, Zorro has competed at Agricultural and Royal shows throughout Queensland usually bringing home a broad sash whilst often being in full endurance training.

Glengannon Arabians has bred a number of Anglo Arabians and purebred progeny by Zorro which have gone on to compete in a wide variety of disciplines including hacking, show hunter, endurance, eventing, pony club and pleasure riding.

We are honoured and grateful that Zorro’s achievements have been recognised with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Arabian Endurance Horse of the Year: Blake’s Heaven Bombora DOB 12/12/2000 OWNERS FIA & ADAM HASKO-STUART & ADELINE CUMMING GIBSON BREEDER HELEN RIEK

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lake’s Heaven Bombora (Shakir Ibn Rashan x Steveie Nix) is a name known throughout Australia. Over 12 seasons of endurance, Bombora has proven to be a fast and competitive horse, with the ability to compete at back to back competitions.

His reliability and speed led to a total of 39 wins and 10,535km – both are rarely achieved.

Bombora has competed in every state in Australia as well as in the United Kingdom as part of the Australian team at the World Endurance Championship in 2012.

In 2018, Bombora finished the Tom Quilty 160km ride in Tasmania. This completion earned Bombora his 15th 160km buckle and 4th Tom Quilty buckle! He placed 11th Lightweight in 14 hours 8 minutes and was a member of the winning team.

Bombora’s notable career achievements include: • Runner up at the Tom Quilty 2016, 2017

• Winner NSW State Championship 160km 2014, 2015, 2016 – to date no other horse has achieved this • Winner 2013 Shahzada 400km ride in 35 hours • Three from three Shahzada completions, placing 1st, 2nd and 4th across the line • Winner of the 2010 National Lightweight Points Horse • Winner of the 2013 and 2015 National Middleweight Points Horse + Distance Horse + One-Horse One-Rider combination. In 2013 he earned 148.25 points, possibly an all-time record • Course record holder Coolamon 80km: 3 hours and 27 minutes • Four 80km rides completed at over 20kmph (under 4 hours) Outside of endurance, Bombora has competed in show jumping, sporting, T.R.E.C, dressage and more, as well as giving beginner riders lessons. He is truly a one-in-a-million horse.

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Arabian Racehorse Lifetime Achievement Award: Reid River R-Mani DOB 14/10/2006 OWNER CASSIE SAUNDERS BREEDER KEITH & MELISSA REID

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he imposing chestnut gelding Reid River R-Mani (The Accolade x Reid River First Impresshines) who was 2017 Heritage Arabian Racing Club (HARC) Racehorse of the Year made an impressive appearance at the finals of Australia’s premier show, the East Coast Arabian Championships in Sydney.

R-Mani was invited to participate in the Australian Arabian Ambassadors Presentation before the international visitors who were in Australia for the World Arabian Horse Organization Conference.

He was ridden into the indoor arena by jockey Nellia Foley who was resplendent

in the Australian HARC racing silks.

His trainer, HARC Chairman Anthony Mountney walked ahead of him carrying the very impressive HARC Horse of the Year Trophy. As the commentator listed RMani’s achievements, Nellia took him for a few very spirited circuits of the arena.

He then lined up with the Chairman of the Arabian Horse Society, Mrs Leonie Williamson, his very proud owner Cassie Saunders, Anthony, and his equally proud strapper Skye Price to be presented with the Arabian Horse Society Lifetime Achievement Award for Racing.

This was a great honour and a tribute to the generosity and foresight of His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan who formed the Heritage Arabian Racing Club (HARC) to preserve and promote traditional Arabian racing bloodlines around the world.

R-Mani is a shining example of these bloodlines and the crowd gave him a big round of applause as he cantered out of the arena. This horse is a true athlete and has been a terrific ambassador for HARC in Australia.

Arabian Racehorse of the Year: Lindall La Vita DOB 9/11/2008 OWNER CHRISTINE ABLETT BREEDER LYNETTE HALL

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indall La Vita (Eastwinds Holly Joe x Lindall La Voka) was born at the Lindall Arabian Stud in Queensland. Lindall La Vita was purchased from Lindall Arabians as an unbroken four-year-old. After she was broken in, I worked with her for the next year and very quickly realised she was a competitive horse with a wonderful work ethic.

She was entered in a couple of 20km and 40km endurance rides, which she completed with ease, and it wasn’t long before I was asked if I would consider entering her in a purebred Arabian flat race. I trained her myself for a while and then she went on to an Arabian trainer and racing with the Australasian Arabian Racing Club Ltd (AARC). The rest is history.

Lindall La Vita is currently engaged in racing with AARC in Queensland and we are expecting bigger and better results in 2019. During the 2018 racing year Lindall La Vita was: • Third at Warwick in a Class 3 purebred race over 1200m on the 14/04/2018

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• Won at Warwick in a Class 4 purebred race over 1320m on the 12/05/2018 • Third at Warwick in another Class 4 purebred race over 1500m on the 16/06/2018 Lindall La Vita currently holds the race record for the 1320m race held at Warwick and she has recorded the second fastest time for an Australian born purebred Arabian horse in AARC races.

DOB 21/11/2009 OWNER & BREEDER RAYMOND & YVONNE DOWNES

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nnovyar Deep Affection, aka Flirt, is a liver chestnut Arabian mare sired by Lauralyn Bay Magic from Ennovyar Deep Velvet and only 14.2hh. Flirt has won championships at halter and under saddle at A grade shows, special awards, bridle path hack, pleasure and show hunter and dressage, doing everything asked of her.

She loved trail riding and exploring.

We started a few endurance rides and she found her niche. She has an all-energy power trot, which other horses a lot bigger than her have trouble keeping up with.

In 2017 we competed in the Australian Masters Games, in showjumping. In July we started training with poles. Flirt loved this new challenge. She progressed exceptionally well and in September came home with two blue ribbons from

two events. She had four events at the Masters Games and came home with two gold and two silver medals, with very limited training.

Flirt came down with a severe case of Rye Grass poisoning (staggers) last summer. For eight weeks we didn’t know if she would recover at all – but she is tough as nails.

In June Flirt competed in her first 160km Endurance Ride and was second Lightweight and won the Best Managed Horse award, then successfully completed the Tom Quilty 160km Ride in October.

Ennovyar Deep Affection exemplifies the characteristics of a true Arabian.

She has strength of body and soul, the willingness to try whatever is asked of her and to do it well. She is quiet, trustworthy, patient, and a true friend.

Photo: BEA Photography

Arabian Ambassador: Ennovyar Deep Affection

Arabian Derivative Ambassador: Wishlist DOB 6/10/2011 OWNER VIV MOTBEY BREEDER DAVID GILLETT

stable past 4:30am or if I put him in the wrong paddock or if I have not given him his evening hay in time.

I thought I had already been lucky to own that once-in-a-lifetime horse but I must say Wishlist has gone above and beyond that meaning for me.

Photo: Belinda Zaiter

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hat a thrill it was to be told that my beautiful Partbred Arabian gelding Wishlist (Ray of Light x Escarda Spozobella) had been selected as the 2019 Arabian Derivative Ambassador.

Having achieved things with him I could only dream of, this award really gives recognition to his versatility. From the show ring to dressage to a youth mount, he always puts his best hoof forward and has gathered many admirers along the way.

At a dressage competition where he won against Warmbloods, a gentleman asked about his breeding. When I said he was 87% Arabian he scoffed and stated, ‘They can’t breed decent horses.’

My reply, ‘Clearly they can!’ Maybe we changed his mind just a little.

Despite show ring accolades and dressage prowess, it’s his personality that endears him to many. Whilst mostly reliable, he knows he’s special. He’s extremely intelligent and somewhat arrogant and is by no means a robot. He has no tolerance for other equines, making it clear if his personal space in encroached. He hates trail riding with a passion. I am sure he thinks he is too classy to walk trails!

At home I am his servant and he will make it well known if I leave him in his

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2019 Congress Featured Speakers Saturday & Sunday | 6th & 7th July Brisbane QLD | Ibis Styles Elizabeth Street

Tor Van Den Berge | QLD EA Introductory Coach & one of Australia’s Leading Dressage & Carriage Driving Competitors | Team Van Den Berge

Cindy Reich | USA AHA International Judge Equine Reproduction & Breeding Expert California Polytechnic University

The 2019 Judges, Members & Enthusiasts Congress is open to all AHSA licensed judges as well as AHSA members & Arabian horse enthusiasts. Join us in Brisbane in July for an informative & social weekend featuring enlightening presentations by equine experts from around the world.

Please check the AHSA website for Congress Fees & further details

ahsa.asn.au/the-judges-guild

theguild@ahsa.asn.au

04-06 OCTOBER 2019

K RANCH, MOUNT HUNTER NSW

3rd Annual Australian Arabian Youth National Championships We look forward to welcoming youth competitors from all across Australia & New Zealand for another amazing YOUTH NATIONALS in October!

For further information, including online entry, please email: youthchamps@ahsa.asn.au or visit:

www.arabianchampionships.com/australian-arabian-youth-national-championships

Stallion Profiles Little G Pageboy After winning Reserve Champion Jnr Arabian Pony Colt as a yearling at the Australian Arabian National Championships, Little G Pageboy (B’anembo Kool Colour x Crestwood Pageant) has been turned out and only brought in once a year to be shown in his open class at the Aussies. He has accumulated an impressive record for a four-year-old stallion, adding both a Gold Champion Jnr Arabian Pony (unanimous) and now Gold Champion Snr Arabian Pony Stallion against quality older stallions. Nemo (or ‘Finding Nemo’ as he is affectionately known) has the most beautiful laid-back nature which he is throwing to his progeny along with his huge, ground-covering movement. He is already proving himself as a sire of superstars with TP Sinatra multi-supreme in NSW and TP Sensei Champion Jnr at his debut.

Nemo is available via AI and all foals are eligible for Arabian Derivative, Part-Welsh and PartAPSB registrations.

Paula Cowling, Tajara Park Arabians E: tajara181@gmail.com

Jamahl

Kintamani Silver Marksman

Renasar

Jamahl (Boomoori Finale x Fenwick Vision) was bred at Wootton Stud in New South Wales and is proudly owned by Fenwick Stud in Victoria. Pure Crabbet bloodlines and producing strong, correct foals with brilliant natures that are bred to perform.

LFS, SCID and CA clear. 14.3hh and bred in the purple. His pedigree is a who’s who of Crabbet breeding, including the mare that started it all at Fenwick, Rafina, imported to Australia in 1925. Jamahl stands at public stud to a very limited number of mares.

Kintamani Silver Marksman (Oakeleigh Park Silver Shadow x Adbarina Aria). This remarkable stallion is the product of a long list of endurance breeding over 40 years.

His breaker said he was the nicest, most tractable stallion he had met. He entered his first trainer at Sassafrass with Alan, then his first 80km at Neville and straight out of novice he completed his first Tom Quilty in 2015 with our son Mark, his owner. He was campaigned lightly in 2017 for several 80kms after a busy stud season in 2016 and an injury. Marksman and Alan competed at Brookvale ACT October 2018 for First Heavyweight equal and a Best Conditioned Horse Award. Marksman’s two fillies and two colts at Kintamani are showing the class and temperament of their sire. He has three amazing colts and a filly from endurance mares belonging to friends. He did not stand at stud last season due to our health issues.

Last December we had a very special arrival, the 15.1h 23-year-old pure Crabbet stallion Renasar (Sarafire x Fenwick Renaq) finally arrived in Wootton. I first saw him as a youngster at Fenwick and considered purchasing him when he was for sale around five years of age. Renasar is the sire of the much-admired Fenwick Orion. I had purchased my farm at Wootton but it was in terrible disrepair. I wasn’t living here full time, so I sadly had to say no. Renasar went off to an endurance family and has bred some fabulous Anglo Arabians. His owners and I connected on Facebook last year and I was delighted when they agreed to him coming back into a Crabbet breeding program.

Renasar has covered three pure Crabbet mares already and is settling in very well to his new home here in the hills of Wootton.

Vicki Johnson, Fenwick Stud E: fenwickstud1925@bigpond.com

Helen Lindsay, Kintamani Arabians E: kintamaniarabs@bigpond.com 34

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Linda Henley, Wootton Arabian Stud E: lhenleydesign@bigpond.com

PC: Winged Horse Productions

Fenwick Just Brilliant

Azraff Amir

MillPark Blaidd

We are extremely excited about the future of this young pure Crabbet colt Fenwick Just Brilliant. Fenwick Just Brilliant (aka Buddy) is by Fenwick’s resident stallion Jamahl (Boomori Finale x Fenwick Vision) who was bred by Linda Henley at Wootton Arabian Stud, out of Fenwick Brilliance (Fenwick Phantom x Brilliant Star). We first laid our eyes on this boy at Fenwick Stud when he was only four weeks old and at that point, we knew we had to have him.

Now, as a two-year-old he is developing into a beautiful, strong, well conformed colt with good bone, ground-covering movement and an excellent temperament.

We are thrilled about his first progeny due late next season with two pure Crabbet mares confirmed in foal. Buddy will commence saddle training for a career in performance and in endurance. Fenwick Just Brilliant will be available to a select few mares in the 2019 season.

LFS, CA, SCID clear.

We are proud to present our Arabian stallion Azraff Amir (Meadow View Valour x Samphire Park Philadelphia). Azraff Amir, aka Booka, is the grandson of our foundation sire Azraq Tamojen, who for many years produced a wonderful selection of ponies with his exceptional temperament and movement. Booka continued his grandsire’s tradition showing a trainable nature and competing successfully in both the show ring and dressage arena along with being a lesson horse and enjoying trail rides in the forest.

Booka has shown to have inherited his grandsire’s easy nature with mares and this year served our own pure and Anglo mares in his first season. We also have an exciting selection of derivative and Riding Pony stallions available for natural and AI service to outside mares, plus a small selection of young stock available for purchase. We look forward to any enquiries for your future breeding prospects.

MillPark Blaidd (Arfaja Harlan x Millbanda Bellalina),15hh pure Crabbet stallion. Clear SCID, CA, LFS, available frozen AI for UK, European Union, USA, NZ, Australia or limited live stud service. Blaidd is producing progeny of the highest calibre. They are winning at A class shows in open classes, also outstanding successes in their varied fields of competition. His Crabbet son Arfaja Baylian won Grand Champion Junior Pure Crabbet Exhibit, 2016 Australian Crabbet Convention Show and is a multiple championship winner. His Crabbet daughter Arfaja Bishara is a multiple champion/ supreme winner at A class shows. His high Crabbet percentage son Musical Gully Brahms is a multiple champion, supreme winner and silver winner at the 2018 Arabian Olympiad. Blaidd has the wonderful combination of MillPark, Arfaja, Wellworth and Dandaloo studs, giving him a wonderful double cross of Rossfennick on his dam’s female line and his sire’s female line.

Darryl & Stephanie King, Shanadarr Arabian Stud E: shanadarr@yahoo.com.au

B & T Spurling, K & D Dalitz, Samphire Park Stud E: bethandterry1@bigpond.com

Shirley Douglas-Greig & Don Greig, MillPark Arabians E: saffy1@outlook.com.au

PC: Jim Hillman

Veloce Legend Veloce Legend was to be the only entire kept from a lengthy breeding program with the beautiful ‘desert bred’ Centre Braveheart (Bremervale Bey Warrior x Centre Tiara) used over mainly endurance mares I had bred or campaigned. Legend’s dam, successful endurance horse Glentana Glamor Girl (Karda Modo Mia x Chebron Park Ambiret) was offered to me on lease and was joined to Braveheart. Unfortunately, she died after foaling, leaving me to hand-raise her handsome chestnut colt. A labour of love and disrupted sleep. Legend had daily horse time with the herd, while stabled next to dad at night. Today he is a magnificent 11-year-old with many supremes and Classic classes, from limited showing, to his credit. He has competed in endurance where his siblings have excelled with many wins, placings and nine Quilty buckles. His three foals – two Anglos and a stunning Warmblood cross gelding – all have his good looks, soft eyes and excellent temperament.

Contact: Jil Bourton, Veloce Endurance Stable E: veloce@internode.on.net

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The Breeders |

Fawley Arabians

WORDS JANINE-HELEN DANIEL

The story of this stud gives a unique insight into the history of Arabian horses and their breeding in Western Australia (WA), where registered purebreds have always been scarce. Colts were much easier to source than purebred fillies or mares, hence early Arabian studs bred more partbreds than purebreds. Specific breed competitions were rare, and the horses themselves almost mythical.

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t was this environment that a young English woman, Jean Muir, arrived to in the middle of the 1960s. Growing up in post-World War II Britain, Jean was introduced to Arabians at her uncle Ian Muir’s stud near the village of Fawley. Uncle Ian was a good friend of Lady Wentworth, and so sourced his Arabians from Crabbet Park. Jean’s early horses were ponies, bought for her by her father from the local

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horse dealer. Like ponies often are, she remembers them as being very naughty, deliberately seeking to get rid of their rider.

The Arabians at her uncle’s stud were different. On visits there with her father, she would make a beeline to the stables to visit with the ‘kind’ horses.

The first Arabian she rode was a grey purebred stallion. At about nine, her uncle would boost her on bareback. If she started

to fall forwards at the trot, the stallion would hold his head up high to keep her on his back. When she wobbled, he would slow down and then move off again when she was balanced. Jean remembers being truly hooked by his determination to keep her up on his back, in stark contrast to the naughty little ponies at home.

Here, she made her first offer on an Arabian. On a visit, and as a treat, she was

taken to see a mare foaling. When the filly arrived, her father (who referred to Jean as ‘wee Johnnie’ as she was meant to be a boy) turned to her and said, ‘there you are wee Johnnie, one for you to buy’. She put her hand in her pocket and found two ha’pennys. Drawing them out, she made her offer for the foal. No one would take the money, and the filly stayed at her uncle’s farm. This was the start of her determination to breed her own Arabians, for herself.

Her first Arabian was the chestnut stallion with four white socks, Misari (Rifari x Misma). Jean used him to breed ponies and Anglos, determined to breed a better tempered pony than the ones she had grown up with. In this early period of her life, she set the breeding philosophy that remains with her till this day. The aim was to produce companions that both pleased the eye and would happily live in the kitchen with you.

In the early sixties, her mother went on a holiday that would upend Jean’s life. She toured Canada and Australia, returning home with a recommendation that Jean should move to Australia, as it seemed a nice place to live. On the strength of this, the decision was made to take her farming knowledge Down Under. Friends had made the move, and settled in Bridgetown Western Australia, approximately 3.5hrs south east of Perth.

So, it was there Jean headed when she arrived in Perth on September 26, 1965, and there she purchased her farm. Way out west, where the flies bred better than rabbits, where seasons were distinct with scorching summers and wet cold winters, and the trees were thrillingly huge. It also turned out to be gold standard horse breeding country, with rolling hills just made for strengthening legs, fertile soil perfect for growing rich pastures to nourish dear friends with, and firm footing on which to mature rock hard hooves.

But there was one thing missing. Arabian horses. Jean had made the harrowing decision to leave her horses behind in England. Within 12 months, she had settled enough for her to become aware of the gaping hole this left in her life and take steps to rectify it. In England, she had seen Count Manilla, Naadirah and Blue Domino shown. These horses went on to play a significant role in the development of the breed Down Under. Before emigrating, Jean had decided she would source a horse from the Count Manilla family. As is still the case, the majority of purebred Arabians bred in Australia were foaled on the eastern seaboard. If Jean wished to find herself a purebred, there she had to go. So off she went east. At Bostocks Stud in July 1966, she was shown three colts. Jean selected

Far Left: Arabian stallion Kabiram (Abiram x Kastana).

Above: Sahib photographed at 31 by Chris Ros. Below: One of Jean’s favourite stallions, Fawley Silver Salute.

the chestnut colt Sahib (Count Manilla x Scherzade), and in a striking coincidence, then found he had been foaled the day of her arrival in Australia. Arrangements were made, and the colt made the long and arduous journey to the west.

Horse riders in WA at this time made do with a limited number of breed options. Near

Bridgetown, a world away from the bright lights of Perth and Fremantle, the choice was even narrower. Stud farms established to provide remounts to the Light Horse still produced the ‘Waler’ type, which was the foundation of the (future) WA Stock Horse stud book. These blended Thoroughbred (and Arabian, when it was available) blood

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Above: Jean Muir with Partbred Arabian mare Indra (Santarabia Azan x Storm Blaze).

Left: Smudge, one of Jean’s ‘China’ cats.

with the historic colonial type mares the original European settlers had brought into the horseless wilderness when they arrived in the 1830s. Trotters were prevalent in the country. Timor Ponies, made famous in a Banjo Paterson poem, were also available.

Purpose-bred children’s ponies were almost unheard of. Instead, children learned to ride on roman nosed relics out of work since the advent of the miracle of the 20th century, the tractor. One room single teacher schools had been the norm for country children, and shoes were beginning to be something they just had to reconcile themselves to.

Riding in jodhpurs was not normal, let alone breeches. No one seemed to advertise their studs. Jean set about finding breeders of horses that pleased her eye to source mares to mate with Sahib. She named her stud Fawley Arabians, after the place where she had first met those ‘kind’ horses, and set about fulfilling her plans to breed quality horses and ponies. Later, Jean met John (cousin of her friends who had come out from England), her life partner and moved to the farm at Eight Mile Well.

Pony studs in WA at the time included Mrs Campbell’s Balmoral Stud in Serpentine, south of Perth. This was renowned state wide for the quality of its horses and ponies of a variety of different breeds. Here, imported Welsh Ponies, Thoroughbreds and other breeds were used to contribute to the development of the Riding Pony and the Australian Stud Book Pony (ASBP). Over the years, Fawley would incorporate many of these bloodlines into its breeding program.

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Phil Sargeant bred ASBP and saddle ponies, while in Albany Mrs Frost bred Welsh ponies.

The Arabian field of breeders was just as scarce. Elaine Thompson had brought over a Sindh son, Heirloom (x Hammamet), from Fenwick Stud in Melbourne. John Schinzig had the Shafreyn son, Raoul (x Ruheym), who was used primarily to breed stockhorses. Rowen Smit in Kojonup had her thriving Wandu Hills Stud. Frank and Jean Bright were approximately 1,000km away at Erong Station up at Cue, and had Monarch (Rikham x Milpomene), a gleaming liver chestnut stallion, and the grey stallion Zimil (Sirocco x Shaqra). Olly Treasure had some lovely stallions in Albany, Regal (Rossfennick x Rapture) and Santarabia Sindahshar (Sindh x Shanas). Charlie Readhead also had Summer Storm (Sindh x Nisib), which Jean remembers competing against. These people became good friends of the couple, as well as the source of precious support in their quest to promote the Arabian breed.

At this time, the Arabian Horse Society of Australia (AHSA) had been formed, but many still chose to register their horses in the British Arab Society stud book.

Competitions with classes for purebreds were extremely rare. Jean and her friends travelled many thousands of kilometres to support local agricultural shows who could be talked into scheduling classes for Arabians. But the main event each year was the Perth Royal Show. This was like a holiday boot camp, with competitors staying

four to six days on the grounds. Breeders from near and far descended on Perth, taking great joy in their annual catch ups. All breeds were paraded every day of the show; Clydesdales to Shetlands, they walked the arena. Here, her ‘eye’ dominated. Her horses were consistently in contention for supreme purebred exhibit. This proved a mixed blessing. The year Sahib won his first supreme, a motley collection of over 30 mares pitched up at her gate to be bred to him. Naughty pony mares would undo gate latches, and scamper about the farm, playing wherever they wished. Sahib’s eyes almost fell out of his head at their presumption.

At around this time, the tribe of cats was established. Based on a Russian Blue queen, who consistently embraced a local tom, and later transformed by the arrival of a Tonkinese who produced Jean’s startling ‘China’ cats, the posse attempted to rule the farm. Or at least the hay shed. They would show themselves to visitors and come up for adulation from those they approved of.

Jean was lucky enough to occasionally bring home an outside stallion to cover Sahib’s daughters on the farm. These included Heirloom and Summer Heritage (Fabulous x Hammamet). However, she realised she needed another stallion on the farm, and came home with the chestnut Kabiram (Abiram x Kastana). He crossed beautifully with the daughters of Sahib and produced athletic and correct derivatives.

Jean was a founding member of the Western Australian Arabian Horse Association (WAAHA). She was also the

main agent provocateur in the development of gelding classes at breed events. Her point was that if desexed male sheep could be competed, then what possible objection could anyone have to a gelded horse? She prevailed, and Bridgetown Ag Show may well have been the first to include gelding classes. Others soon followed.

Her successes were not limited to reforming show society presidents. With over 100 horses registered with the AHSA alone, she must surely be one of the most prolific breeders in Western Australia. But all of this may not have happened had she not had a partner who passed on messages.

Doug Wilkerson had a glorious treasure, the mare Malika (Crystal Fire x Our Queen). But he would not sell her. So, Jean went back east in 1969 to look for a purebred female.

While there, she received a message from John. Doug had advertised three mares for sale, of which Malika was one. She rushed back west, and triumphantly brought the mare home.

Fawley consistently produced top quality horses, due in no small part to Jean’s eye, and her devotion to her horses. Local sires were used for the progeny of Malika and Sahib, to produce horses like the very tall stallion, Fawley Air Storm (Heirloom x Fawley Marisa). He, along with the bay Section B Welsh Pony gelding Fawley Double Trouble, was sold to the Sultan of Brunei, where he was used to breed polo ponies. Jean also pioneered the breeding of coloured partbreds. In one of these breedings, the foal had intrauterine scours, and delivered eight weeks early. The filly was green after Jean had foaled her down in the paddock. Startled by the tiny loudly coloured thing she had produced, the mare looked at Jean as if to say ‘help, I can’t deal with this’, and walked off, never to return to her foal. Not one to give up, Jean took on the foal, moving into the stables with her bedroll in a corner of the box. After one bag of Divetalac, then on to Black and Gold powdered milk, the foal was fed hourly for four weeks, thereafter every two hours after the vet suggested Jean would kill herself if she kept up such a regimen. To keep the foal warm, Jean wrapped it in a blanket, secured with a string surcingle. After each feed, the foal would lie down to sleep and Jean would

tuck it in with a neck rug. When Baby would wake for a drink, Jean would be woken from her blankets by a nuzzle. Once, it was a nip.

Jean sat straight up and nipped the foal back on the neck with her fingers. Baby for ever after would only need Jean to pinch her fingers together to settle down. That little foal grew up to be 14hh, the brown tobiano Fawley TopHat-n-Tails. Amazingly, her sire was 12.2hh, her dam 12.2hh, and her full sister 12.2hh. Black and Gold powdered milk must have something in it!

Horses at Fawley started their ridden career simply by being ridden. They never seemed to need breaking in. Jean used her horses for stock work, riding up hill and down dale after the livestock. But one of her favourite horses she could not ride.

The stallion Fawley Silver Salute (Sahib x

Carramar) attained his maturity when Jean’s joints made the saddle too painful to sit in.

Instead, he and Jean played liberty games together.

Through illness, Jean has recently become unable to tolerate the heat of the WA summer, so she and John took the momentous decision to shift the stud to Tasmania. In August 2017, they and 15 horses headed across the Nullabor, four stallions and 11 mares. Fawley Silver Salute sadly died just prior to the move, so Jean took his daughter, the Arabian Pony Fawley Blue Suede (x Grenwood Brava), to remind her of her treasured stallion. Breeding will recommence in the spring of 2019. Though Fawley is no longer a WA institution, Jean’s influence in the west will be felt for generations to come.

Top Right: Arabian stallion Fawley Samarai (Sahib x Malika).

Right: Fawley TopHat-n-Tails.

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2019 WAHO

Australia Conference WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY SHARON MEYERS

The 2019 World Arabian Horse Organization (WAHO) Conference was held in Australia in the picturesque seaside resort of Terrigal, New South Wales at the Crowne Plaza Terrigal Pacific Hotel from February 6 – 8. Graciously hosted by the Arabian Horse Society of Australia (AHSA Ltd), there were 25 countries represented.

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any guests had spent the previous few days enjoying Pre-Conference Tours and the Arabian Ambassadors Parade and Dinner, hosted at the East Coast Championships by the New South Wales Arabian Horse Association Once gathered in Terrigal, Tuesday evening saw us all greeting old friends and meeting new ones at the poolside Welcome Reception and Aussie BBQ. We were entertained by Bush Poet Carol Heuchan and Reptiles on the Road, giving guests a hands-on introduction to some of Australia’s unique wildlife. Among the gifts for all participants were traditional Aussie Barmah hats, which as you can see in some of the photographs, proved extremely popular.

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The General Assembly sessions took place on Wednesday and Friday. The Conference was opened by the AHSA Ltd Chairman Leonie Williamson, who gave a warm welcome and said how Australia was incredibly proud to host the WAHO Conference for the third time.

A richly illustrated and fascinating lecture From the Desert to the Lands Down Under – a brief canter through two centuries of Arabian horse breeding in Australia and New Zealand was then given by guest speakers Coralie Gordon, Allan Preston and David Gillett. Also covering the popular derivative breeds celebrated in Australia, this lecture neatly dovetailed with Hoofprints in History – Australia’s Arabian Horses, the coffee-table book launched at the Conference. Coralie

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Gordon, one of Australia’s eminent Arabian horse historians was the author of the Australian section in the book, which is available from the AHSA Ltd office.

The General Meeting was formally convened by WAHO President Peter Pond, who thanked everyone for making the long journey to attend. He introduced the Executive Committee members and clarified that they do not represent their own country or region, they put aside their national interests to represent the interests of the Arabian horse worldwide.

Referencing the history of WAHO, more information on which can be found at the WAHO website, www.waho.org, Peter also gave us a delightful quote from the WAHO archives, which he said still rings true today, a sentiment we all agreed

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with. It’s from a speech made at the 1976 WAHO Conference by the Egyptian delegate, Dr. Mohammed Marsafi: ‘What is an Arabian? From my own personal point of view, the Arabian is that creature which is bred for pleasure, interest, love and pride. It is the Arabian that acts as an angel of peace, as an ambassador of humanity, and always approaches people in a respectful manner with justice and love. It is the Arabian that teaches me how to deal with people of different nationalities, languages, religions, politics, cultures and mentalities. It is the Arabian that teaches me, personally, how to make friendships and good relationships with different kinds of people in various countries. It is the Arabian that owns me and I am indebted for a lifetime for the great number of faithful friends of whom I am proud in so many countries. It is the Arabian that never fails me, at home or everywhere I go. We all know the most characteristic features of the Arabian and the instinctive high spirit, good stamina, endurance, courage, strength, vigour, elegance, intelligence, obedience, patience, etcetera. And of course the beauty! The beauty of the Arabian, which varies from eye to eye; which varies from time to time; which varies from taste to taste; which varies from region to region, from area to area, from country to country… the beauty. It is the beauty of the Arabian that teaches me the great value of consulting with others, and the great value of putting all other advice in consideration before any decision.’

Apologies for absence were received and then, as at every WAHO Conference, a one-minute silence was held in memory of those members who had passed away since the last meeting.

The next agenda item covered a number of points relating to WAHO’s Member countries. Peter explained it was

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with great regret the Executive Committee had agreed to accept the withdrawal of Belize from WAHO Membership. Since joining WAHO in 1978, Belize has always been one of the smaller registries and they have seen a drop in the number of Arabian breeders, to the extent that maintaining WAHO membership is no longer sustainable. It’s hoped a neighbouring registry will act in a caretaker capacity to register any future foals born in Belize.

WAHO’s Executive Secretary Katrina Murray then read the reports on the new countries WAHO is working with to help establish their first Arabian Stud Books. At present this consists of Ukraine and Bolivia which were both later accepted by vote of the delegates as Applying Registering Authority Members of WAHO pending completion of the full application process.

The report mentioned some of the long and distinguished history of Arabian horses in Ukraine, which is closely intertwined with the history of Arabian breeding in Poland. Many of the great Polish Arabian breeders of the 19th century had immense estates in what is now Ukraine, where they bred Arabian horses of the finest quality.

Despite the turbulent times, wars and destruction that have rolled over these vast fertile plains, many of the horses bred at these iconic stud farms can still be found in pedigrees today, including some of the most precious mare lines in the world.

As times changed, so did the fortunes of Arabian horses in Ukraine.

Since 1976 there has been an Arabian breeding programme at the State Stud, Yahilnitsa, and until the end of the Soviet era, their horses were always registered in the Russian Arabian Stud Book, and therefore automatically WAHO approved.

When this arrangement ceased, the owners and breeders were left in limbo in terms of registration of their horses.

There were similar situations in the past

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with Lithuania, Estonia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, all of which have gone on to produce their own independent stud books and are now WAHO Registering Authority Members in their own right.

It was reported that the Ukraine Horse Breeders Association’s work on their first Arabian Stud Book is progressing very well, as they are locating and re-identifying all eligible Arabians in the country. The majority of them are based at the Arabian Department of the Yahilnitsa State Stud Farm, which has one Tersk-bred stallion and 15 broodmares, foals and youngsters.

Individual owners and breeders have approximately another 50 Arabians between them, some imported from Poland and Russia. Most are used for sport, especially endurance. At the moment about ten foals are born each year.

Regarding Bolivia, whose Arabians were formerly registered for them by Brazil, it was reported that Arabian horses are increasing in popularity there and are promoted in particular as excellent saddle horses. They have two national shows a year, as well as endurance, and the horses are also used for ranch work, dressage, and of course pleasure riding. For some time, their Arabian Breeders Association, ACCA-BOLIVIA, has been working with their Ministry of Agriculture to set up their own independent Arabian Stud Book. They have been in close contact with WAHO as they try to progress this project. They are currently working on a census and re-identification of all Arabian horses in Bolivia. It is not anticipated that there will be any difficulties with approving the horses in due course, all imports are from WAHO Member countries and for foals born in Bolivia they already have a robust registration process which is in compliance with WAHO rules, and the horses formerly registered for them by Brazil will simply be transferred into the new stud book.

It was further reported that WAHO is aware there are still a few countries which do not have Arabian Stud Books, but have a small number of imported registered Arabians which are now producing

1: Coralie Gordon spoke about Australia’s early horses.

2: Leonie Williamson opening the WAHO Conference.

3: Allan Preston talked about Arabian Derivatives.

4: David Gillett covered the modern Australian Arabian.

5: WAHO President Peter Pond.

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1: Br. Peter McIntosh (Aus) with Jehangir and Navaz Rustomjee (Bahrain) sporting their gift hats.

2: WAHO Executive Committee.

3: HRH Princess Alia Al Hussein Al Saleh (left) and Robyn Summerhayes at the Reptiles on the Road display.

4: Aussies at the Conference.

Photo: K. Scherling.

5: At Simeon Stud, Allan Preston with newly elected AHSA Ltd Chairman, Greg Liddle.

6: Artists Marian Duncan and Jill Vanstone exhibited their artwork.

7: Marion Richmond (Simeon Stud) with Ron Males (Ralvon Arab Stud).

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foals. Sometimes other existing WAHO Member countries are asked to be their ‘caretaker registry’ and register those horses according to all WAHO registration rules, so these foals are not lost to the breed. For example, Australia is authorised to register the Arabians in Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

WAHO is always keen to encourage any country which is experiencing a growth of interest in Arabian horses.

One in particular at the moment is Albania, where there are known to be approximately 60 imported Arabians and their progeny, with several enthusiastic owners and breeders. Considerable efforts

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have been made both by WAHO and the Italian Registry, ANICA, either to assist Albania to set up a Registry and start their own stud book, or alternatively to arrange for Italy to register horses on their behalf.

A motion was carried that ANICA can act as the caretaker registry for the Arabian horses of Albania until such time as Albania has its own stud book individually approved by WAHO. Other countries with a growing interest in Arabian horses include Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Republic of North Macedonia. In Bosnia-Herzegovina, WAHO is aware of six breeders owning between them around 30 imported Arabians as well as a few foals being born in the country. Montenegro’s

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request for assistance is very recent, so far WAHO is aware they have a small number of imported Arabians. There are also a handful of imported Arabians in the Republic of North Macedonia. A motion was carried that the Belgian Arabian Stud Book can caretake these countries until they have their own stud books individually approved by WAHO. The introduction of the nominated candidates for the historic election of two Consultants to the WAHO Executive Committee followed. This new initiative was announced at the last Conference in 2017, and well publicised by WAHO since then. The three nominees were Dr. Mohammad Al-Nujaifi, Karsten Scherling and Nathalie Weemaels. The latter two were present and both addressed the meeting personally, expanding on the written biographies already circulated.

Voting took place by secret ballot on Friday with both Karsten Scherling and Nathalie Weemaels being duly elected.

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The always interesting reports from the Voting Delegates about the Arabian horse affairs in their countries took up the rest of the day. As the Syrian delegate was unable to be present due to visa issues, his report was read out by the Executive Secretary, and it was heartening to note that their Arabian breeding and activities are slowly recovering. A detailed sheet giving information about all WAHO Member countries was also distributed. The most popular activities are showing, racing and endurance. Several countries, mainly in the Middle East, have seen considerable growth in the number of foals registered each year, others elsewhere in the world have seen numbers hold steady, or decline due to a variety of reasons. Obviously not all the statistics from 2018 were yet available, but for the figures provided for 2017, countries registering more than 1,000 foals annually were USA 3,153 foals; Saudi Arabia 3,008; Turkey 1,800; Egypt 1,700; France 1,486; Kuwait 1,340; United Arab Emirates 1,081.

The day concluded with another gettogether over a delightful ‘street food’ buffet celebrating international cuisine.

Thursday was for many the most highly anticipated day of the Conference, as two of Australia’s iconic Arabian horse breeders generously threw open their doors to all the Conference guests. Visits to Simeon Stud and Mulawa Arabian Stud are always sensational, educational and memorable.

After an early breakfast everyone boarded the coach to travel to Simeon Stud at Dural. Upon arrival we meandered

8: Arabian Filly, Simeon Suzette.

9: Arabian stallion, Simeon Shanun.

10: Arabian mare, Simeon Shagah.

11: Nathalie Weemaels (Ecuador) at Simeon Stud.

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down the sloping driveway towards the stables, while observing beautiful mares and foals grazing peacefully in rolling green paddocks. The world-renowned Simeon Stud has been a global leader in the breed for over 60 years. The stud was founded in 1956 by Ruth and Peter Simon with their daughter Marion.

Marion Richmond is the visionary breeder behind the stud today. She warmly welcomed the WAHO visitors and enthusiastically talked about each horse which was paraded for us in family groups. These spectacular mare families consisted of 27 Ibn Galal-5 (Ibn Galal x 10 Hosna 71), Ramses Tinah (Ramses Fayek x Ramses Nagdia), Raffaalaa (Dalul x BF Bahaala), Mussallah (Montasar x Mohebba Bint Maymoonah), Wed Albadeia (Farid Albadeia x Momtazat Albadeia), Etaya Sharon (Imperial Im Mahal x Abitibi Harmonie), Simeon Setavi (Simeon Sadik x Nameeza) and Simeon Shoshana (MB Talmaar x MB Masaleena).

After the parade we had a delicious lunch and Marion invited us to walk around the paddocks where we could see the horses close up while interacting with them, a testimony to their superb temperaments.

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After this presentation the WAHO visitors chatted over an enjoyable meal and before long, it was time to travel back to our hotel. Everyone agreed it had been a memorably brilliant day.

Friday was the final Conference day where further WAHO General Assembly business was completed. As is customary at these events, there was an excellent line-up of keynote guest speakers, which were scheduled for this day. For the first time ever, one talk was delivered by video. Dr. Madeleine Campbell of the Royal Veterinary College UK, a specialist in Equine Reproduction; Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law, was unable to attend in person. Her detailed and enlightening video presentation, entitled Welfare and Ethical Issues in Horse Breeding was shown in the morning, before the later discussions on WAHO rules, in order for everyone to be aware of potential welfare and ethical implications of certain assisted reproduction

1: WAHO Treasurer Caroline Sussex (UK) at Simeon Stud. 2: Stallion, Vangelis MI at Mulawa Arabian Stud. 3: Visitors at Simeon Stud. 4: Stallion, Konquest MI at Mulawa Arabian Stud.

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We then travelled on to Mulawa Arabian Stud, a short distance away at Berrilee. As we walked down the laneway to the impressive stables, we observed beautiful horses popping their heads out of the windows to greet us. One of Australia’s leading Arabian horse farms, Mulawa Arabian Stud was established around five decades ago by the Farrell family. Today Greg, Julie and Jane Farrell remain committed to the desert ideal of the elegant athlete, creating Arabian horses that possess the ultimate combination of both beauty and utility.

Scott Benjamin did a sterling job as presenter during our visit. There were 14 impressive Arabians paraded and the mare families represented were Mulawa Chance (Ambition x Grojecca), Dzina (Buszmen x Dzisna), Sahtarah (Sahjat x Dantarah), DM Marcedes True Love (RHR Marcedes x GR Katalina), M Angelique (Vision x Abanda) with the Karmaa (Kaborr x AN Marieta) family being the largest.

techniques. It was particularly interesting to note her remark, when referring to past lectures at WAHO Conferences, that ‘Arabian breeders are not afraid of airing and discussing difficult issues. That makes you rare amongst horse breeders.’

Peter informed the delegates that, as promised at the 2017 Conference, he had written a strong letter to the F.E.I with WAHO’s collective concerns about the welfare of endurance horses. WAHO keeps up to date with what’s happening in endurance and will, if necessary, write a further letter to the F.E.I. To follow up on their commitment to endurance horses, WAHO invited as a keynote speaker one of the world’s leading experts on the causes and prevention of injuries in race and endurance horses, Professor Chris Whitton, who leads equine orthopaedic research at the University of Melbourne.

His two lectures on this topic, before and after the lunch break, were extremely informative and an eye-opener for every equestrian. Summing up his talk in a few words, he emphasised the importance of exercise even in younger horses, and of limiting the accumulation of bone fatigue and maximising bone repair by reducing speed and training intensity and allowing sufficient rest periods.

Peter also spoke about China, which has been an Applying Member of WAHO since 2017 and is now making good progress on tracking down and reidentifying the many imported horses, and on recording all their foals born in China to date. They are well advanced with their registration procedures which are in line with WAHO rules. They had hoped their first studbook would be ready to present by now, however, due to the vast size of China, a country where the concept of registration and studbooks is a novel one, that has not yet been possible. The WAHO office is working closely with the Chinese registry by email to complete the work before the next Conference. Dr. Wang Zhen Shan was acknowledged for his dedication, hard work and excellent achievements to date.

Treasurer Caroline Sussex reported that WAHO’s income and expenditure remained much the same as in previous years, although considerably enhanced in 2017 by a very generous donation from the King of Bahrain. In order to continue balancing the books, she advised there will be increases to all categories of WAHO membership fees from January 1, 2020.

Xavier Guibert, Chairman of the WAHO World Registrars Meeting, gave an overview of their meeting which took place on 5th February. He told us about the

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5: Stallion, MI Klassique at Mulawa Arabian Stud.

6: Colt, Kharacter MI at Mulawa Arabian Stud.

complex new requirements for importing horses into the European Union which will need to be followed by non-EU countries.

He confirmed it had been agreed that the WAHO name change rule would not be altered at this time, and neither would the WAHO rules prohibiting the use of In Vitro Fertilisation or the rules prohibiting the registration of clones or the progeny of clones. Interesting facts were provided about the number of embryo transfer (ET) foals in some countries, in particular where multiple foals per year per mare are allowed under domestic rules. There was a strong feeling that although it was not enforceable due mainly to restraint of trade laws, educating breeders to limit themselves to producing a maximum of two ET foals per mare per year was broadly supported, on welfare grounds.

He also informed us that as Registries

7: Stallion, Aamahni at Mulawa Arabian Stud.

8: Colt, Truth MI at Mulawa Arabian Stud.

move away from producing costly printed studbooks, WAHO had proposed a set of new rules and recommendations for those studbooks produced only on .pdf, and for those with online studbooks, the text of which was later unanimously agreed by vote of the delegates.

A current major concern to WAHO is the very new issue of genetic modification, gene editing and gene doping. Many readers will have heard about gene therapy in humans, which is the insertion of a gene to cure or treat a disease, something that of course is beneficial. On the other hand, gene doping is the insertion of a gene to improve performance. Gene editing, on the other hand, is the actual alteration

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of a gene, using so-called ‘biological scissors’, at the embryo stage. Nobody yet knows what effect this gene editing and gene doping will have on the horses themselves, or on their progeny. The racing and sport horse authorities such as the I.S.B.C and F.E.I are equally concerned and have already introduced their own rules on this. Several laboratories and genetic scientists are also working hard to develop new tests to detect altered genes. After some interesting discussion and additional information from Carlos Ezcurra, the delegate from Argentina, a country where some of these scientific advances, including large-scale cloning of polo ponies, are now commonplace, a new mandatory WAHO rule was unanimously agreed, to be effective immediately, which reads as follows:

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Genetic Modification Gene Editing and Gene Doping 1. I t is a mandatory WAHO rule that any Arabian horse of any age which has been subjected to any form of genetic modification at the embryo stage or later must not be registered under any circumstances.

2. I t is a mandatory WAHO rule that the progeny of any Arabian horse which was subjected to any form of genetic modification at the embryo stage or later must not be registered under any circumstances.

3. I t is a mandatory WAHO rule that any Arabian horse of any age which has been conceived using genetically modified gametes must not be registered under any circumstances.

4. I t is a mandatory WAHO rule that the progeny of any Arabian horse which was conceived using genetically modified gametes must not be registered under any circumstances.

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The remainder of the day was taken up with the guest speakers. We hope to include more details from these lectures in the next issue of this magazine. Apart from Dr. Campbell’s video presentation

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1: Cindy Reich spoke about foals.

2: Keynote guest speaker Professor Chris Whitton.

3: Julie Fiedler talked about Social Media.

4: Art Auctioneer Carlos Ezcurra (Argentina).

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and Professor Whitton’s two talks already mentioned above, Julie Fiedler from Australia’s University of Central Queensland spoke about When Social Media Gallops Ahead – Sport Horse Welfare and Social Licence to Operate.

This highlighted the influence of how public perception of horse sports can become very negative, and how we must all take care to ensure the welfare of the horses is seen to be proactively respected.

It all Begins with a Foal: Practical new Techniques in Foaling Practices and Foal Care, from Birth to Weaning was a fascinating lecture by the renowned American expert Cindy Reich. An especially important section was her explanation of the Madigan Foal Squeeze Procedure, a lifesaver for newborn ‘dummy foals’.

Developed by John Madigan DVM at UC-Davis in USA, this involves wrapping the affected foal’s upper body in a certain way with loops of soft rope and applying pressure for 20 minutes, which replicates the compression a foal experiences that releases hormones which keep it immobilised during birth. Neonatal Maladjustment Syndrome foals do not make the transition to full consciousness at birth, so this ‘squeeze’ helps them relax back into a deep sleep, and then when pressure is released, they ‘wake up’ normally. During the tea break, it was possible to practise the technique using a large cuddly toy foal specially provided for the purpose. Anyone who breeds horses is strongly encouraged to educate themselves about this technique, there is a wealth of information and video clips available online.

During Peter Pond’s closing address, he announced to sustained applause that Jordan will be hosting the next WAHO Conference in 2021. HRH Princess Alia Al Hussein then made the formal invitation, with a short presentation of some fascinating historical and current photos of Arabian horses in Jordan, and a brief film highlighting some of the country’s history and attractions.

This friendly, productive and enjoyable 2019 Conference ended with a splendid Gala Dinner, including an Art Auction and just the right type of music for dancing the night away. The next morning, many guests set out on the selection of Post Conference tours to the Hunter Valley, Queensland, Victoria and New Zealand, during which they would have the opportunity to see many more examples of our beautiful Arabians and Arabian Derivatives.

WAHO Conferences really are unique and have to be experienced to be truly appreciated. We are all now looking forward to WAHO Jordan 2021 and hope to see you there.

2019 |

Tom Quilty Preview

The hope of every endurance rider is to win a Tom Quilty Buckle; the dream is to win the Tom Quilty Gold Cup

In July this year over 350 riders will converge on the small country town of Imbil, located in the beautiful Mary Valley on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, to tackle one of the southern hemisphere’s largest National Endurance Championships, the Tom Quilty Gold Cup.

T

he anticipation and excitement will be palpable at midnight on July 12 with both riders and their horses eager to take on the 160-kilometre challenge of Australia’s most prestigious endurance ride.

The ride is steeped in history and those who have completed it will never forget the exhilaration when they cross

the line. So much so, that many will return year after year to take on the challenge, irrespective of where in Australia the event is hosted.

This year riders will travel from across the land and as far afield as South America, Scotland and South Africa to attempt to complete the ride with a tagline that says it all: To complete is to win.

So where did it all begin?

This truly iconic Australian event was established in 1966 by Erica and R.M. Williams who loved long distance riding and their Arabian horses. At the time R.M. was the editor of Hoofs and Horns, a pioneer horse magazine which reported widely on the Tevis Cup, an annual endurance event held in the Sierra high country in the United States of America.

It had been 11 years since Tevis Cup ride organiser Wendell Robie had set out to prove that a modern-day horse could

Above: The beautiful Mary Valley on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast will play host to the 2019 Tom Quilty Gold Cup. Photo: Sarah Sullivan Photography.

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April 2019 • 47

Top: Zac Sample has qualified to compete in his first Tom Quilty Gold Cup ride at Stirling’s Crossing at age 12. Photo: Sarah Sullivan Photography.

Above: The 1993 ride in Sheffield, Tasmania was won by Bob Sample, one of the top buckle holders in the event’s history with 15 to his name.

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cover the 100 miles of rugged terrain between Lake Tahoe and Auburn in just one day, despite many doubting it was possible.

He succeeded and the Tevis Cup remains the oldest and most famous modern-day endurance ride in the world, celebrating its 64th anniversary this year.

Hoofs and Horns shared many exciting reports on the Tevis Cup with Australian

horse enthusiasts and by 1966 Erica and R.M. Williams decided to challenge Australian riders to a similar quest – 100 miles in one day.

Tom Quilty, a great horseman and cattleman in the Kimberley area of Western Australia, was a friend of R.M. Williams and supported this new venture with a donation of $1,000 to fund the making of the original Tom Quilty Gold Cup. This trophy is now on display in the Stockman’s Hall of Fame in Longreach, Queensland with a replica being awarded to the successful rider every year.

The trophy was perpetual and named in honour of the man who funded it.

While cash prizes were originally on offer, ride organisers had to withdraw these incentives at the last minute due to local laws prohibiting racing for financial reward on public roads. Riders and officials alike agreed that the ride would be purely for the thrill of completion with the only reward being to wear the impressive silver Quilty buckle awarded on completing the ride. This tradition continues today.

The ride has grown year on year having started with only 26 riders competing in the first Tom Quilty Gold Cup held in Richmond, New South Wales, setting off at 1:14am on Oct 1, 1966.

This year in Imbil, indications are that over 350 riders will participate, which will make it the biggest ride in the event’s history. The opportunity to participate in the sport’s most prestigious ride combined with the state-of-the-art venue, Australia’s only purpose-built endurance facility Stirling’s Crossing Equestrian Complex, clearly has endurance riders across Australia excited.

A further appealing factor is the ride base backing onto the Imbil State Forest offering the perfect backdrop and a diverse terrain that the Tom Quilty is famous for.

Stirling’s Crossing Endurance Club President Kim Moir says the level of interest has been very high with over 1,000 people registering on the event website www.tomquilty2019.com.au to be kept informed on the event.

‘We are delighted with the response and initial indications are that this will be the biggest Tom Quilty Gold Cup ride in its 54-year history with riders coming from as far as Tasmania and Western Australia, as well as from overseas,’ Ms Moir said.

‘We’re also located in one of Australia’s most desirable tourist destinations, the Sunshine Coast, which has contributed to the appeal of the event. We’ve been overwhelmed with enquiries and still have a few months to go, which is very exciting for our team.

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‘The response to the Stirling’s Crossing Equestrian Centre since it opened its doors in time to host the 2016 Equestrian Australia Endurance Championships has been fantastic.

‘We have had 1,029 riders participate in the eight events hosted by the Stirling’s Crossing Endurance Club over this time and the feedback has been very positive.

‘Riders love that they can camp with their horses and that the ride base

is dedicated to endurance rides rather than being a multi-purpose venue like the showgrounds often used to host endurance rides.

‘Stirling’s has ample space and is removed from the town centre so minimises the impact on surrounding residents which has become a problem for showgrounds which are increasingly being consumed by urban sprawl.

‘At Stirling’s we can offer riders

first-class facilities in a beautiful setting and all just a stone’s throw from holiday attractions like Noosa Heads, Rainbow Beach and Fraser Island and the tourist sights of the Sunshine Coast like Australia Zoo, Mooloolaba Beach and much more.

‘This sport is very family friendly, and we are confident that those coming will enjoy much of what the region has to offer. It’s the last weekend of Queensland school holidays so some may travel here the week prior to enjoy some time in our warm climate whereas those from New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia will be in the middle of their school holidays and may choose to extend their stay after the event. It’s exciting news for the region.’

Matthew Sample, owner of the complex and founder of Stirling’s Crossing Endurance Club, has long had a passion for the sport and is committed to elevating its profile and growing the number of participants.

‘There is something magical about endurance riding, it creates an incredible bond between a horse and rider and our aim at Stirling’s Crossing is to encourage as many new riders as possible to try the sport and experience it for themselves,’ Mr Sample said.

Top: Matthew Sample, owner of Stirling’s Crossing Equestrian Complex, won the 2009 Tom Quilty along with brother Brook. His passion for the sport of endurance has seen him build Australia’s first purpose-built endurance facility.

Left: Brook Sample and Brookleigh Excalibur at the 2013 Tom Quilty in Kilkivan, Queensland. Photo: Denise Keelan Photography.

Above: State-of-the-art vetting facilities make Stirling’s Crossing Equestrian Complex a firm favourite with both vets and riders alike.

Photo: Ross Eason Photography.

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PROUD HOSTS OF THE 2019 TOM QUILTY GOLD CUP. 11-14 July 2019 We look forward to welcoming you to Stirling’s Crossing Equestrian Complex, Australia’s first purpose-built endurance facility.

FACILITIES INCLUDE:

• A 60m x 40m fully lit, undercover area.

• Large, level, well-maintained and grassed outdoor areas.

• Direct access to some of Australia’s most desirable forestry trails.

• Top-of-the-range horse treadmill to help condition horses at a range of speeds and gradients • Onsite camping with air-conditioned amenities block.

UPCOMING EVENT IN ADDITION TO THE 2019 TOM QUILTY GOLD CUP, THE STIRLING’S CROSSING ENDURANCE CLUB IS ALSO DELIGHTED TO HOST:

2019 5-7 October Equestrian Australia Championships 1*, 2* & 3* + AERA (tbc)

WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE SPONSORS WHO HAVE ALREADY COME ON BOARD TO SUPPORT THE 2019 TOM QUILTY GOLD CUP. We appreciate your support and are committed to delivering an exceptional event for all involved.

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‘Most who have tried a 20km or 40km ride quickly progress to competing in 80km and 120km rides but a 160km ride like the Tom Quilty Gold Cup requires a whole new set of skills and incredible commitment.

‘One unique characteristic of endurance riding is that all competitors, no matter their age, gender, skill level and ability, compete on a level playing field. All participants ride the same distance on the same course at the same time, and with the same level of care for their horse.

‘Endurance is quite unusual as an equestrian pursuit as the longevity of the horse in the sport often sees the bond between horse and rider span many years.

While many equestrian events only see horses compete for a few years, endurance horses come into their own at around eight years of age and can then compete comfortably until 15 years of age or more.

‘When you start a ride at midnight and ride for over nine hours in a 160km event, it’s like sharing an adventure with your best friend – it’s a very special experience. Endurance riders have the utmost respect and admiration for their horses as the sport requires the horse to have exceptional athleticism, intuition, intelligence and a very competitive nature.

‘To this end Arabians are the most suited breed for endurance – they love it, it’s in their blood and the thrill of starting a ride is palpable for both the horse and the rider.

Matthew’s father, Bob Sample concurs and has had a long endurance history 54

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Above: Brook Sample on Magic Glen Glamour Girl and Akhmed Pshunov on Glenewan Whisper in a gallop finish at the CEI* 80km hosted at Stirling’s Crossing in August 2018.

Photo: Sarah Sullivan Photography.

Below: Kristie and Castlebar Belair on track to take out the 2018 Tom Quilty Gold Cup. Photo: Denise Keelan Photography.

with Arabians over the past five decades, including an impressive tally of 15 Tom Quilty buckles.

‘My love of Arab horses began as a pre-teenager hanging over the fence at the Sydney Royal Easter Show watching them from a distance,’ Bob said.

‘Little did I know then of my much later obsession with endurance riding and my breeding of Arabian blood horses for endurance, which began in the 1960s.

‘Most Arabians have a “desire to travel”; to see what is around the next corner. They have a superior cardiovascular

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Left: Brook Sample riding Magic Glen Glamour Girl. Photo: Sarah Sullivan Photography.

Middle: Kaylea Maher from Imbil and Jamie Green from Brisbane covering rugged terrain in the Imbil State Forest.

Photo: Sarah Sullivan Photography.

Below: Camping alongside your horse at Stirling’s Crossing Equestrian Complex.

Photo: Ross Eason Photography.

capacity to body weight ratio. Arabian blood horses also have long-stretch muscle structure best suited for endurance, as opposed to the fast-twitch muscle of “sprinter” horses.

‘I also love their psychology; initially suspicious of a person, but able to trust and cooperate in a very special way if treated well. These factors combine to give Arabian blood horses their advantage in the sport of endurance riding, particularly as the maximum heart rate recovery parameters have dropped. They are very special creatures in my life and the lives of my family.’

His family certainly has a strong connection to the Tom Quilty Gold Cup, collectively taking home over 30 buckles and nine titles between Bob and his sons Matthew and Brook.

Brook hails from Kenilworth in Queensland and already has taken the title seven times which is a Tom Quilty Gold Cup record. He will be joined on the course by both his wife Leigh Ann – a very successful endurance rider in her own right with four Quilty buckles and a number of titles under her belt – as well as son Zac who has qualified for his first Tom Quilty Gold Cup at age 12. Brook and Leigh Ann’s other son Matthew hopes to qualify at the Stirling’s Classic ride in May which will see the whole family experience a Quilty ride together.

‘Members of our extended family have been participating in endurance riding for over five decades so seeing the younger generation like my nephews come through the ranks is really fantastic,’ Matthew said.

‘Last year my great niece, Taylor Grogan completed her first 40km ride at only five years of age. I guess endurance is in our blood – we love the sport and it’s a wonderful family friendly environment in which to involve your kids.’

While there are no age limits for rides in the sport of endurance, participation in the Tom Quilty Gold Cup requires riders to be at least 12 years old and to have completed a 160km ride prior to the event.

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Zac Sample qualified last year when he crossed the finish line together with Noah Hoogland after 12 hours 37 minutes, seeing the two 11-year-olds take out the junior title at the 2018 Queensland Endurance Riders Association State Championships held at Stirling’s Crossing Equestrian Complex.

While a junior can’t win the event, this honour is reserved for adults who meet the 73kg minimum weight limit, they can take line honours by crossing the finish line first. This was the case for 17-year-old Jaz Hutchins last year in Tasmania and David Anderson Jnr aged 12 in Manilla, NSW in 2010.

But for most who participate in the gruelling event, it’s completion that’s highest on their wish list.

That’s the end-goal for these new recruits which is no small feat when you see kids, who may not even be in high school yet, set out in the middle of the night with just a torch and their four-legged best friend for company.

Those who love endurance will tell you that this is what makes endurance such as special sport.

The fact that kids, whose friends are probably spending too much time on devices, can’t wait to get onto a forest track in the pitch dark at midnight speaks volumes about the excitement, sense

Above: Misty early mornings as riders take to the track at Stirling’s Crossing Equestrian Complex.

Photo: Sarah Sullivan Photography.

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of fulfilment and strong connection they feel to their horse when competing in endurance events.

This is what keeps riders, both old and young, coming back every year to continue

their Tom Quilty Gold Cup journey, to get that next buckle and conquer the course, doing what they love most.

Defending champion Kristie Taprell from Burrowye, Victoria is hoping for back-to-back wins this year to take out her third Quilty title. Her impressive tally of 17 completion buckles is testament to having completed over 30 per cent of Tom Quilty rides in the event’s 53-year history. Only four others have exceeded this number of buckles in the history of the event and all have since retired from the sport.

Last year Kristie completed the ride in Scottsdale, Tasmania on Castlebar Belair, a registered Arabian owned and trained by Holbrook’s Meg Wade and Chris Gates.

Her history in endurance is impressive having completed 32,269 endurance kilometres and competed in 327 rides since she embarked on her endurance journey in 1995.

The level of commitment shown by the riders in the lead-up to this event is impressive and the care they take for their horses is second to none. The priority throughout, from preparation to competing to the return trip home, is the welfare of the horse. It’s the partnership between rider and horse that drives many to the sport.

If endurance riding appeals to you as

a sport or you are interested in getting involved in the Tom Quilty Gold Cup as a volunteer or spectator, visit the website to register your interest at www.tomquilty2019.com.au.

Tom Quilty Gold Cup Fast Facts ■ Number of participants in the first Tom Quilty Gold Cup: 26 riders, Richmond, NSW in 1966 ■ Total number of participants over the Tom Quilty Gold Cup 53-year history: 7,196 ■ Largest Tom Quilty to date: 342 participants, Hawkesbury, NSW in 2015 – 50th anniversary ride ■ Smallest Tom Quilty to date: 16 participants, Richmond, NSW in 1968 ■ First year participants numbers exceeded 100: 1985 ■ Youngest line honours: David Anderson Jnr aged 12 at Manilla, New South Wales in 2010 ■ Minimum weight to win the title: 73kg (if the rider and saddle weighs less than this, additional weight must be carried for the ride if they want to be a contender to win the Tom Quilty Gold Cup)

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Other trophies/awards available as part of the ride: ■ Pat Slater Cup: The first ten horses and riders across the line are invited to participate in judging for the Pat Slater Cup. They must first be assessed as sound and are then judged by a panel of five on their freedom of movement, soundness and impulsion, presence and appearance, and overall presentation.

■ Newbridge Trophy: A large bronze horse statue first presented in 1966. This trophy was donated by Dick and Selma Best and made by Sheila Stump who were all partners in the Newbridge Stud.

This is awarded to the first registered Arabian or Arabian Derivative to complete the Tom Quilty Gold Cup ride.

■S hareym Trophy: Donated by Ron and Val Males in memory of their purebred Arabian Stallion, Shareym who successfully completed six Tom Quilty Gold Cup events in 1966, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1972 and 1973.

This trophy is presented to the owner of the first middleweight or heavyweight horse with the most buckles to its name.

■ Best conditioned: The first five horses in each division are assessed for general

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fitness and are required to present a workout that demonstrates their ability to do more. Those that perform best in this workout receive the best conditioned award.

■ First winner of the Tom Quilty: Gabriel Stecher on Shalawi, 1966.

■F irst female winner: Erica Williams on Noddy, 1975.

STIRLING’S CROSSING EQUESTRIAN COMPLEX FACILITIES ■ Complex is over 145 acres in size, equivalent to 110 football fields.

■ A 60m x 40m fully lit, undercover area custom-built for vetting.

■ Large, level, well-maintained and grassed outdoor areas for strapping, camping and amenities.

■ Direct access to over 1,000km of some of Australia’s most desirable forestry trails in the Imbil State Forest.

■ Elevated, covered viewing platform with secretarial facility and quality P.A. system.

■ Overnight camping facilities onsite for riders, horses and their teams, with individual campsite water access.

■ Air-conditioned amenities block with toilets and showers.

■ Top-of-the-range horse treadmill to help condition horses at a range of speeds and gradients.

■ Access to quality agistment facilities.

STEPS TO BECOMING AN OPEN ENDURANCE RIDER Source: Queensland Endurance Riders Association (QERA) www.qldendurance.asn.au Here are some pointers on where to start and what’s involved to help you on your journey to become an endurance rider. There are of course many other ways you can get started or become involved so please use this as a guide only and be sure to ask questions if you are unsure of something.

STEP 1: Successfully complete 2 x 40km intermediate (training) rides To start you can enter 20km and 40km rides on day membership – this means there are no costs involved bar your ride entry on the day of the ride. To find out what rides you might like to attend, have a look at the

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Left: Jamie Green will be striving to win his seventh Tom Quilty Gold Cup buckle.

Photo: Sarah Sullivan Photography.

Right: A calm evening at Stirling’s Crossing Equestrian Complex as riders gather for pre-ride talk. Photo: Ross Eason Photography.

rider calendar on the association website and pick rides that are close enough for you to attend. You can take your own horse, or you can ask the ride organiser if they may know someone that would have a horse you can ride. Don’t feel shy about asking questions, just email or call any contact on the website and we will all be happy to answer your questions and help you along.

STEP 2: Become a riding member of the Queensland Endurance Riders Association Inc (or your relevant local riders association) Once you have successfully completed 2 x 40km training rides you will be allowed to enter 80km rides, but to do this you must be a member of your Division. Membership forms can be found on the association

website. Turnaround from our Registrar is quick, however still allow approximately ten days for you to receive your Novice Membership Card. You should become familiar with our rulebook, available in the ‘About Us’ section of our website. If you have been competing on your own horse you will now also need to arrange a logbook for him. This is like your membership card and will allow your horse to enter rides of 80km.

STEP 3: Successfully complete 3 x 80km rides as a Novice The next step in your journey is to learn how to manage a horse over long distances.

This is why you will need to complete 3 x 80km rides with novice time restrictions applied. The speed you are allowed to ride will be advised in the pre-ride talk, it is important that you attend these talks or you may be disqualified from riding. Take this time not to think about your position in the field or what place you are going to come, but rather in learning about your horse; what it feels like

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when he gets tired, what he should be doing throughout the ride to remain healthy and sound, what other riders are doing and how they are riding in the different terrains. Learn as much as you can, talk to as many people as you can.

STEP 4: Upgrade from Novice to Endurance rider status Once you have successfully completed 3 x 80km rides at novice pace you are deemed experienced enough to manage the horses that you ride at any speed. You will need to send your novice membership card back to the QERA Registrar. You will then be sent a new card that says you are an open rider, congratulations!

SOURCES: The Quilty Stories 1966 – 1999 The History of the Quilty Ride

by Erica Williams | www.teviscup.org

WHERE TO FIND OUT MORE – ENDURANCE RIDERS ASSOCIATIONS:

Australian Endurance Riders Association (AERA) | www.aera.asn.au Queensland Endurance Riders Association (QERA) | www.qldendurance.asn.au New South Wales Endurance Riders Association (NSWERA) | www.nswera.asn.au Victorian Endurance Riders Association (VERA) | www.vicera.com.au Tasmanian Equine Endurance Riders Association (TEERA) | www.teera.asn.au Western Australian Endurance Riders Association (WAERA) | www.waera.asn.au South Australian Endurance Riders Association (SAERA) | www.saera.asn.au

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The continent's premier Arabian event returns to Sydney!

Sydney International Equestrian Centre

04-07 March 2020

arabianchampionships.com info@arabianchampionships.com

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2019 Australian Arabian National Championships WORDS JAYNE BELLCHAMBERS PHOTOS JULIE WILSON

Running a major event like the Australian Arabian National Championships at a new venue for the first time is always met with some trepidation. We are thrilled to say, without a shadow of a doubt, that Boneo Park and Manager Fiona Selby and her staff were truly outstanding, helping to make this one of the most enjoyable ‘Aussies’ of recent times.

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his year we again had a highly credentialed judging panel consisting of four Internationals: Corky Sutton (USA), Jerzy Bialobok (Poland), George Zbyszewski (USA) and Frances Atkinson (UK), and our three Australians: Glenys Lilley, Sharyn Hungerford and Cherie Devenish-Edwards. Five judges adjudicated the open halter and three judges appraised the open ridden classes.

The show started on Wednesday 6th March with dressage on the outdoor arenas, in what was possibly the worst weather conditions we could have imagined. In true Aussie spirit our competitors got on with the job, with nearly 60 tests ridden.

The weather for the following three days was as close to perfect for showing as we could have hoped. This year the

show ran in one ring from start to finish, in Boneo’s beautiful bright and airy indoor arena, beautifully decorated by Kay Edward and her team, with ringside tables down the long side for valued sponsors and tiered seating at arena level for spectators, with the show arena bordered by a classic white picket fence.

Thursday is dedicated to our large Non Pro section and miscellaneous ridden,

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47 derivatives and 27 purebreds were entered in the Non Pro Halter section vying for five National titles, making sashes in these classes very hard to win, as it should be at a National level show. The Gold Champions in halter were Purebred breeding stock Jalilah FF owned

by Sabble Investments, Purebred gelding Allegiant MI owned by Reality Arabians, Senior Derivative Gleniph Tiramisu owned by Sabble Investments and Junior Derivative Jackson’s Black Diamonds owned by Jodie Cootes. The Ridden classes in the Non Pro section were equally well supported, with quality right down the line. Gold Champions under saddle were the purebred Haraani Fames Standing Ovation owned by Revlis Park Arabians and the derivative Florinzz owned

by Jazi French. Thursday finished with our increasingly popular Progressive Barn Parties and we sincerely thank Mulawa Arabians, The Tasmanian Arabian Action Club, South Serenity Arabians, GG Equine, Krishlah Arabians and Valley Smallgoods for hosting parties, the atmosphere was one of fun and camaraderie, with attendance in the hundreds. A great way to kick the show off.

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introduced in just the last few years and have gone from strength to strength, over 40 horses of all registries and all shapes and sizes competed for the Gold, Silver and Bronze, and Top Ten titles with Springtime Mayflower, Arabian Riding Pony mare, by Keira Park Cascade from TB mare Mavis, owned by Ruth Hall, walking away with the Gold. The ridden open section was judged later in the day and again had big numbers entered. The Anglo gelding Renlim Park Tobias, by Arundel House Amaani from So Charming and owned and ridden by Elouise Lando, triumphed on the day.

Friday continued with the open Derivative Halter for Arabian Warmblood, Anglo Arabian and Partbreds along with the open breed ridden and also the large Bridle Path Hack (BPH) classes. The first of the purebred halter was the Geldings late in the afternoon with the three Gold Champions all being bred by Mulawa, Trend MI (Allegiance MI x DM Marcedes True Love) owned by Brittany Jessup from NSW was Yearling Gold Champion, Kasper MI (Klass x Chance to Dance) owned by Vicki Salter from Tasmania was Junior Gold Champion and Parlance MI (Klass x Parada) owned by Brittany Jessup was Gold Champion Senior.

The Friday evening program featured Arabian mares under saddle, Arabian colts and stallions at halter and our new Derivative Fashions on the Field classes.

To open the evening the Ridden Mare Gold Champion was Gab’reala (SF Sir Real x Gameelah MA) owned by Krishlah Arabians and Future Farms. The Yearling Colt Gold Champion was Justifyed KS (Justin Mix Mystica Pandora) bred and owned by Christie Boyland from WA. Junior Colt Gold Champion was Truth Ml (Allegiance Ml x DM Marcedes True Love), full brother to the Yearling Gelding Gold Champion.

The new Fashions on the Field were a tremendous success and the effort the entrants put in was simply amazing.

The most beautiful outfits were teamed with amazingly turned out horses. This year appointed judges were Lynda Hayes and Allan Preston, and they really had their work cut out choosing the winners.

Our MC Chris Johnson did a great job interviewing the entrants and getting the crowd involved.

The final class to wrap up the night was the crowd-pleasing Arabian stallions in halter, featuring an exciting line-up of flamboyant boys. The Gold Champion going to Mulawa Arabians’ well-travelled Vangelis Ml (DA Valentino x Always an Angel). Vangelis Ml was also Australian Champion as a yearling, the last time the show was in Victoria in 2015.

Saturday saw the judging of Open Halter for pony derivatives and Half Arabians. The Arabian Pony section revealed the immergence of a new sire of significance, Bracknell Musketeer. Bred by the late Bob Burgess and now owned

by Fiona Pepper in Tasmania, Musketeer had four progeny competing at the show, and all four of them won Gold Champion in their respective classes.

The afternoon saw various open ridden classes and the very popular Show Hunter ridden section, which attracted over 40 entries, vying for three National titles.

Show hunter Champions were Purebred Dream Fever owned by M. & B. Bilney, Derivative Pony & Galloway Kielshoop Honeyhill (NL) owned by A. Smith, and Derivative Hack Lord Larmarque (DE) owned by J. Moody.

Saturday evening being the final night of the show opened with the new Sa’Vey Breeders Bonanza Jackpot Award. This class is for junior geldings, shown by their non-pro owners. This award was introduced as an incentive for owners to have a go at showing their own horses and to encourage breeders to help new owners into the show ring. The winner of

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1: Sienna Diamonds Ch Ladies Side Saddle.

2: Rosedale Park Spring Carnival Ch Derivative Fashions on the Field Under 40 Yrs. 3: Justifyed KS Ch Arabian Yearling Colt.

this inaugural award was Vicki Salter and her Kasper Ml, all the way from Tasmania.

They took away a jackpot of $690. The ridden Arabian stallion followed and was won for the second time by Mystica Abbas (LC Prince Magnum x Princess of Marwan) owned by South Serenity Arabians.

Purebred females followed with a clean sweep going to Mulawa Arabians, Yearling Gold Champion Klassical Tiara Ml (Klass x Mustang’s Magnum), Gold Champion Junior Klassical Fame Ml (Klass x Forever Fame) and Gold Champion Senior Mare Venecia MI (Allegiance Ml x Valentine Ml).

Venecia MI has now won Gold Australian Champion in all three age divisions, quite an accomplishment.

High Score awards were added this year, with thanks to sponsorships by DaMar Arabians for the purebred and Federation Bulk Haulage for the derivative awards. The yearling Arabian colt Justifyed KS (Justin MI x Mystica Pandora) owned and bred by Christie Boyland from WA, scoring 555 was the high scoring male and high score of the show. The Junior Arabian filly Klassical Fame Ml (Klass x Forever Fame) owned and bred by Mulawa Arabian Stud NSW scored 551.5 and was the high scoring female.

Arabian Pony Yearling gelding Lendene Moonraker (Ablue Moon’s James Blond x Eldonbrook Indianna) owned and bred

by S. Williams and R. Tower of Victoria was high score male derivative on 459.5.

The Arabian Riding Pony mare Wideacre Black Diamond (Royalwood Boy Soprano x Helden Park Petite) bred by M. Christie and owned by Vicki Pisciotta claimed the high score derivative female on 460.

Ultra awards for the highest combined halter and ridden scores were bestowed on the purebred gelding Allegiant Ml, owned by Reality Arabians and the derivative to the Arabian Riding Pony gelding Kizashi, owned by R. Campbell.

Versatility awards for the highest points achieved went to the purebred stallion Malleegrove Mandalla, owned by J. & J. Preece and C. Payne. The Derivative Versatility was presented to the partbred mare Gleniph Tiramisu, owned by Sabble Investments.

The feedback from competitors was highly positive, they loved the new entry portal, the new venue, the new scoring system and the cohesiveness of the ring crew, and the helpful ladies in the secretary office ... overwhelmingly reported that they had a great time. The organising team would like to thank our sponsors, donors, supporters, volunteers and competitors for all working together to deliver our premier event.

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Judges’ Comments Frances Atkinson: ‘There was a superior turn-out from the Ridden horses and I was incredibly impressed by the skill of the riders and the horsemanship of all the riders and handlers. Top quality that would be competitive anywhere in the world.’ It was also said that it was the most organised and efficient show with which she had ever been affiliated.

George Zbyszewski: ‘Outstanding group of purebreds and Arabian derivatives. Great venue and wonderful hospitality. I was impressed by the friendly atmosphere and the good sportsmanship between competitors.

Loved the Fashions on the Field.’

Corky Sutton: ‘I never fail to be impressed by the quality of horses in Australia, both purebreds and derivatives. I love the fact that you use your horses in a broad variety of performance disciplines. I loved the score card and the new scoring system. Greatly appreciated the opportunity to judge with such a knowledgeable and enjoyable group of judges. Always honoured to be invited to judge in this amazing and beautiful country.’

Jerzy Bialobok: ‘This was my first time using the scorecard and the scoring system in Australia. I think it is a great improvement over comparative judging, as it allows the Australian horses to be evaluated against a global standard. I enjoyed the Arabian derivatives, especially the ponies. Greatly impressed by the overall quality of horses and presentation.’

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Glenys Lilley: ‘It was an honour and a privilege to judge with some true horsemen and women at this year’s Championships. All had been both breeders and riders and the international judges between them had bred or ridden some of the top Arabians on the planet.

It made for some interesting discussions about Arabians around the world and how in England, Europe, America and Australia registration numbers were falling but the registrations in Middle Eastern countries were booming. The show had a fabulous atmosphere and ran smoothly with the

help of our ever-cheerful stewards and gate marshals and the great new iPad scoring system which was just so easy to use and so efficient. There were lots of wonderful horses, but the Arabian Pony and Arabian Riding Pony sections were perhaps my favourites with whole classes filled with great moving, attractive ponies. I do know that the highest scoring purebred – the yearling colt was also a judge’s favourite and a lovely lady who won the freestyle dressed as Mary Poppins with her buckskin mare was also a memorable competitor every time she was in the ring with her lovely smile and well-mannered horse. The immaculate presentation and work of the ridden purebred stallion was also a joy to see as well as so many beautiful purebred and derivative saddle horses.”

Full results can be found at: www.arabianchampionships. com/2019-aanc-results

1: Venecia MI Ch Arabian Senior Mare.

2: Vangelis MI Ch Arabian Senior Stallion.

3: Metaxa W Ch Non Pro Ridden Arabian Bridle Path Hack (BPH).

4: Lendene Moonraker Ch Arabian Pony Gelding.

5: Light It Up Ch Half Arabian.

6: Shatana Victorious Ch Arabian Warmblood Gelding.

7: Kellot Lodge Hill Top Ch Partbred Arabian Gelding.

8: Heaven Scent VA Ch Arabian Pony Junior Filly.

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1: Lovely Meadow Faiths Fortune Ch Arabian Pony Yearling Filly.

2: Malleegrove Mandalla Ch Harness.

3: Kasper MI Ch Arabian Junior Gelding.

4: Miva Just Too Classy Ch Arabian Stockhorse Ridden.

5: Nalla Mon Armour Ch Arabian Silver Snaffle.

6: Merrieworth Just A Doll Ch Arabian Pony Senior Mare.

7: Tarrangaw Zeal Ch Derivative Silver Snaffle.

8: Lovica Excel Ch Partbred Junior Filly/Colt.

9: Merrieworth Muscat Ch Arabian Pony Junior Colt.

10: Springtime Mayflower Ch Led Open Hack.

11: Renlim Park Tobias Ch Anglo Ridden.

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1: Little G Pageboy Ch Arabian Pony Senior Stallion.

2: Justified FF Ch Anglo Arabian.

3: Trend MI Ch Arabian Yearling Gelding.

4: Klassical Tiara MI Ch Arabian Yearling Filly.

5: Mystica Abbas Ch Arabian Ridden Stallion.

6: Skyline Park Mavro Star Ch Arabian Riding Pony Junior Gelding.

7: Parlance MI Ch Arabian Senior Gelding.

8: Jindalla Park All That Glitters Ch Working Stockhorse.

9: Jackson’s Black Diamonds Ch Non Pro Derivative Junior.

10: Bremervale Bey Gabrielle Ch Arabian BPH. 11: Butterfly FF Ch Arabian Pony Ridden.

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1: Allegiant MI Ch Non Pro Arabian Gelding.

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2: Jalilah FF Ch Non Pro Arabian Breeding Exhibit.

3: Dream Fever Ch English Pleasure.

4: Haraani Fames Standing Ovation Ch Costume.

5: Fearless FF Ch Derivative BPH Small & Large Hack.

6: Klassical Fame MI Ch Arabian Junior Filly.

7: Truth MI Ch Arabian Junior Colt.

8: Lawlington Park Diamonds N Gold Ch Arabian Performance Index (API) Led. 9: Lord Larmarque (DE) Ch Arabian Warmblood Ridden.

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1: Gab’Reala Ch Arabian Ridden Mare.

2: Kizashi Ch Arabian Riding Pony Senior Gelding.

3: Dara Park Golden Charm Ch Quarab Led and Ridden.

4: Gleneagles Giorgio Ch Ridden Partbred Arabian.

5: Florinzz Ch Non Pro Derivative Ridden.

6: Sienna Abstract Art Ch Arabian Stockhorse.

7: Oakley Manor Xaphan Ch Half Arabian Ridden.

8: Wilgo’s Pure Bliss Ch Arabian Riding Pony Junior Filly/Colt.

9: Wideacre Black Diamond Ch Arabian Riding Pony Senior Mare/Stallion.

10: Competitor toughing it out on Wednesday.

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1: What happens at the Aussies, stays at the Aussies!

2: Judges Corky Sutton (USA) left, Frances Atkinson (UK) and Sharyn Hungerford (QLD).

3: Narelle Cribb in the Musical Variety Freestyle Jackpot.

4: Arabian Stallion finals.

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WAHO Queensland Tour WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY SHARON MEYERS

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ueensland Arabian horse aficionados were delighted and honoured to organise horserelated events to showcase their beautiful equines to our international guests. The equine activities kicked off with a Parade of Horses on Tuesday, February 12, 2019.

As their bus pulled up at the Gatton Indoor Equestrian Facility at noon, the group were greeted by friendly locals along with abundant sunshine, high humidity and a temperature of 37 degrees Celsius!

The parade of 18 horses was organised

by Deb Watson and her capable crew of helpers. Our visitors appreciated the variety of horses shown, which included Arabian Derivatives and Purebreds shown in-hand and under saddle. It was a challenging day for everyone weatherwise, including the owners of horses who made a concerted effort to support the parade.

These included Lisa Holohan, Lee-Ann McClelland, Simone, Colleen and Erin Krahnen, Liz Christensen, Michael and Deb Scott, Lisa Lanyon-Whitehead, Hollie Webster, Denise Kaye and Cathy Campbell.

A real trooper being Jeanette Poede who travelled well over three hours from Gympie to exhibit her talented 20-yearold Arabian mare, Grelisa Park Zhamira (Pembac Zhamir x Evansley Breanna).

Immediately after the World Arabian Horse Organization (WAHO) Conference held at Terrigal, there were post conference tours organised to several destinations in Australia and New Zealand.

After the parade the group clambered aboard their bus to travel through depressing drought-stricken countryside to visit Bluedawn Egyptian Arabians, owned

by Greg, Marysia and Kyal Keyes. Set in a picturesque green oasis on the Brisbane River at Vernor, horses at the stud enjoy a natural outdoor lifestyle.

Greg was a great fan of Australia’s first Australian Champion Mare, 27 Ibn Galal-5 and founded Bluedawn in 2006 when he purchased her straight Egyptian granddaughter, Simeon Siliet (Imperial Madaar x Simeon Sukari) as a youngster.

He then gathered mares from strong producing dam lines for the farm. Stallions have been added over the years and

their current sire is the bay German-bred Ashquar HM (NK Hafid Jamil x NK Asila).

Three horses were paraded in the stud’s new and impressive arena which was flanked by large sandstone blocks, a lovely setting to show off horses. First to be paraded was the masculine Ashquar HM, followed by his pretty grey daughter Bluedawn Jalila. Her charming dam, Simeon Siliet, was the last horse exhibited.

We then meandered through the paddocks chatting with Greg about the horses and his future plans for the stud. The tour was capped off beautifully by Marysia’s delectable home-made afternoon tea.

The next morning the temperature soared to a scorching 39+ degrees,

Above: WAHO visitors at Bluedawn Egyptian Arabians.

Left to right front row: Didier Thievent, Marysia Keyes, Silvia Naumann.

Centre row: Jutta Hietzscholdt, Jeannine Joerin-Hall, Julie Crowe, Heidi Bernsdorff.

Back row: Greg Keyes, Frank Hietzscholdt, Judy Phillips.

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Above left: Arabian mare Shaqueil with Erin Krahnen.

Above middle: Arabian mare Grelisa Park Zhamira with Jeanette Poede.

Above right: Arabian gelding Platinum Troy and Darian Wise dressed as Batman.

topped off with dust clouds rolling in from western Queensland. At around 9.30am we arrived at Bacchante Arabians situated at Coleyville and owned by Diane Wright.

Established over 25 years ago, this farm dramatically changed direction in 2012 due to three events; Heath Rowbottom being appointed farm manager; Diane acquiring an interest in the Arabian stallion Saudi El Perseus (BR) (Perseus El Jamaal x Silk El Jamaal) and the birth of a special colt named Renaissance (Chelleason Crown Jewel x Bacchante Evangeline).

This parade was a laid-back affair with Heath showing six horses while we sipped cold, refreshing lemonade. The first horses exhibited were two derivatives sired by

2016 Australian National Champion Stallion Saudi El Perseus; RP Back to Black and the Half Arabian mare, Sanjoy Shanita.

Looking at these youngsters it’s obvious that Saudi El Perseus is passing on many of his wonderful qualities, including his exceptional front. Next was the golden Partbred stallion Roseglen Crown Royale (sire Chelleason Crown Jewel), owned

by Gary and Cate Cunningham. A popular show horse, he has won many awards including three Australian National Championships in halter plus a Reserve Championship in costume.

Saudi El Perseus’ exuberant purebred colt Bacchante Versailles just couldn’t contain himself while showing off to the farm’s guests. He is a multi-champion and amongst his wins are 2018 East Coast Champion Yearling Colt, 2018 Bronze Champion Yearling Colt at the Australian Championships plus 2019 Reserve East Coast Champion Intermediate Colt. He also introduces a new bloodline to the stud via his dam Burren-Dah Audrey Fox

sired by Foxfire BHF (US). The feminine Arabian mare Bacchante First Romance (from Eastwinds Second Spring) then graced us with her presence. She was the first foal sired by the farm’s now deceased senior stallion Romarno (Espiration x Yasatis Bint Nizr). First Romance, in her day, was an East Coast Champion Filly.

Last but not least was the stud’s pride and joy, the handsome and aptly named stallion, Renaissance. He was awarded 2016 Australian National Champion Colt, 2018 Bronze Australian National Champion Stallion, 2019 East Coast Championships Junior Champion Stallion and High Point Arabian Exhibit. Renaissance has been a successful young sire for Bacchante.

We were spoilt with home-made jam and scones for our morning tea before moving on to Moondarra Arabians.

Moondarra Arabians, situated on 62 acres in the Lockyer Valley, was founded in the mid-1970s by Ian and Deb Watson.

They endeavour to produce Arabian horses capable of excelling in the show ring, performance fields and the breeding barn.

Their senior sire is the 28-year-old Kyarnda Lodge Panache (Arabian Lodge Andre x Burnam Adjanette) and many of his daughters have been retained. Around ten years ago the Watsons travelled to Poland and as a result, they imported three Polish mares from Michalow Stud.

Prior to the parade talented singer Kylie Hogan sang the Australian National Anthem while mounted on her Arabian gelding Gamaal and she continued entertaining

Far left: Bluedawn’s foundation mare, Simeon Siliet.

Left: Straight Egyptian filly Bluedawn Jalila with Greg Keyes.

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us throughout our visit. The first horse paraded was Arabian gelding Moondarra Code Red, wearing a Native Costume and ridden by Ian and Deb’s daughter, Kellie.

A family favourite, he is a great character and has done well in the show ring. He was followed by Moondarra’s junior stallion Peronii MA iid PL (Ekstern x Debowa Polana). Recently broken-in, he happily trotted around the arena showing off with Richard Sharman on board. The charming mare Eltesja imp PL (Emigrant x Elgara) then caught our eye as she serenely walked into the arena led by Kellie. Dam of five foals, her filly at foot was sired by Peronii MA. Eltesja’s seven-year-old daughter Moondarra Eltayja (sired by Kyarnda Lodge Panache) was then shown by Ian. She has been broken to saddle and is embarking on an endurance career.

The imported El Tessa (Poganin x El Ghazala) paraded next with her large good-looking colt by Peronii MA. She is the dam of eight foals and is currently in foal to Fearless FF to produce the stud’s first Arabian Warmblood. El Tessa’s sweet

daughter Moondarra El Lara sired by Kyarnda Lodge Panache was next. She will be broken-in shortly and is destined for the show ring. The imported Polish beauty Debowa Polana (Eldon x Debowa Gora), dam of Peronii MA, was shown with her attractive colt Moondarra Poznan sired by Kyarnda Lodge Panache. The Polish/Kyarnda Lodge Panache cross has certainly been successful for the farm.

Moondarra’s 19-year-old stallion Samson Tai (Sambist x Electra Tai) was the final Moondarra horse paraded. He has sired successful endurance and performance horses. Two outside horses were also shown; Charaway Victorious J and her filly by True Vision and the 2018 Arabian Racehorse of the Year, Aloha Desert Jewel. At the completion of the parade everyone sat down to a delicious lunch prepared by Kellie Watson.

Despite the sweltering weather, our WAHO visitors said they had an amazing couple of days in Queensland and thoroughly enjoyed chatting about Arabians with the Australians.

Deb Watson reports: ‘On Tuesday, Toft Endurance owners Peter and Penny Toft and their daughter Alexandra hosted a wonderful evening for the WAHO visitors at their Marburg property. The following afternoon, the group returned to their stables to see an exciting presentation of purpose-bred endurance horses, under saddle and in-hand.

Among the horses paraded were: Beaudacious te (by Chip Chase Sadaqa), LWT winner Tom Quilty, Best Conditioned and joint winner of the Pat Slater Cup 2018; Anglo stallion Wallaby Jones te (by Chip Chase Sadaqa), whose full brother had multiple wins in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Europe. Wallaby’s dam Tallaroon Creo-Royarle produced many winners including Emily Jones te, an individual bronze winner at the World Junior Endurance Championships in 2013 and a multiple winner in both the UAE and Europe; Sh’harriet te, dam of Quilty winners and winners in the UAE and Europe. Her dam Harriet was Team Silver Medallist at the 2005 World Endurance Championships (UAE); Dream Time te, a daughter of the Chip Chase Sadaqa stallion, Zerox te who is currently standing at stud in Europe. Zerox te is a 2star winner and Quilty completer. Mares and foals presented were by Wallaby Jones te and Sadapers, comprising the best of endurance bloodlines and a whole generation of future endurance superstars.’

Top: Arabian colt Moondarra Poznan.

Above: Arabian mare Eltesja (PL) with Kellie Watson.

Below left: Arabian stallion Bacchante Versailles with Heath Rowbottom.

Below: Arabian stallion Renaissance.

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Bone Fatigue in

Racehorses

WORDS PROFESSOR CHRIS WHITTON BVSc FANZCVS PhD PHOTOGRAPHY COPYRIGHT EQUINE LIMB INJURY PREVENTION PROGRAM, THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

The breakdown of The Cliffsofmoher at the 2018 Melbourne Cup is a stark reminder of the potential dangers of racing, but these events should not be considered accidental or acceptable. Recent research including that from the Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program at The University of Melbourne has progressed our understanding of when, how and what kind of injuries occur in racing but a lot more work is needed to discover what trainers can do to reduce breakdown and deaths.

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one, like most materials, weakens when subjected to repeated high loads. Most bone and joint injuries in racehorses are the result of fatigue damage, which means they occur due to weakening of bone over the course of training and racing, rather than because of a single incidental injury such as a fall or trip.

The bones of racehorses endure extreme loads repeatedly every time they gallop, with the highest loads occurring in the joints that are most commonly injured: the fetlock and knee (carpal joint). Thankfully complete fractures of bone occur infrequently, but less severe fatigue injuries to the joint surface are common in racehorses. Such injuries can result in poor performance and lameness but are hard to identify unless sophisticated imaging equipment like scintigraphy is used.

The most important thing to understand about bone fatigue is that it builds up over time. Due to fatigue, tiny cracks will accumulate in the bone during training. This

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means that it is not what the horse was doing on the day an injury occurred that is most important, rather what the horse was doing in the days, weeks or months leading up to the injury. With every fast gallop or race, a proportion of the lifespan of the bone is used up. Training and racing intensely in the short term might seem to be a successful strategy if there is no immediate consequence, but by depleting the bone’s reserves it may have set the horse up for future injury. Bone injuries are most likely to occur in horses that do a lot of high speed distance work over the course of their career, or in horses that complete a very large amount of work in a short period of time.

Managing Bone to Prevent Injury Bone is an amazing tissue. It is not inert but highly dynamic and in the right

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training environment can adapt to increase its resistance to injury. Bone also has a repair mechanism that removes older fatigued bone and replaces it with fresh new bone. During training, the horse’s bone adapts to even short bursts of speed by laying down new bone to increase the total amount of bone (a process called modelling). Understanding and exploiting these processes is the secret to preventing injury.

Predicting How Bone Adapts Under Different Racehorse Training Loads Most trainers know that a horse’s skeleton needs to get used to high speed exercise in order to reduce the risk of limb injuries, but accurate and sufficient information about the

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time it takes for bone to adapt to changes in exercise intensity throughout a racehorse’s training program is not yet available.

New research from the Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program indicates that any horse rested from training for longer than about a week is at risk of injury from high speed work because of rapid bone loss or loss of adaptation. This means that any return to high speed training after such a rest should be gradual.

Because it is time consuming, costly and potentially unethical to assess the effect of different training loads on subchondral bone fatigue in racehorses, we are developing mathematical models to better understand this complex process.

In one of our models we looked at the effects of gradually increasing or decreasing training load for three classes of racehorses: untrained two-year-olds, trained horses that had rested (spelled) for at least four weeks, and trained horses that are currently in training for more than four weeks. The model showed that for a young horse, at least 16 weeks of training is needed before bone has completely adapted to racing speeds – this is the case even for the most rapidly progressive training regimen. In practice, more time will be needed because training speeds must be increased slowly to avoid injury in a poorly adapted skeleton. There are no shortcuts. Complete adaptation might be several weeks less for racehorses that have undergone at least one full preparation.

On the other hand, bone loss (‘deadaptation’) can be quite rapid when race training is interrupted. The model shows that even with short rest periods of ten days up to 10% of bone is lost, making it considerably weaker and therefore prone to injury if high speed exercise is reintroduced too quickly. Based on the model, such a loss would take 20 days to be recovered following the careful reintroduction of training and intense speed work should be avoided during this period.

As we refine these models, we will trial variations of training intensity to better mirror actual racehorse training programs so that we can make more specific recommendations. In the meantime, trainers need to be cautious in returning horses to work too rapidly if they have been rested from training for longer than a week.

Bone Repair and the Importance of Rest Periods Racehorses need periods of time away from the rigours of racing and race training to stay at their peak. Spells from racing are essential to maintain bone and joint health because when horses are racing at their peak, bone repair is inhibited and so bone damage accumulates. However, during rest periods, the bone repair processes are activated allowing removal of damaged bone and replacement with new bone. Periods of rest from training are therefore essential to prolong the career of racehorses.

The obvious question then is how much training is too much and how much rest is needed to maintain bone damage at safe levels. As with all biological questions this is difficult to answer for a particular horse because of the large variation between individual animals. However, based on the high incidence of joint injury in race horses it is reasonable to assume that most horses are not getting enough time away from training to allow adequate bone repair.

Although the racing calendar makes it difficult to increase time off training, finding an extra few weeks in the paddock each year for rest and recovery will mean fewer injuries that could have forced an unplanned rest or even retirement.

What About Rest Periods for Joint Injury. How Long is Enough?

Veterinarians commonly recommend rest periods for horses with injuries or lameness problems. This can be challenging for owners and trainers to accept due to the expense of keeping horses during rest periods and training when they are not earning money on the track. So it’s important to understand the purpose of rest.

For joint injuries the goal is to allow the bone underlying the cartilage to heal and for inflammation to subside. Provided there is no ongoing irritation or damage, soft tissue inflammation settles in about six weeks. For bone, the traditional threemonth healing period is based on data

from experimental animals. However in our studies on the horse, after three months only 16% of the bone under cartilage will be replaced suggesting that much longer periods of rest might be necessary. We have also seen that when microscopic damage is extensive the healing cells are unable to gain access to the injured area and this further delays the healing time.

Failing to allow adequate time for a joint injury to repair will result in greater stress on the remaining healthy joint surface and an increased risk of arthritis and pain developing. Horses’ joints routinely experience extreme loads when galloping so there is little scope for the uninjured portion of a joint surface to cope with greater loads. That’s why horses with joint injury fail to perform to expectations for the remainder of their careers. The short-term gain of getting a horse back to racing earlier after an injury may be offset by substandard performance and a shortened career.

So in summary injury prevention in racehorses involves: • Allowing time for the skeleton to adapt to galloping when training is first introduced or when it is reintroduced after a rest period.

• Minimising the accumulation of bone damage by avoiding intense training and racing campaigns. This can be achieved by reducing the distance of galloping workouts and spacing races by three to four weeks.

• Scheduling regular spells from intense training.

• If injury does occur, follow your veterinarian’s recommendations on the appropriate period of rest from training and ensure that the preparation for return to racing is gradual.

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Typical fractures in racehorses include condylar fractures of the cannon bone (Image 1) and humeral fractures (Image 2). Image 3: Fatigue damage in the fetlock of a racehorse is similar to fatigue damage in other materials such as metal. Image 4: The lever-arm at the fetlock joint creates large loads in the tendons and joints of the lower limb.

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It All Begins

With A Foal WORDS CINDY REICH

The birth of a foal is one of the most magical and wondrous events that happen on a horse farm. And while the majority of mares seem to be able to have their foal without a problem, when a problem happens, what you do may mean saving the foal’s life or losing it.

Milk Calcium Test A very wise person said, ‘The only consistent thing about mares is their inconsistency!’ As the old horsemen say, ‘The foal picks the day, but the mare picks the hour’. The horse has the most explosive birth of any large animal. Once the water breaks, the foal must be out in about 20 minutes. If you miss the birth by five minutes and it is a red bag delivery for example, you will have lost the foal.

If it is a malpresentation, you might have half an hour.

So how do you narrow that window of when the mare will foal? If you know your mare really well, you might know that she waxes up precisely 12 hours before foaling. But what if it is a maiden mare?

Or a recipient mare carrying an embryo?

We know the mare’s calcium level in her milk rises dramatically immediately before foaling. Therefore, we use a very inexpensive water hardness test kit to test the mare’s milk prior to foaling.

You can buy the same test from a company that puts a horse on the front of the box, but it is about three times the price of the water hardness kit!

We start milking the mare about two weeks prior to her due date. Some mares will have milk, and some will not. Only 1.5ml of fluid is required for the test, and repeated milking (every day) does not cause the mare to foal any earlier from the stimulation. I designed a tool to work on maiden mares and those that are a bit touchy, because I value my life!

Once the level has reached 200 ppm (parts per million), 98% of mares will foal within 72 hours. If the level reaches 300 ppm the mare will almost always 84

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foal within 24 hours. That said, biology is never 100%, so some mares don’t read the instructions. But any farm can do this test on their foaling mares and save themselves a lot of sleepless nights and increase the chance of being there for the foaling.

What If Things Go Wrong?

Since mares have the most explosive birth of all large animals, when something does go wrong, it goes wrong in a hurry.

Once the water has broken, the foal has about 20 minutes to get out of the mare.

There are a couple of things to remember that could make a difference. Where I work now, the nearest vet is usually about an hour away. Last year, I had an Arabian foal that was presented with just the head, nothing else. While I had the experience to go in and bring the legs out and have a successful foaling, if I had not been at the farm when the birth occurred, what would have happened? I don’t want to think. It was a difficult presentation.

First rule: If the foal is not coming properly, do everything you can to keep the mare up and walking. If you can keep the mare walking (not an easy task) you can delay the birth, even if the water is broken, by around 30-40 minutes.

Hopefully long enough for help to arrive.

Second rule: If you have a ‘red bag’ (premature detachment of the placenta) you do not have time for any help, at all.

You have maybe five minutes. You must cut through the placenta and pull the foal, as it is not receiving oxygen when the placenta has detached. For this reason, I have a pair of scissors tied to the front of each foaling stall.

Last rule: Even if the foal’s head and neck are hanging out of the mare and you are not able to get the foal out, don’t panic. The foal is still getting oxygen from the placenta (in a non-red bag). The foal does not begin to require oxygen until its rib cage clears the birth canal.

The exception to this rule is a hind leg presentation. You must pull this foal quickly, as the umbilical cord gets pinched between the foal and the pelvis and can cut off oxygen.

Once The Mare Foals Neonatal Isoerythrolysis (N.I.) Test: Once the foal is on the ground, there are a few important tests that can be done to increase the chance of a healthy foal.

Some mares build up antibodies to the

foal’s blood, because the sire of the foal might have a different blood type to the mare. When this happens, when the foal nurses the colostrum, the antibodies in the colostrum attack the foal’s red blood cells. The result is a weak, anaemic foal that may die. The good news is the mare only produces the antibodies in her colostrum. So, if the foal has a positive N.I. test, it is muzzled and given colostrum from another mare for 24 hours. After that time, it can nurse safely off its own mother.

This is especially important to do in recipient mares, as the foal is completely foreign to her. Now, you can have the mare tested 2-3 weeks prior to foaling by a laboratory that can test for N.I., but the test is expensive and not all people have access to testing. So here is what you can do. As soon as the umbilical cord has broken, collect up a few millilitres of blood in a syringe. Then milk a few millilitres of colostrum from the mare. On a clean glass surface (microscope slide) mix a few drops of the blood with a few drops of milk. If

Top: Use a sponge mare stick on maiden or difficult mares.

Above: The 1-2-3 Rule.

the milk/blood mixture clumps or clots, the test is positive, and the foal should be muzzled. If the mixture is static, there should not be a problem. This test has to be done prior to the foal nursing.

Strongylides Westerii: Foals are often infected with this parasite from their mother’s milk. What we used to call ‘foal heat diarrhoea’ and attribute to large amounts of estrogen in the mother’s milk is more likely this parasite causing ‘foal heat diarrhoea’.

Therefore, we deworm the mare with Ivermectin as soon as the foal is born to prevent the transmission of the parasite. It has greatly reduced the incidence of ‘foal heat diarrhoea’.

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Got Milk?: We test the mare’s colostrum at each foaling with a simple device called a Brixx refractometer. It simply requires a few drops of the mare’s colostrum and can tell you if she has a lot of large proteins (antibodies) in her colostrum. If her colostrum tests Very Good, or Good, the foal should have good antibody protection.

If you want to know for certain, I will tell you about another test. But if a mare tests Good or above, I will milk some colostrum and freeze. This will be useful if a mare does not have a lot of antibodies in her colostrum when we test it with the Brixx. At that time, we will thaw some tested colostrum (never, ever thaw in a microwave!) and give it to the foal within 24 hours of birth.

Immunoglobulin G Test (IgG): Another very important test is the IgG test which can be done when the foal is 12 hours old. The antibodies from the colostrum that protect the foal for the first 4-5 months of life are crucial to the foal’s long-term survival. If the foal does not get adequate protection from the colostrum, it will not thrive and will be susceptible to illness and death by the age of 5-6 months from infection or virus.

The ‘SNAP’ test can be done at the farm using a commercial kit. A small amount of whole blood from the foal (less than 1ml) is used. If the results are too low, and the test was done at 12 hours, it is possible to tube the foal with oral plasma which will give it the antibody protection it needs. If for some reason the test can’t be done until after 24 hours of life, then if it is deficient, the foal will require an intravenous plasma transfusion which requires veterinary attention, is more invasive and more expensive.

Below: The Madigan ‘Foal Squeeze’ Technique. See video clips online about this technique.

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1-2-3 Rule Once the foal is on the ground, I abide by the 1-2-3 rule. The foal should stand by one hour, nurse by two hours and the mare should drop the placenta by three hours. If those goals have not been reached, then some intervention should take place. Once the foal has nursed, I give it an enema and wait to see that it passes the majority of the meconium (foetal faeces). I have seen far too many foal colics to miss this important step.

You would be amazed by the amount of faecal material in these foals when they are born!

Always check the placenta to make sure it is intact. A retained placenta is at risk to leave some tissue in the mare and it will result in a toxic mare and a cascade of other problems. Spread the placenta out into an F and check the tips of both horns, particularly. If some of the placenta is left in the mare, it is most commonly the tip of the non-pregnant horn.

Madigan Foal Technique Anyone who has foaled out a lot of mares has probably, at one time or another, had a ‘dummy’ foal. The foal would not bond to the mare, would roam the perimeter of the stall, refuse to nurse and would not have a strong suckle reflux.

The prevailing opinion was these foals were deprived of oxygen during birth and this is why they acted the way they did.

These foals required intensive nursing and often died.

Approximately five years ago, John Madigan at the University of California Davis, discovered there are neuro-steroids produced by the foal’s brain that keep it quiet in the mare’s uterus. The process of being squeezed through the birth canal lowers the production of these steroids, effectively ‘waking up’ the foal to stand up and start nursing. The Madigan Foal Technique is truly miraculous and has saved countless foals for those who have

used the technique. There is a wealth of information about the Madigan Foal Technique online, including video clips which are a great help for anyone wanting to learn about the technique.

Recipient Mares I work with a lot of recipient mares (donor mares used in Embryo Transfer who give birth to the foals). With all of the advanced reproductive techniques being done in Arabians, there is a great demand for recipient mares. In the earliest days of embryo transfer, draft horses were used as recipients. They had a large, roomy uterus, were fairly docile and were great milkers. However, the reality, once the foals were born, especially Arabian foals, they had a hard time reaching the udder to nurse. Since the mares milked so heavily, the foals got diarrhoea. Arabian embryos in draft mares were larger at birth than out of other types of recipient mares (Quarter Horse, Thoroughbred, Paint, etc.).

However, they did not become giants, but grew to their genetic size. Other researchers have shown that having an embryo in a super large mare, like a draft, may influence the foal’s development and metabolic status. Not in a positive way. I have been involved with breeding facilities and have learned a few things about recipient mares. One of the main considerations should be temperament.

In the early days, most recipient mares came from sale barns or were rejects from the track or other pursuits. A lot of these mares were wild, dangerous and were in a sale barn for a good reason.

Foals learn behaviour by imitating their mother in the early stages. Therefore a recipient that is hard to catch, or is aggressive, or hard to handle, will teach a young foal these same behaviours. Not something you want to have happen.

Select recipients for good temperament.

They should be larger than the donor, but not huge. If they are significantly smaller than the donor there are problems that come with that match.

At the end of the day, you want to give that foal the best chance at having the best start in life that you can. While mares have been foaling without human intervention for thousands of years, the survival rate of foals is actually low compared to many other species. While we don’t want to take the foaling process too far away from the organic level, with the use of some simple technology that can be done on the farm without high cost, more foals will survive and thrive than ever before.

Highly Fermentable Fibres

The Good Fibre!

WORDS DR MARK BARNETT PHD PHOTOGRAPHY SHARON MEYERS

Fibre! Us nutritionists preach the need for its inclusion at no less than 50% of the total daily feed ration.

We talk about things like disrupted microbiomes and dysbiosis leading to acidosis, colic, leaky gut syndrome and laminitis when there is insufficient fibre in the diet.

W

e also go on about proper dental (teeth) wear, saliva production, bicarbonate (found in high concentrations in horse saliva) to prevent equine gastric ulcers, improved digestibility and even prevention of colic when there is a good level of fibre in the diet. So, in brief, feed fibre for your horse’s sake. But there is a problem with fibre that has a negative impact on the performance of a saddle horse – it’s relatively low in energy and digestibility.

The average bale of hay contains around 7 to 9 megajoules (MJ) of digestible energy in one kilogram (kg) of dry matter – dry matter is what’s left of a feed after all the moisture has been removed. Grains, on the other hand, contain usually between 12 and 15 MJ of digestible energy per one kilogram of dry matter (almost double!). Therefore, when your horse’s energy requirement increases (like when you increase the level of intensity in your riding), hay alone won’t provide enough energy. Traditionally, in this situation, grain is added to the diet to increase the energy density in the feed – whole oats, boiled barley, processed grainbased feeds, etc. These do increase the energy supply in the diet, but they come with risks. Grains are rapidly digested in the stomach and small intestine, releasing their nutrients for absorption or further digestion. Grains contain very high levels

Above: When your horse’s energy requirement increases, hay alone won’t provide enough energy. Pictured is Arabian stallion Magnum El Chall.

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of sugars and starch. Chronic exposure of horses to high levels of sugars has been extensively proven to compromise the immune system and cause various health issues such as insulin resistance (basically equine diabetes), laminitis and sepsis. Starch, while simply a long chain of glucose (a simple sugar) molecules, their chemical structure makes them three-times more resistant to digestion than sugars. As such, much of the starch (and there can be a lot of starch in grain – up to 70+% of the grain) ends up in the microbial fermentative vat called the hindgut (the caecum/colon of the large intestine). A specific type of microbes in the hindgut (lactate producing microbes)

ferment this starch into lactic acid (hence their name!). This lactic acid causes the pH in the hindgut to fall, dropping from the usual 6.7 pH to below 6.0 pH. When this happens, the ‘good microbes’ in the hindgut which digest the fibre in the diet, start to die. As they die, they release toxic enzymes called endotoxins which flow into the rest of the digestive system, causing all sorts of issues such as colic, irritable bowel syndrome, leaky gut syndrome, laminitis, etc.

So, you need to increase the energy density in your horse’s feed but now (thanks to reading this article) you are rather concerned by the consequences of feeding too much grain. What can you do?

Well, in recent years there has been the commercial development of a special type of feed which has the same benefits of feeding fibre but are much more digestible and, therefore, provide a much higher level of energy density, similar to grains. They are called highly fermentable fibres. But what are highly fermentable fibres?

What Are Highly Fermentable Fibres?

This is where I need to get a little technical for a moment to explain what highly fermentable fibres are.

Highly fermentable fibres are complex carbohydrates containing high levels of cellulose, hemicellulose and pectin which can readily be fermented by the hindgut microbes but contain much less of the non-digestible lignin than other fibre sources like hay and grass. They also contain high concentrations of readily degradable non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) (complex chains of sugars that are not digested in the small intestine but can be fermented in the hindgut but, unlike starch, are not used by microbes to produce lactic acid) that produce large volumes of volatile fatty acids (VFA). These volatile fatty acids are actually the primary source of energy for a horse, not sugars.

Volatile fatty acids, primarily acetate, butyrate and propionate are high-energy short-chain fats produced by microbes from fibre fermentation that travel safely through the blood (no insulin response unlike sugars) to be either converted in

the liver to glucose or long-chain fats for storage or used as an immediate energy source. Fats, in fact, contain up to threetimes the energy density of sugars!

In the past, to increase the concentration of energy in the horse’s diet it was necessary to replace some of the low-energy hay with higher-energy, high-starch grains. The introduction of highly fermentable fibres may be able to replace much of this grain in the diet as an alternative energy source. How much extra energy these fibres provide is unsure as the current measures of digestible energy are reasonably accurate for feed products like hay and grain-based feeds, but they may substantially underestimate the digestible energy for highly fermentable feeds which contain over 35% crude fibre and a high concentration of non-starch polysaccharides. This could mean that some highly fermentable fibres may have a similar digestible energy value as oats and barley, or even more! Studies both in the United States and Europe have shown that horses fed a diet consisting of just hay and highly fermentable fibres were able to perform at all levels of energy exertion, including racing, and that yearlings fed a similar diet grew as well as those on traditional high grain diets.

So, now that we know what a highly fermentable fibre is, what varieties are there available for the horse owner to use?

There are three well established varieties which are readily available and becoming increasingly used in the equine diet – haylage, soybean hulls and sugar beet pulp; plus a few emerging/potential ones.

Haylage Haylage is grass and/or legumes like lucerne (alfalfa) that is cut like hay but, instead of being dried out to around 90% dry matter, it is baled and wrapped in silage wrap when the moisture content is still relatively high (60 to 70% dry matter or 30 to 40% moisture). It is important to note that haylage is not the same as silage which is often baled and wrapped at very high moisture levels (up to 70% moisture) and can easily support toxic microbes such as those which produce the botulism toxin when exposed to air. One of the benefits of baling and

Left: Highly fermentable fibres have the same benefits of feeding fibre but are more digestible.

Pictured is Arabian gelding Artistry MI. Right: Fermentable fibres can increase the energy content of a saddle horse’s diet.

Pictured is Arabian Pony gelding Cracker Jack.

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‘grain-free’ feeds you find at your feed store today.

Studies have shown that most of the soybean hulls eaten by the horse are digested through microbial fermentation, meaning very little is wasted. Studies have also shown that the inclusion of soybean hull in a horse’s diet greatly increases the amount of volatile fatty acids produced, particularly propionate which favours the formation of glucose in the liver. In fact, soybean hulls were found to be so readily digested in the hindgut, producing such high quantities of volatile fatty acids and increasing the population of the beneficial fibre-digesting microbes that it has been suggested they can replace up to 75% of the total fibre in the diet and could be a suitable replacement for many grains and grain-based feeds used to traditionally increase the energy density of the feed. It is important though, like all highly fermentable fibres, that a quality balancing mineral and vitamin supplement be included when feeding reasonable levels of soybean hulls as they are, again, high in iron and low in copper and zinc. They do have some vitamin concentrations, but not much.

Sugar Beet Pulp wrapping the feed at a higher moisture content is that natural fermentation can occur within the wrapping. The higher moisture and low oxygen environment support a variety of anaerobic microbes (those that cannot survive when exposed to air) to partially ferment the feed, similar to what happens in the hindgut, before it is opened and fed to your horse. This increases the fermentability of the feed which increases the potential energy that can be generated by the microbes. This partial fermentation also dramatically reduces the amount of sugars and starches in the feed as the anaerobic microbes use them as an energy source.

They, in fact, convert a lot of the sugars and starches into lactic acid (which is absorbed in the small intestine and can be converted to glucose or fat in the liver) and volatile fatty acids – the primary energy source of the horse. These same microbes also contain a similar protein structure to the muscle of the horse, so haylage is often high in quantity and (more importantly) quality of protein. It is important to provide a balancing mineral and vitamin supplement as, depending on the grass or pasture used, the haylage will be higher or lower than the recommended feeding levels for many of the nutrients.

I’ve said in previous articles, and briefly mentioned at the beginning of this one, the importance of chewing for a horse’s digestive health and proper wear of their teeth. Us nutritionists are always emphasising about the need to include long-cut fibre in the diet to ensure this proper chewing (a horse chews hay and grass for more than four-times longer than grains). An added benefit of haylage is that it is cut the same as hay before being wrapped meaning the fibre length is long, just like hay. Therefore, most varieties of haylage support proper chewing by the horse.

Soybean Hulls Soybean hulls are simply the seed coat of the soybean that have been removed from the bean during the oil extraction process. They are high in pectin as well as other soluble fibres including non-starch polysaccharides, making them readily fermented by the microbes in the hindgut.

Like other highly fermentable fibres they are low in sugars and starch meaning little risk of health issues such as acidosis and leaky gut syndrome and great for horses prone to laminitis and colic. Soybean hulls are a common ingredient in many of the

Sugar beet pulp is a by-product of the sugar industry, being the remnants of sugar extraction from sugar beets. They are relatively high in hemicellulose and non-starch polysaccharides making them highly fermentable by the microbes in the hindgut. They are also, like other highly fermentable fibres, low in sugar and starch concentrations making them suitable as a low-GI feed to any horse with issues like insulin resistance, polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM) and laminitis. Their high fermentability means they have a higher digestible energy than most grass hays and they have a higher calcium content than most grass hays, making them an ideal fibre substitute.

Sugar beet pulp can be fed as a single feed, but it is important to ensure the sugar beet feed does not contain any added molasses (defeats the purpose of using a highly fermentable fibre instead of grains) and that a well-balanced mineral and vitamin supplement is provided with the feed. Some sugar beet feeds come as pellets or an ingredient in a feed. Most single-source sugar beet feeds though come in the loose, shredded form and need to be soaked prior to feeding to minimise choke. This obviously removes the benefit of chewing found in other super fibres such as haylage but does

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greatly increase the daily water intake which is very important during hot conditions. Sugar beet pulp is relatively high in iron, low in copper and zinc, has virtually no vitamin content and has about an 8:1 calcium to phosphorous ratio.

Studies have shown that a horse’s diet can contain up to 55% sugar beet pulp without negative effects.

Emerging/Potential Highly Fermentable Fibres There are a few other fibres that have the potential to fall into the category of highly fermentable fibres. With new and suitable products continuously being searched for, these potential ‘super fibres’ are slowly increasing in popularity and availability.

Lupins – High in fibre and fat while being very low in sugars and starch means they have the potential to increase the energy density of feeds without causing any health issues, like grains.

They are also high in quantity and quality protein (around 25 to 30% CP) plus low in iron content. With around 20% crude

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fibre and a high concentration of nonstarch polysaccharides, these pulses are emerging as another quality highly fermentable fibre.

Hemp seed hulls – With a steady growth in worldwide production of hemp plants, there is high potential for the hulls to become another highly fermentable fibre. Over 30% crude fibre, virtually no sugars or starch, and over 20% crude protein makes hemp hulls a quality horse feed. Having a very high fat content coupled with plenty of highly fermentable fibre, the digestible energy of hemp hulls is about 20 MJ per kilogram of dry matter (nearly double that of oats without the sugar issues). They do contain a few antinutritional factors so need to be limited to no more than 10% of the diet but still, with such high energy and protein, they have the potential to be another quality highly fermentable fibre.

Benefits of Feeding Highly Fermentable Fibres I’ve already covered many benefits for feeding highly fermentable fibres

to your horse – chewing, saliva, proper teeth wear, gut health, low sugars and starch, high potential energy, highly digestible, etc. There are some other reasons for including these types of feed in your horse’s diet too. Some horses cannot physically eat enough hay to fulfil their fibre requirements so, the inclusion of some highly fermentable fibre deals with that issue. Some horses require a steady source of energy for long distances, and high energy, highly fermentable fibres can provide this sustained energy supply while also acting as a water reservoir to prevent dehydration. There are also horses that cannot tolerate high sugar and starch diets, particularly those prone to laminitis, insulin resistance, exertional rhabdomyolysis (tying up) and PSSM. These horses often find relief when fed a low starch feed such as the previously mentioned highly fermentable fibres.

It’s vital that a quality balancing supplement be used to correct the nutrient deficiencies and ratio imbalances but, overall, highly fermentable fibres can increase the energy content of a saddle horse’s diet while having positive effects on gut health.

A Quiet Achiever

Danjera Arabian Stud INTERVIEW VIRGINIA DODSON

For many years I have had a photo of the beautiful brown Arabian stallion Pevensey Safari in my file of stallions I hoped to use one day.

M

y good friend Christine Cooper also had him earmarked as a sire for her old mare, Hamamas Sue (Windsor Park Santana x Ralvon Rebecca). Thus, it eventually transpired that we put our two old grey girls on a float and took them down the Clyde Mountain to Danjera Arabian Stud at Nowra, NSW. Mick and Gail Rooney of Danjera took such good care of the mares and in due course they returned home safely in foal to Pevensey Safari. As is often the way with Arabian people, we became good friends and shared the joys and sadness

of life and our horses together. I felt it was time people were reminded of a devoted and loving couple who had a dream of breeding beautiful, versatile, athletic Arabians and have quietly achieved just that over the last 30-plus years.

This is a story of love and loss with the constant thread of those wonderful, mainly Crabbet bloodlines which continue to work their magic and provide a source of comfort for one of our long-term dedicated breeders, whilst inspiring Gail to ensure the legacy of her beloved husband, Mick Rooney, lives on for future generations of Arabian horse enthusiasts to enjoy.

Tell us about the early years Gail.

‘Mick and I were always horse mad, albeit in different Australian states in our younger years. Both of us had Thoroughbreds initially. Mick’s was black, mine was a bay and both bucked! Neither of us had horsey parents, so I’m not sure where the horse obsession came from, but it turned into a lifelong addiction.

‘Mick left school and had his own bread run for a time and then joined the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and horses went on hold for a few years. Mick was a very proud member of the RAN or Senior Service, as was his father before

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him. He joined the RAN in 1962 and transferred to the Fleet Air Arm in 1967 as helicopter aircrew. He was a member of 817 Squadron Royal Australian Navy while embarked on the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne on June 3, 1969. This was when the American destroyer USS Frank E. Evans turned across Melbourne’s bow and was cut in half with the forward section of the Evans sinking, taking 74 crew with her in the early morning. The efforts of the helicopters and men of 817 Squadron in rescuing survivors in the water earned them a Meritorious Unit Commendation from the United States Navy. I treasure it.

‘Mick became friends with Geoff Maudsley of Attila (Count Manilla x Atalanta) fame and in fact, was the first person on Attila’s back. I bred Australian Ponies before moving on to Part Arabians bred from those ponies. I was a great admirer of the Banderol daughter Desert Queen (Dam Queen of Sheba) and used to follow her around the grounds when the Stud Show combined Arabians and ponies.

I was smitten by her quality and elegance.

Still am in fact. She was magic.’

How did you and Mick meet and start Danjera Arabian Stud?

‘A mutual friend introduced me to Mick when he was in 817 Squadron and stationed at HMAS Albatross, home of the Fleet Air Arm. He was very excited to meet a fellow Arabian enthusiast because they were thin on the ground in Nowra in those days. If I was truthful, I would say it was love at first sight and we married in Sale, Victoria while Mick was on his final posting with the RAN. ‘We travelled to the Victorian Arabian Classic for a look and attended the Arabian sale there, where a beautiful chestnut colt was entered. His sire was Boyar (Sindh x Balsora), a full brother to Banderol and out of Aisha (Count Manilla x Flamenco), a three-quarter sister to Attila. In very short order he was ours. The young colt grew into the handsome stallion Dandaloo Bashaan+S, a much-loved member of our family for his entire life. He was kind, had excellent movement and passed on his many fine qualities as a sire. He had quite a fan club in the area and was admired by many. Dandaloo Bashaan could mix it with the best in open company as well. We always believed the Arabian was a saddle horse first and foremost. Temperament and soundness were of utmost importance to us and we required elegance and good movement in our breeding stock. Bashaan set the standard for us with his progeny.

‘Mick and I shared a mutual love of all creatures great and small, which was just 92

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Previous Page: Arabian stallion Pevensey Safari.

Above: Pevensey Safari’s son Baranne Tu-Shay won the inaugural Bullio Endurance Cup, ridden by S. Lymbery.

Right: Gail riding Jaydana Fershaan with Mick riding Reign On. Both horses are sired by Dandaloo Bashaan.

as well because for our entire marriage I would bring home waifs, whether from my work as a veterinary nurse or ‘finding’ something in need and they were many and varied. He knew how important my rescue work was to me and would always build another pen or aviary without complaint to house the latest addition.’

Please tell us some of Danjera’s achievements.

‘Our horses have won many accolades at the big shows over the years but some of the more memorable wins were The Queen of Sheba Award at the NSW Division Show, Supreme Ridden Exhibit at the NSW National Arabian Stud Horse Show and Champion Hi Point Performance Horse at the same show. Ridden Champion of Champions at East Coast was another great result. We took Danjera Khedive+S (Dandaloo Bashaan x Strathmore Thelma) to the ACT Dressage Championships one Australia Day. He was the winner of the Waverley Perpetual Trophy for Highest Percentage Score that day.

‘Dandaloo Bashaan’s first purebred daughter, Danjera Shahbaan (dam Strathmore Thelma) was purchased by the Sultan of Johore as a riding mare for his

daughter and they kept in touch after her arrival in Malaysia. She was well loved.

They called her Danjera.

‘Our lovely friend Marian Duncan purchased Delraki Saakifa (Dandaloo Khaalid x Danjera Taanith) and Danjera Shaania (Jubarrah Sohaan x Wagga Cassara) from us.

Both these mares went Australian Champion Working Arabian Stockhorse and won the Jackpot Barrel Race ridden by Marian’s daughter, Jade.’

Danjera horses are respected and sought after for endurance and I know that Mick was very successful in the sport.

‘When Mick gave up playing Polo, he tried Endurance Riding and was a great competitor, always mindful of the welfare of his horse. We had always bred for performance, so the change from showing to endurance riding was very easy for our horses. They had height, heart and were forward going and sound. Our mares were chosen for these attributes plus good

temperament, mothering ability and it goes without saying, good feet and legs.

‘Dandaloo Bashaan sired some very good performers, amongst them Kada’s Ta’Baah, Dandaloo Shamaan and Malu Vale Jahaan.

‘Mick called his favourite mare Leestton Fashaanlee (Dandaloo Bashaan x Blue Bead Fae) his “other woman”. Fashaanlee had some very good placings with Mick in their rides but winning the South Coast Zone Championship on her was his biggest thrill. She vetted out lame on the last day of Shahzada at his only attempt. She had been in the running for Best Managed until then, but he didn’t care. Her shoes from that ride are still nailed above his work bench. Leestton Fashaanlee joined Mick on the anniversary of his death two years ago.

I miss her greatly.’

Tell us about the stallions you have used.

‘We started our journey with Dandaloo Bashaan and have had some very fine stallions here over the years including Bashaan’s sire Boyar, Naaman Naturally (Arabian Park Phaeton x Naaman Spring’s Memory) and Senussi (Dandaloo Khalid x Dandaloo Sissi) but Bashaan was our heart horse and his early death left us devastated. His fine son Jubarrah Sohaan (dam Nilgaram Pirelle) brought in a line to Desert Queen and was a true son of his sire. I have retained a lovely chestnut mare by him out of Danjera Balsindh (Dandaloo Bashaan x Strathmore Thelma) and hope to breed her this year to Pevensey Safari (Sarafire x Dandaloo Baylanie).

‘Dandaloo Khaalid (Chip Chase Kaiwanna x Dandaloo Baylanie) was a very good sire for us, especially of endurance

horses. Amongst his offspring are the top performers Danjera Bharata, fifth Middleweight at Canowindra Quilty; Aboo, multiple Quilty buckle holder; and 2006 National Points Horse Danjera Kadhir.

‘Pevensey Safari, bred by Leon Bennett, was a dream realised when he arrived here in 2010 and has fulfilled every hope we had for him. His beautiful brown colouring and four-square saddle horse conformation stand him in good stead as a sire, as does his wonderful temperament.’

You’ve had a pretty rough time over recent years Gail. The loss of Mick on the day my mare Qmriya Raheema (Raheem x Delaka Magic Fire) foaled a beautiful grey filly (Jupiter Jamilla) sired

by Pevensey Safari was devastating. I was so touched when you showed Mick a photo of her on that sad day and he gave her his stamp of approval.

‘Yes, life was about to deal us a blow I will never recover from, the loss of my husband, my soulmate and my best friend.

It was so unexpected, and he fought the inevitable with his usual courage, but it was a battle he wasn’t destined to win. I am so grateful Mick lived long enough to see how well Pevensey Safari nicked with our mares. Mick’s little man, Danjera Gideon (dam Danjera Khaalia) was orphaned in the months before his death and now he is expecting foals of his own next season for the Lymbery family of Garonne Park. Mick would be

well pleased with that. In recent months the Pevensey Safari son Baranne Tu-Shay (dam Salz Silver Reyn) won the inaugural Bullio Endurance Cup ridden by Sarah Lymbery and Danjera Sabrage (dam Danjera Natasja), last foal sired by Jubarrah Sohaan and a special favourite, was Champion Ridden Anglo Arabian for owner Karlie Shadlow at the National Capital Horse Show. It made me very proud and wherever Mick is, I hope he knows.’

Christine Cooper’s mare Hamamas Sue foaled a handsome grey colt, Bilkurra Darwin, sired by Pevensey Safari on the morning of Mick’s funeral.

It’s hard not to think Mick would have been proud once more of his beloved Safari’s ability as a sire. In the face of such overwhelming grief Gail, many people would have given up on the horses.

‘I was totally lost in the days after Mick’s death and by chance I saw an advertisement for an Arabian colt in Victoria.

I just had to have that colt and he is here now. Melandah Colonel (Ebjarah Moollah x Pevensey Shakira) reminds me so much of Dandaloo Bashaan, it’s uncanny.

‘Life dealt another blow when our beautiful daughter Christine passed away in 2017. The shock of her loss has left me reeling and the Arabian horses have kept me going. They are what brought us together. Manes are good for tears and Arabians are good for the soul.’

Below Left: Virginia Dodson’s mare Jupiter Jamilla (Pevensey Safari x Qmriya Raheema).

Below Right: The young colt Danjera Zaharan (Pevensey Safari x Pevensey Zaraya).

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April 2019 • 93

Stud Directory

B

BLUEDAWN

Breeders of quality Straight Egyptian Arabians.

Gregory, Marysia and Kyal Keyes VERNOR Qld

Q U E E N S L A N D

Q U E E N S L A N D

EGYPTIAN ARABIANS

for ARABIANS WITH THAT ELUSIVE QUALITY Straight Egyptian Bloodlines STEVE & TRISHA MARRIOTT Cnr Mt Glorious-Samford & Hulcombe Roads, Highvale Q 4520 Ph: +61 7 3289 7153 Mob: 0411 227 569 Email: sabtaharabianstud@bigpond.com

P: 07 5427 0182 E: bluedawnarabians@bigpond.com ww w. blu edaw n a ra b i a n s . c o m

tracedigital

Comanche Lodge

Bruce, Janice and Michael O’Connor 7 Kentville Rd Kentville Q 4342

Q U E E N S L A N D

Q u e e n s l a n d

Breeders of Pure Crabbet Arabian Horses

07 5465 8445 0418 772 084 www.comanchelodge.com.au

W A L E S

W A L E S

AHN

02 4447 8467 0412 423 438 E: danjera@bigpond.com

S O U T H

S O U T H

PEVENSEY SAFARI (Sarafire ex Dandaloo Baylanie x Boyar)

Enquiries Welcome

Moondarra Elsoraja

With Kym Dyball riding & Kate Dertell judging Breeders of exceptional halter & performance horses

Ian and Deb Watson 16 Humphreys Road Tallegalla Qld 4340

Samantha Taylor

N E W

N E W

Gail Rooney Brown Pure Crabbet Stallion | 15.1hh | SCID, LFS, CA Clear Photo taken at 21 years | At Stud by Private Treaty

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Breeding top flight performance horses of Crabbet heritage since 1979 in partnership with my late husband Mick. I continue the stud in his honour and as his legacy.

[Pictured]

Q U E E N S L A N D

Q U E E N S L A N D

464 Riverside Drive, Pine Mountain QLD 4306 Phone: (07) 5464 3917 Email: melcot@bigpond.com www.melcotarabians.com

Danjera Arabians

(Baranski X Rose Of Sarangani)

ARABIAN MOONDARRA “Quality Shines Brightest” S

Arabians

Iskah bred by Melcot Arabians and ridden by Erin Krahnen.

Razeem

Home of Eskdale

www.eskdalearabians.com

MELCOT

Lee Edwards & John Walker

PUREBRED SHOW AND PERFORMANCE BRED STOCK AVAILABLE

Wendy & Tracey Keller, Thallon Road Regency Downs QLD 4341 P (07) 5465 6626 M 0409 891 945 E wendy@eskdalearabians.com

comanchelodge@bigpond.com

Show • Endurance • Pleasure

ESKDALE ARABIANS Breeding Champions For You Since 1979

P: (07) 5426 8294 or 0408 656 776 E: moondarra2@bigpond.com www.moondarraarabians.com

Espirit Arabians

S T A L L I O N

A T

S T U D

Maraj El Dakar imp USA (Dakar El Jamaal x Majalis)

Double Ali Jamaal grandson, sire of National Champion at halter & successful endurance horses

Annette Vickery

344 Hilldale Rd, Hilldale NSW 2420 Ph (02) 4995 6169 or 0418 251 580 espirit@bmr.net.au

Stud Directory

HUME CREEK ARABIANS At Stud: RIVER OAK FAME S15962 DOB 16/11/1992

SCID, CA and LFS Clear; Bay, 15.1hh, Multi Supreme Champion in hand and under saddle.

2019 Stud Fees: $880 purebreds

$660 all others

W A L E S

W A L E S

John and Sue Bell, “Taringa”, 1296 Retreat Road, Uralla NSW 2358 Phone: (02) 6778 7005 Email: humecreek@gmail.com www.humecreek.webs.com

Grace Bryant

S O U T H

S O U T H

Arjai Summitt (dec) x Dynasty Lamech (dec)

N E W

N E W

Breeding for Performance and Temperament

Hume Creek Arabians

N E W

Krystal Creek Arabians

N E W

S O U T H

Breeders of quality purebred, palomino and pinto Arabians

S O U T H W A L E S

W A L E S

Colin and Kerry James 2333 Pacific Hwy, Cowper NSW 2460 P 0438 226 246 E krystalcreekarabians@gmail.com www.krystalcreekarabians.com.au

Newbury Park ARABIANS & PONIES HOME OF

Cherox Najiib S26931 Simeon Segel S24706 Newbury Touchdown APS2048

Youngstock for sale.

Visitors welcome.

JOHN & PAM ROBINS Newbury Park, Abercrombie Rd, Black Springs via Oberon NSW P: (02) 6335 8212 M: 0404 258 385 E: Pamrobins21@gmail.com www.newburyparkarabians.com

FENWICK STUD N E W

BREEDERS OF ARABIAN HORSES SINCE 1925

HOME OF

W A L E S

OSO Arabians offers for sale a selection of qualified endurance horses, youngstock, breeding and show horses.

Jamahl S26758

V I C T O R I A

S O U T H

Breeding for conformation, stamina, temperament and versatility

VISITORS MOST WELCOME Amanda & Andrew Kettlewell P: (02) 6020 3286 M: 0428 739 625 E: admin@osoarabians.com.au www.osoarabians.com.au

Vicki Johnson 1740 Donnybrook Road, Woodstock VIC 3751 p: 03 9716 2393/0418 307 366 e: fenwickstud1925@bigpond.com www.fenwickstud.com.au

Sharon Meyers

T H E D R E A M C O N T I N U E S...

AT STUD V I C T O R I A

V I C T O R I A

0499 896 386

DARNUM, VICTORIA tanyahawley@mac.com

HAWLEYARABIANS

Nurelee El Jedaan

(Mahabi el Shaklan-Latifa Bint Naazirah)

Nurelee Zadran

(Monteego Bay (imp) x Latifa Bint Naazirah)

Visitors most welcome to view our standing stallions, broodmares with foals and available young stock.

Predominantly Straight Egyptian and Egyptian related bloodlines.

Enquiries: Gabrielle Johnstone 50 Stony Creek Road, Red Hill Vic 3937 Ph: (03) 5989 3112 Fax: (03) 5989 3085

AHN

April 2019 • 95

Stud Directory | Services & Trainers Directory Pure Crabbet

Binley Prince imp UK

Prince Sadik x Ismala At stud by private treaty

Jennifer Hawkins Everton Upper, Victoria Mobile: 0427 302 598 Email: jh@shahwanparkarabians.com.au Web: www.shahwanparkarabians.com.au

Rothlynne Arabians where the emphasis is on black STALLIONS:

ACACIAVEJ ARABIANS

HU SHUMARR imp USA | Black Straight Egyptian

Hu Shameer x Hu Sukeefa

V I C T O R I A

V I C T O R I A

Home of Simeon Solomon dec. & Simeon Safrir

Kyneton Victoria 3444 Ph: +61 427 559 470 www.slipstreamarabians.com

G.R. NAFEES imp WG | Black Straight Egyptian

Madallan-Madheen x Nanessah Bint Neezah

SHADO’S SHETAHN | Black Straight Egyptian

Simeon Shados x Durra Sasse

Straight Egyptian, Purebred & Pinto Arabians usually available Enquiries to Lynne Matthews PO Box 105, Murchison VIC 3610 E: rothlynnearabians2@gmail.com | M: 0448 991 110

PHOTOGRAPHY

BY SHARON MEYERS

T A S M A N I A

Striving for Classic Breeding high % Crabbet Arabians for your pleasure

Sharon Meyers

Adam, Tracy & Kiana Nutting 274 Dawson Siding Road, Latrobe P: + 61 (0) 3 6426 2360 M: + 61 (0) 427 677 665 E: acaciavejarabians@hotmail.com W: acaciavejarabians.weebly.com

SPECIALISING IN HORSE SHOOTS P: 0409 270 535 E: sharon@meyers.id.au

MARIAN DUNCAN

Artist

Contact The NARA Team for more information on the exciting sport of Arabian Racing

P: 0354 296 985 E: naraaustralia@hotkey.net.au PO Box 177, Romsey Victoria 3434 www.naraaustralia.com

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AHN

Photo: Kerry Harvey

V I C T O R I A

V I C T O R I A Nicole Emanuel

Iqbal

www.maduncan.com

50TH

QUEENSLAND ARABIAN CHALLENGE SHOW 2019 RIES CLTITLES OSE ENTSTATE

QS

EC

Y3 MA CAB OOLTURE |

–5

19 6pm 5th May with display Reintroducing Sunday Night RFinals IL 20 2 1 S T AP and judging of 2 Saddle and 5 Halter Supremes of Show

LOSE ENTRIES C

21ST

APR I L 20 19

F E AT U R I N G : The Phillipa Russell-Tyas Memorial Sash for Purebred Arabians The Phillipa Russell-Tyas Memorial Sash for Derivative Arabians The Bob Burgess Memorial Snaffle Bit Maturity Sash for Purebred & Derivative Arabians The Challenge Ultimate Purebred Arabian & Derivative Arabian The Challenge Versatile Purebred Arabian & Derivative Arabian The Challenge High Point API

INTRODUCING: OUR 3 JUDGE HALTER PANEL Judy Kibler (USA), Jayne Bellchambers (VIC) & Caroline Potts (SA) OUR JUDGE FOR PUREBRED & DERIVATIVE & API SADDLE Robyn Rogers (NSW) OUR JUDGE FOR YOUTH & OPEN PERFORMANCE Mrs Vicki Franklin (QLD) OUR JUDGE FOR THE SASHES Leonie Walsh (QLD)

Arabian Horse Association of Qld Inc. Promoting the Arabian Horse in Queensland

A H AQ . a s n . a u

enquiries: info@ahaq.asn.au | M: 0418 772 084