Pic of my first Arab stally - eventing!

[htobago]

This is my first horse, the Crabbet Arab stallion General Lee Gold (Laddie to his friends) - who was one of the first (possibly the first) pure-bred Arabs to compete in affiliated eventing. And this was in the days before all these Pre-Novice and Intro classes - you just went straight into Novice with the big boys.

He also did affiliated sj and dressage, plus hunter trials and drag-hunting with the Berks & Bucks. He wasn't as pretty as my new boy Tobago, but the toughest, bravest little horse you could ever hope to find - I still miss him.

He was only 15.1hh, but he carried over 13 stone (6 ft male rider) throughout his eventing/hunting/hunter-trials career - often jumping out of fetlock-deep mud or on rock-hard ground - and yet he was never lame sick or sorry once in the 10 years I had him.

Once he was kicked while covering a mare, and his leg swelled up badly, but he refused to go lame on it, and did an eventing demonstration the next day, ridden by Yogi Breisner!

He was by General Gold (General Grant x Golden Treasure) out of Leda (Orion x Silindra). He left only a few offspring, but they include Red House Ziona, a prolific winner under saddle, and her daughter RH Zinderella who is now also winning.

 

[DollyPentreath]

Love it!! Wonderful pic, HT and thanks for posting.

 

[Anastasia]

Wonderful pic Htobago.................

 

[Fahrenheit]

See this is what the true Arab is like, tough, brave, talented and every much a competitor in the 3 main disciplines...........it is a shame they get such a rap for not being able to jump in this country when in reality it just that they have been bred more towards showing in this country, but if you go to europe they are still being bred to be tough harden competition horse and ponies!

Can I join in you thread ht please with a few pics of my Arab Stally??

 

[springfallstud]

Great pic and i agree with HG LLT2 nice to seem them doing a proper job!

 

[Fairynuff]

Is he really one in a million or are there many other Arabs out there who's owners have never thought to 'give them a go' at being normal horses?
Where is he now? Mairi.

 

[machannah]

Oh lovely, I thought your current was your first arab stallion! The first looks great, and fab to see him out competing - not often you get a full bred eventing

 

[the watcher]

Great picture and an inspiration to anybody with a full arab. treat them like any other horse and they are not so different

 

[zizz]

[ QUOTE ]
Is he really one in a million or are there many other Arabs out there who's owners have never thought to 'give them a go' at being normal horses?
Where is he now? Mairi.

[/ QUOTE ]

there are lots of arabs out there competing at affiliated level, mine would be if only i could afford it! Majority of affilliated arabs are doing dressage, e.g the stallions Plumbum, Dervatiw Gwyddion and Silvern Rislam. Notable eventing stallions include Shalkar, Icon (Arab x Lusitano) and All that Jazz (Anglo). Although there are hundreds of pure breds doing many more disciplines at unaffilliated level lots of riders cannot see past the tail carriage and realise what tough capable little horses they are as proved by the wonderful photo above, which i'm sure i have seen before, was it in an AHS magazine many years ago?

 

[ghosthooves]

Zomg he's gorgeous. And wonderful proof that arabs CAN compete. *Glomps crabbets* Him and Little Boy are distant relations through Blue Domino

To deviate from the subject a little could I join your clique please Zizz?

 

[Grey_Arab]

That's a lovely story!!! He is so lovely!!! I'm a huge arab fan, mines 17 and bred in Sweden, and he is the most genuine lovely boy ever!!! Loves to jump and works well on the flat, I think it's a real shame that people don't give them a chance

 

[magic104]

I remember him from when I was a member of the AHS & they used to issue their year books.

 

[S_N]

Being treated like a normal horse - just like they should be. He was awesome!! Do you have anymore piccies of him? That's probably the most stupid question asked on this forum

 

[Hollycat]

Some arabs have made awesome eventers - here is an article about the Lapis line - one of the most influential breeding lines in the modern trakehner breed: http://www3.sympatico.ca/sweet_briar/LapisArticle.html

Outwith the UK there have been pure bred arabs competing at far higher eventing levels than novice, though it is so hard to track as very annoyingly commentators at 3 day events, dressage competitions etc never reveal the bloodlines of the horses competing. I wish they would as I am always dying to know how horses are bred.

Burnus himself as can be seen in the article was approx three quarter arab one quarter TB and competed at a very high level eventing by the great Dr Reiner Klimke.

 

[magic104]

Hollycat you are so right, I dont know why commentators think we would not be interested in this info. It is all part of learning as well.

 

[zizz]

Of course you can ghost hooves!

 

[htobago]

[ QUOTE ]
See this is what the true Arab is like, tough, brave, talented and every much a competitor in the 3 main disciplines...........it is a shame they get such a rap for not being able to jump in this country when in reality it just that they have been bred more towards showing in this country, but if you go to europe they are still being bred to be tough harden competition horse and ponies!

Can I join in you thread ht please with a few pics of my Arab Stally??

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes! I'd love to see some pics of your boy - please post them!

I'm hoping that my 'show-bred' Arab will follow in the footsteps of General Lee Gold and become a proper competition horse - I bought Tobago as much for his athletic conformation and movement as for his pretty face and showiness. But GLG is a rather hard act to follow!

The wonderful lady who bred GLG's daughter Ziona and grand-daughter Zinderella, Gudrun von Tevenar, now has a mare in foal to Tobago, and is hoping for a foal with both beauty and athletic ability....

Tobago's grandsire Gonorar was a Classic-winning racehorse in Russia before coming to the UK, where he became British National Supreme Champion in hand. And my boy's great grandsire Midnight Gold was a British National Champion both in hand and under saddle, so it can be done!

 

[Irishcobs]

What a fantastic little horse. Just shows if you let them they can do just as much as any other horse. I went to watch a hunter trial today and there was a little arab there that was flying round!

 

[Fahrenheit]

Thanks HT

Here he is, he really was a pony of a lifetime! I was very blessed to own him!

Couldn't decide which picy to post, so I did a few......

 

[Seahorse]

What a lovely horse!

 

[reynold]

fantastic photos

one of my mares is by anglo-arab that did a lot of showing and full riding club stuff - years ago - and traces back to Count Dorsaz

hardy, sound and carries more size/weight rider than her size would suggest and never sick or sorry and with a lovely (if hot) temp. - but then she is chestnut !

 

[htobago]

Wow HG - he really is fabulous - what a jump! How big was he? He looks amazing - no wonder you are so proud of him.

Do you have any 'conformation pics' of him just standing still?

And do you have some pics of his offspring that you could post for us?

I know he had lots of super part-bred sporthorse babies, and I'd love to see them - did he have any pure-bred foals as well?

(Sorry to bombard you with questions!)

 

[htobago]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Is he really one in a million or are there many other Arabs out there who's owners have never thought to 'give them a go' at being normal horses?
Where is he now? Mairi.

[/ QUOTE ]

there are lots of arabs out there competing at affiliated level, mine would be if only i could afford it! Majority of affilliated arabs are doing dressage, e.g the stallions Plumbum, Dervatiw Gwyddion and Silvern Rislam. Notable eventing stallions include Shalkar, Icon (Arab x Lusitano) and All that Jazz (Anglo). Although there are hundreds of pure breds doing many more disciplines at unaffilliated level lots of riders cannot see past the tail carriage and realise what tough capable little horses they are as proved by the wonderful photo above, which i'm sure i have seen before, was it in an AHS magazine many years ago?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes I think this pic was in the AHS News - a long time ago! There was also another pic of GLG jumping in a book called The Arabian Horse, by Rosemary Archer.

The Arab people are all asking if Tobago will be doing ridden showing, and he may do that at some stage, but I'm inclining more towards dressage (and jumping if he shows a talent for it), as I think that Arabs, especially the pretty in-hand show champions, should get out there and prove themselves in open competition against other breeds.

When I had GLG I initiated and sponsored a little training scholarship in his name, to encourage riders of Arabs to do this. I had people send me videos of themselves riding their Arabs, and a letter about their achievements in open competition, and gave the best ones some money towards further training. I think the first prize was about 500 pounds - quite a lot at the time! I met some wonderful people with very talented horses.

One year I even managed to get Diana Mason to judge the competition with me - she had ridden a pure-bred Arab (Golden Wings I think his name was) to Grand Prix level in dressage. I remember presenting the scholarship awards at the National show - it was great fun. The AHS now have a similar competition going - the Versatility Award or something like that.

 

[Fahrenheit]

Thanks HT.
With pictures, I am just running with the ones I have on my PC.....

Cosmic as a yearling out of Welsh Pony

Cosmic II as a 2yo out of Welsh Pony

Hot Tropics as a foal out of WB mare

Hurricane as a yearling out of Eventing Mare

Lightning Strike as a yearling out of TBx mare

Orion out of Jumping Pony mare

Ousbek's Limited Edition out of Welsh D

Ousbeks Special Request out of Connie Jumping Pony

Springtime and Hurricane as foals out WB mare and Eventing Mare

Tasmanian Devil foal out of Welsh Pony (full bro to Cosmic and Cosmic II)

Thunder Storm out of Welsh D

He hasn't covered any purebred, I don't think any 'Arab' people thought he was good enough as an Arab and 'Sports Pony' people used to run for the hills as soon as the word Arab was mentioned lol.

 

[htobago]

I can't see the pics HG!! Help!!

 

[htobago]

[ QUOTE ]
He hasn't covered any purebred, I don't think any 'Arab' people thought he was good enough as an Arab and 'Sports Pony' people used to run for the hills as soon as the word Arab was mentioned lol.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's why I think it's so important for the champion 'show Arabs' to get out there and prove themselves as Sport Horses (or Sport Ponies)!

How did you manage to get so many good Sport Pony mares to him? Did you just not mention that he was an Arab LOL?!

IMO both the Arab people and the SP lot should have been queuing up to use him - he was obviously a super little horse.

 

[Shilasdair]

I didn't know Arabs could be ridden...
S

 

[Fahrenheit]

[ QUOTE ]
I didn't know Arabs could be ridden...
S

[/ QUOTE ]

Bet it came as quite a shock to find out they can jump too

 

[MissIndependance]

Lovely boy! Looks bigger than 15.1!

 

[htobago]

[ QUOTE ]
Lovely boy! Looks bigger than 15.1!

[/ QUOTE ]

He thought he was much bigger as well - and he rode like a much bigger horse. He was quite a substantial type (8" bone) and long-striding with a good shoulder and length of rein, big powerful quarters. A classic Crabbet sort - in the Oran mold - Lady Wentworth would have liked him, I think.

I think a friend of mine may be planning to breed one of his grandaughters to Tobago - should be a nice cross...