Proven Bloodlines in Sport for Generations


2010 colt with multiple lines to *Raffles/Indraff , *Rissalix, and Oran/*Silver Vanity as well as a line to Indian Magic
(showing in the open yearling colts class at Dressage at Devon)

      The Arabian horse is a versatile and diverse breed.  Originally a desert warhorse renowned for hardiness, intelligence, heart, structural balance, floating gaits, sensitivity, stamina, people pleasing natures, and graceful beauty, the Arabian has been used for centuries to create and improve many of the modern riding horse breeds --including sport horses.  The Arabian has contributed desirable qualities to the development of the Thoroughbred, the Shagya Arabian, the Selle Francais, the Anglo-Arabian, the Trakehner, and to most of the modern WB registries either directly or through one of the aforementioned breeds with significant Arabian influence.  Even today, most of the European Warmblood registries permit outstanding Arabians to be presented for breeding approval in their studbooks.



For one perspective on the use of Arabians in sport horse breeding, Gerhard Schickedanz, a prominent breeder of international caliber Trakehners had this to say in regard to the use of Arabian blood in the Trakehner noting the Arabian influence in the great broodmare, Abiza, the dam of the internationally renowned show jumper, Abdullah, and several other elite horses:
 

As to the future of the Trakehner internationally, Gerhard is hopeful that the reign of the heavy horse is over and the Trakehner will return to the performance horse of memory. "The judging is beginning to change from the technical, methodical, type to freestyle . . . More and more emphasis on lightness and you can see how our horses are going to show well .. . It's changing back to what I remember in my childhood. It's not the real heavy one, it is the considerably refined." Gerhard began breeding Trakehners because his early exposure to them convinced him that the Trakehner had the greatest potential to succeed in international competition. Toward this end, Gerhard has some, perhaps controversial, thoughts on the Arabian blood which has been fundamental in the success of his breeding program. "I think we are not putting in enough, and by not putting in enough we are going to lack endurance and type, too, eventually. I have some Abiza daughters here and they look like they are Arab and they are only 1/16 Arab but the look is still there. Abiza was 1/8 Arab, look how the Arab is still in her, and Archie, her son, 21 now, still looks . . .[that way]. I bought one mare, I consider her the second best I bought, Heimische, (Hänsel's dam), . . .I simply liked her . . .most important thing was she was half-Arab. . .This is what the breed is all about. They found a good Arab and they brought him in." Gerhard is quick to point out this century's marker stallions are high percentage Thoroughbred and Arabian offspring. This is what makes the Trakehner a warmblood and a warmblood of a particularly sought-after type. Charlotte, too, appreciates the need for Arabian blood. "I can't get enough of it, if I can get the good stuff. They're tough, and for performance you need good tough horses not wimps that break down. You want those tougher kinds of attributes that the Arab can give. That's why you crossbreed. I don't think you can get a better cross than the Arab-Trakehner or the Thoroughbred-Trakehner. [For a sport horse] that's the ultimate. A 50/50 blood cross. I can tell you with Astrahan, he has an easier time conditioning than Amiego or Anton ('92 Olympic qualifier). For him it comes easier. He's big, heavy boned, like an English-type Thoroughbred . . not any heavier than Amiego or Anton, but he has an easier time of it." Full article here on the American Trakehner Association website

  While most purebred Arabians are not specifically bred for traits that make them ideally suited for one of the sport disciplines, there are lineages within the breed where some individuals do possess the structure, movement, athletic ability, and rideability to be successful in one or more of the sport disciplines.  Although the history of producing purebred Arabians for sport is disjointed and sporadic when compared to the systematic development and improvement of the contemporary European Warmbloods that now dominate the top levels of competition, there have even been a few breeders of purebred Arabians that have purposefully bred for sport ability.  There has been a resurgence of interest in the Arabian as a sport horse with the strong demographic shift in the horse world toward more discipline oriented interests.  As more Arabians are purpose bred for sport horse characteristics and demonstrate success in performance and in breeding, select individuals of the breed may once again contribute positive attributes to the further development of sport horses.


  After starting a 15 year old Arabian mare under saddle and discovering that she had wonderful movement, seemingly boundless athleticism, and a superb work ethic, I went looking for others like her.  Researching modern Arabian pedigrees and looking at Arabians that had either been approved for breeding by one of the European Warmblood registries or that had excelled in sport, I found a number of specific bloodlines recurring through several different family branches and over a number of generations.  While many of the major bloodline groups have produced individuals that have been successful in sport (including Russian, Spanish, Polish, and Egyptian lines), I was particularly attracted to horses from the CMK bloodline group because a number of different lineages within that group had demonstrated success in sport.  Additionally, those same lines were often quite complimentary when bred together.  Since the core breeding traditions within the CMK breeding group have kept rideability paramount in both the structure and temperament of the CMK horses, the genetic base for producing sport type Arabians from this bloodline group is both deep and broad.


  The particular pedigree elements that I found repeatedly in a number of both historic and contemporary Arabian horses with significant sport horse characteristics include *Rissalix/*Count Dorsaz/*Ranix, (often through the sire-line, but also combined with one or more of the other elements listed here) *Raffles/Indraff/*Indaia, *Raseyn, Oran/Silver Gilt/*Silver Vanity, Indian Magic, Indian Gold, Abu Farwa, Aurab/Aulrab, Rahas as well as the Davenport lines. Further back in pedigrees lines to the stallions Mesaoud, *Astraled/Gulastra, Nasik, *Berk, and the mares Rissla, Gulnare, Dajania, and Nasra/Rodania seemed to occur regularly.  Notably, the Arabian stallion, Priboj, who founded a still prominent Trakehner sire-line, traces through his dam to several of these foundation horses.  As with any breeding line, each of these elements tends to bring specific strengths and each requires attention to appropriate complimentary phenotypes and lineage nicks.  Some of the breeders over the past few decades that have utilized various subsets of these pedigree elements to purposefully produce horses with sport ability include Austine Hearst, Gina Manion, Sandy Warren, Buzz Moore, and Bazy Tankersley (the latter three are still actively breeding after decades of producing superb quality Arabian sport horses).

  Using carefully selected individual horses from these CMK family lines that demonstrate desirable sport horse traits like strong hindquarters, substance, a well laid back shoulder with a long well angled humerus, correctly angled legs with good joints and excellent hooves, short broad loins, three pure gaits, elastic use of the back with a strong preference for a supple dorso-flexed carriage, deep bodies with well sprung ribs, well set necks, great work ethics, boldness, heart,  intelligence, and friendly temperaments, we hope to be able to produce both athletic horses that are a pleasure to handle, ride, and train, and some breeding stock that have the genetic base to reproduce those qualities.  The breeding program at Faerie Court Farm is still relatively young, but we have been encouraged by the quality of the youngsters that have been born here in the past few years using these proven CMK  family lines.



   
Photo by Stochl
Rafmirz  1940 stallion (a *Raffles son with lines to Nasik, *Berk, Rissla, and *Indaia) who was trained and ridden to high school dressage by Carl-Heinrich Asmis decades before the discipline of dressage became popular in the US.


Axt photo
Senrab 1953 gelding (*Raseyn, Nasik, Davenport elements) competed in FEI jumping competitions including jumps of 6'4".

Silent Wings 1954 mare (Oran and Indian Gold with multple lines to Dajania including a dam line to Dajania through the very fine mare Silfina) This exraordinary mare had fourteen progeny --many of whom were successful in sport disciplines.


Aazrak 1956 stallion (*Raffles, Rahas, multiple lines to Gulnare)  successful as a hunter and in eventing competitions and an important sire of Anglo-Arabians.



The Count of Al-Marah 1957 stallion (*Rissalix and Oran)--trained by Ward Wells to high school dressage including several airs above the ground



Count Thirteen 1960 stallion (later a gelding) (*Rissalix sire-line, *Raffles, and Davenport elements) One of Gina Manion's early dressage partners (her first FEI level horse) and part of her purpose breeding for dressage program, here ridden by Dominique Barbier.


Bright Meadows  1962 stallion (Oran/Silver Gilt, *Raseyn, and *Rissalix influences) trained and competed to the FEI levels was considered as a possible contender for the 1976 Olympics by Chuck Grant (ridden here by Chuck Grant).


AM Lord Elope 1964 stallion (multiple lines to Indraff/*Raffles/Indaia and a great grandson of Oran) sire of many part-bred Arabians that were successful as hunter ponies. He continues to be a desirable pedigree element in hunter pony pedigrees

AM Countess Mae 1964 mare (*Raffles and Rissalix) had a short, but successful show career in open hunter shows including championships and first place wins at venues like the Devon Horse Show and the Royal Agricultural Fair in Toronto Canada.


Golden Wings  1968 gelding (Oran and *Rissalix influence and son of the exceptional broodmare Silent Wings) -- competed at the FEI level in international competition for the UK and then was a schoolmaster at Olympian Jennie Loriston-Clarke's farm, ridden here by Carol Parsons.


Winraff++ 1970 stallion (linebred to *Raffles) another horse trained by Gina Manion for upper level dressage and utilized in her breeding program.



Gahalla 1971 mare (multiple lines to *Raseyn also multiple lines to Astraled and strong Davenport elements) trained to Grand Prix dressage and competed in open competition by Mari Monda Zdunic.


DebsDancingPrince 1971 stallion (multiple lines to both Raffles and Raseyn) who cleared jumps over 6ft. in open jumping competitions.  He sired a number of fine Anglo-Arabians and neither of his two  purebred offspring were used for breeding.


JR Lyraff 1975 stallion (intensely linebred to *Raffles including being sired by Gina Manion's dressage stallion Winraff++) sired part-bred ponies primarily children's hunters.  Notably, JR Lyraff was the Arabian great-grandsire of the internationally successful eventing pony Theodore O'Connor.



Shuranix 1977 stallion (*Raffles and *Rissalix) Schooling piaffe with Lendon Gray.  Sadly, he left no progeny.



Silent Fire 1980 stallion (another example of the Oran and Rissalix nick)  He performed in classical dressage exhibitions.  


photo courtesy of Buzz Moore/Fairfield Farm
FFC Geynius 1982 stallion (later gelded)  (another of the *Rissalix sire-line horses with multiple lines to *Raffles/Indraff) that has had success in dressage competition, ridden here by Margret Gafford.

Al-Marah Xanthium 1985 mare (multiple lines to *Raffles/Indraff/*Indaia and sire line to *Rissalix) American Trakehner Association approved Arabian mare --highly successful in endurance competion she has both purebred and Trakehner offspring successfully competing in sport disciplines.


photo courtesy of Legendary Arabians
Aul Magic +/  1985 stallion (Aulrab, Abu Farwa, Indian Magic, and *Rissalix) American Trakehner Association approved Arabian stallion who competed successfully in dressage in both open and breed competition and siring both purebred Arabian and Trakehner offspring that are competing in sport disciplines.

*Magic Domino AHS+++// 1988 stallion (multiple lines to *Rissalix and Oran, also a line to Indian Magic and one to the mare Silent Wings)  Approved for breeding with the Canadian Trakehner Horse Society prior to his importation to the US.  He has competed in dressage in both breed and open competition and has sired horses competing in sport disciplines and some that have been approved for WB breeding.


Al-Marah Quebec + 1988 stallion (multiple lines to *Raffles/Indraff and a *Rissalix sire-line)  American Trakehner Association approved Arabian stallion who competed successfully in dressage to IntermediareI in both open and breed competition and is still siring offspring that are utilized for sport performance competition and in the breeding of sport horses.