Amaki’s Coloured Arabians

COLOURING OUR WORLD

Amaki’s Coloured Arabians and Diane Gale have been amongst the most prominent players in the Part Arabian show scene since the early 1980s. Horses bred by the stud, and their progeny for many generations, have continued to win at the highest levels for the past forty years…no mean feat for a breeding program that has produced very few foals relative to its years. One could say that Amaki Arabians has been punching above its weight in that regard, however when one considers the effort to focus on only the best that drives Diane’s breeding decisions, it makes perfect sense.

I first met Diane when I was a teenager. I had lied about being 18 years of age and taken my horse on a fund-raising ride from Pokolbin in the Hunter Valley to Tamworth, and I had met a man on this ride who had Arabians. He introduced me to Diane, because ‘she had something very special and unique that I would be interested in learning about’.

And indeed I was. Although my memory is foggy now, I remember visiting her property in Ebenezer and meeting a collection of exquisite, golden Part Arabian horses. I could not afford one at the time, however Diane was very supportive and we kept in touch, and I vowed that one of these horses would be a part of my future. It happened of course, however that is a tale for another day. Diane grew up in Randwick, close to Centennial Park in Sydney where even today, the track around the edge of the park is filled with horses and riders. As a child, Diane spent all of her time watching these riding school horses, and when she was 13 years old the family moved to one acre of land in Westmead where she was able to buy her first horse, a chestnut mare named Penny.

‘Although Penny was a great little pony to learn to ride on, Arabians were always the horses that I dreamed of. In those days, purebred fillies were impossible to get hold of, however I managed to buy an unregistered mare named “Mist” who had some of the qualities I admired in Arabians. She was a fun horse to ride, but my dream

PC STUART VESTY

was to breed her to my “pin up boy” Aethon (Spindrift (GB) x Hestia). He was my ideal Arabian, and I would go to shows just in the hope that he was there.’

Diane’s dream of breeding Mist to Aethon did happen eventually, but no foal resulted. In 1969 Mist was bred to one of the most popular breeding stallions of the time Flash Design (Flash Boy x Mayrial) and in August 1970, the very first Part Arabian carrying the ‘Amaki’ prefix was born.

‘My stud name “Amaki” (pronounced amak-eye) was derived from the town my father was born in, Kiama. I named that filly Amaki Shahwan and I bred a couple of foals from her by purebred stallions. My breeding program continued that way throughout the 1970s, starting with unregistered mares and breeding up with purebred stallions, both outside horses and a chestnut stallion I owned named Talquah Ramaki by Royaljan (Royal Domino x Mutrif) from Ralvon Kunfuda (Rikham (GB) x Neyzar). It was not unusual at the time as purebred mares were both rare and as valuable as houses!’

As the next decade dawned, Diane’s breeding program took a major leap forward with the purchase of her first purebred mare Schimmelhoff Soraya (Shiekie x Sayonara), and an imported palomino mare Cheswick Golden Mist. Sired by the purebred stallion Sahara (Surur x Shirin) from Cheswick Golden Dawn, Golden Mist would prove a game changer for Diane.

Golden Mist and her mother Dawn were imported from New Zealand, and their owner took a shine to one of Diane’s horses so a swap was agreed to. Golden Mist was bred to a two-year-old chestnut Arabian colt, Glo-Brook Strephon (Royal Gindi x Iraki Georgie), and this mating produced her first palomino filly named Amaki’s Golden Imp. This filly would go on to create a dynasty that is arguably unequalled by a Part Arabian mare, even today.

‘Imp and I had a unique bond from the time I delivered her into the world in 1981. To say she was special is an understatement, she was everything I could have wished for. She was my first palomino foal, and I named her for the impish way she would dance around her mother as a foal. I could not believe that she was real, she was divine.’

Amaki’s Golden Imp became Diane’s regular weekend show ring partner, winning her class at the Nationals as a yearling, as a two-year-old and then again as a threeyear-old, where she was also awarded Champion. The dedication Diane showed towards Golden Imp was rewarded with a total of eight Championships and eleven Reserve Champion wins throughout the Hawkesbury, in both Arabian and Palomino classes during those first three seasons. After several years off as a broodmare, at the 1991 East Coast Championships Golden Imp returned to the ring for Reserve Champion Part Arabian Mare, then Supreme Champion at Il Cadore when just ten days off foaling. Golden Imp won her Part Arabian Broodmare class three years in a row at the National Arabian Show, from 1990 with a five-day-old filly, 1991 with a two-day-old filly and in 1992 ready to foal her first colt at any time, achieving her Roll Of Merit, and was retired from the show ring.

‘With the success of Golden Imp, I became more and more interested in coloured Arabian derivatives,’ begins Diane. ‘At that time, it was as difficult to find good coloured mares as it was to afford purebred mares, however I was able to acquire a lovely cremello/grey mare who was double Najaf (Moon Kabala x Neyri).’ Diane had retained a bay purebred stallion from Schimmelhoff Soraya, sired by the Ralvon Pilgrim son Orana Vagabond. ‘I bred these two together to produce one of my favourite horses, Amaki Buck’s Fizz. He was named after the cocktail known as a Bucks Fizz, which is a mixture of champagne and orange juice. I used to liken it to how showing can be…sometimes you celebrate with champagne, and other times you have to settle for orange juice!’

The buckskin Amaki Buck’s Fizz attended his first show, the National Capital in Canberra at 13 months old, where he won Grand Champion Derivative Exhibit. A tall and imposing colt, he went on to become a National Arabian Champion twice and East Coast Champion after achieving his finest show ring moment, Australian National Champion Stallion.

‘It was around that time that I began to think that perhaps Buck’s Fizz was turning grey. You see, his dam was by a palomino but out of a palomino grey dam. She had already produced two palomino grey fillies. Still, he was a magnificent horse regardless of colour, and between showing Golden Imp and Bucky during that period…well I was having the time of my life.’

Diane’s winning pair had their first foal in the spring of 1990, another first for Diane, a perlino filly. ‘Amaki’s Impeccable was a dream come true. Her first Arabian show was the All Arabian Show, where to the absolute horror of some onlookers because of her colour, she won the Part Arabian foal class of 14 foals. She won her first Champion award at just three months old from all ages and the winning never stopped. As a yearling she won both Reserve Australian National Champion and East Coast Reserve Champion and in her futurity class at the National Arabian Show she won from a large class with a score of 81.3%, which was higher than the winning purebred had scored. In 1993 she won the Progeny Group with her full brother at the National Arabian Show from 12 groups. It was astounding as they were both perlinos at a time when few considered the colour appropriate. After six years living in paddock retirement with no rugging or stabling she was taken to Canberra and Palomino Nationals where she was awarded Supreme ribbons at both shows.’

PC SHARON MEYERS AMAKI’S GOLDEN IMP (GLO-BROOK STREPHON X CHESWICK GOLDEN MIST) OPPOSITE PAGE AMAKI’S IMPRESSIONIST (AMAKI BUCK’S FIZZ X AMAKI’S GOLDEN IMP)

Amaki’s Impeccable became a broodmare of note. Her first foal Amaki’s Impressionable was sold as a yearling, after winning her futurity and Champion at the National Arabian Show, to Kate Dertell who showed her to many championships at halter and in Western pleasure including East Coast Champion and winning the prestigious Camelot Challenge.

It would be seven years before Impeccable was bred again, producing a trifecta of incredible foals by the great SK Shakla Khan (Sanadik El Shaklan x Sunking Raindrop). ‘I had long admired him, and although he was not at stud to derivative mares, his owner Peter Hall after seeing her, allowed me to use him.’ The first was a buckskin daughter Amaki’s Impasshan, Reserve Champion at both the Arabian National and the Canberra National, and Top Five at East Coast then retired due to a skin allergy and retained by the stud. The second was a palomino filly named Amaki’s Impresshan of perfect proportions who was sold at one day old to Nicole Tremain and won seven Championships from her first seven shows including The Little Egypt Trophy and National Arabian Show, Canberra National Show, East Coast And Australian Championships. The third was born after Diane had to sell Impeccable, a buckskin colt Heste Arabique Impressed in Bronze, also purchased by Nicole Tremain who became an Australian Champion and won the Triple Crown amongst many other wins. Today, he is owned by Andrew Thorek and is still very competitive.

PC BOUNDLESS IMAGES Of course as the old saying goes, a good horse is never a bad colour, however there were indeed people who thought that a good horse was actually a bad colour. It may be hard to believe today, however during the early nineties, double dilute horses, commonly known as cremello and perlino, were not valued by the general horse community at all, regardless of conformation. At that time even the Palomino Society in Australia would not allow stock to be registered if they were sired by a cremello or perlino stallion…despite the fact that using these genetics could reliably predict the colour of the foal which was so desired by admirers of the colour palomino.

The first colt born to Amaki Buck’s Fizz and Amaki’s Golden Imp would unravel these primitive customs. Another perlino, Amaki’s Impressionist attended his first show at three months old to be awarded Champion Stallion or Colt. He won his yearling and two-year-old Futurities. He would go on to win Championships at the National Arabian Show (twice), East Coast Champion, Canberra National Supreme Derivative, Australian National Reserve Champion Stallion and All Arabian Show Reserve Champion (to his sire).

Diane persevered with her ‘white’ horses, exhibiting them whenever she could, and turning a few heads as she did. As Amaki’s Impressionist matured, his wins were being noticed by many who had previously tried to dismiss him as something lesser than what he was. ‘As an adult stallion in 1998 I took Amaki’s Impressionist to Melbourne for the Victorian Classic with nothing but a few dollars and a dream to my name. I will never forget the feeling of hearing his number being called out for Champion Part Arabian Stallion at the Classic, only eclipsed by being called out for Supreme Part Arabian Exhibit a few minutes later. I cried…I still cry today when I think about it. Not bad for a horse of a different colour.

‘Prior to 1998 I had always prepared him at home mostly by myself,’ says Diane. ‘I didn’t have stables, I prepped him in his paddock and I loved him and trained him. He was always wonderful to me.’ The love lavished on the lofty white stallion was returned 10 fold. ‘In spite of everything, he had done it, he had done everything I could have ever asked of him, and all with such grace,’ remembers Diane.

Due to his quality and success, the Australian Palomino Horse Society at the time would have no option but to change their ruling on progeny by double dilute stallions. ‘The registration number for Amaki’s Impressionist with that society was W001…the first of his kind and I believe it was another two years until W002 was given to a pony.’

Amaki’s Impressionist became a sire of note, most notably of the buckskin stallion Heste Arabique First Impression from Heste Arabique Josephine (Erin Park Nelson x Tutuilla Deidamia) who, produced by his owner Viv Motbey, would become a multi Australian National Champion, and won the Triple Crown three times before his untimely death. Impressionist also sired the National Champion Mare Bluegum Snowflake, East Coast Champion Kepeka Khyle while Diane bred a magnificent buckskin by him, Amaki’s Impersonator (Amaki Ikamar Raakhaan) who was Champion at the QLD Challenge and competes very successfully in dressage.

When bred back to his dam, Amaki’s Impressionist sired one of the leading sires of Arabian derivatives today, Ray of Light. An East Coast Champion and twice Australian National Reserve Champion (both times first on points), Ray of Light is the sire of many of today’s champions including Wishlist, Light It Up, QHF Kit Kat, Top Model, Kinful Simply Delightful, AP Time Stands Still, Fire Fly, Kinful Ziggy Stardust, Gleniph Light My Fire and Diamond Road Heart of Fire.

‘I was having so much fun showing my horses that for much of the nineties, I didn’t breed many at all. I bred Amaki’s Golden Imp to my bay Arabian stallion Amaki Va’Reign for the buckskin filly Amaki’s Impre’vu, who was an East Coast

AMAKI’S IMPERSONATOR (AMAKI’S IMPRESSIONIST X AMAKI IKAMAR RAAKHAAN)

AMAKI’S IMPASSHAN (SK SHAKLA KHAN X AMAKI’S IMPECCABLE) WITH COLT AMAKI’S IMPRESARIO BY VESUVIO (AZTEQ LBA X VALOURIA)

AMAKI’S IMPRESSHAN (SK SHAKLA KHAN X AMAKI’S IMPECCABLE) WINNING AT THE 2018 CHALLENGE Reserve Champion and Canberra National Supreme as a yearling before becoming a wonderful broodmare for both myself and her subsequent owners.’ Her best known foals are Amaki’s Da Ja’Vu by Shakla Zulu who won Supreme at the Victorian Classic and Reserve at Sydney Royal, and Diamond Road Abrax by Shakla’s Eclipse, both Australian National Champions.

After a divorce, Diane continued her stud for a few years before ill health and losing the property forced her to sell nearly all of her horses. Wanting to keep the bloodlines that had been so successful for her, Diane only retained the buckskin mares Amaki’s Impasshan (SK Shakla Khan x Amaki’s Impeccable) and Amaki’s Va’Nita, full sister to Amaki Buck’s Fizz and her cremello daughter Amaki’s Va’Nilla Crème. All of the horses that had built the stud…Golden Imp, Buck’s Fizz, Impressionist, Impeccable, Impre’vu and more, were sold to what would become, in the most part anyway, their forever homes. A couple of foals were bred, including the well performed Amaki’s Scorch’n (RNZ Scorza x Amaki’s Va’Nilla Crème) who won East Coast Reserve Champion and Supreme at the Canberra National before he was sold, but essentially, the last 10 years or so has been rather quiet for Amaki’s Coloured Arabians.

‘Things don’t always go according to plan, the retained mares and their daughters were leased out with varying success, and so today I have just one mare, Amaki’s Impasshan who is hopefully in foal to Ray of Light for a show horse which may be my last, and her gelding son Amaki’s Impresario by Australian Champion Vesuvio (Azteq LBA x Valouria) who has just found a new home in Queensland.

‘I am so excited to see an Amaki prefix horse out in the ring again. Impresario is a rather hot little gelding and I think he will show his socks off! I am so proud to continue with my “Imp” family, with each of them given the family name for several generations now. I am equally proud of how horses that I have bred and owned have gone on to make the younger generation’s dreams come true, and I follow their progress as eagerly as I do the ones I have bred myself. That said, another Australian Championship win of my own is definitely on my wishlist…watch this space! Here’s hoping it is white!”

PC FLASH PONY

I am all about quality over quantity though, always have been.

By David Gillett & Diane Gale Images courtesy of Stuart Vesty, Sharon Meyers, Boundless Images & Flash Pony