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AE Article
New Division for Arabians
by Jessica Fredyma (JAFEquinePhotography.com)The Arabian Sport Horse Division is a relatively new division designed to judge horses on their suitability as mounts for the sports of Dressage, Jumping, Hunters, Endurance and/or Eventing. Within the division horses compete in In-Hand, Under Saddle, and Show Hack classes. This division also allows for the evaluation and encouragement of Arabian and Half-Arabian/Anglo-Arabian Sport Horse breeding by measuring the effectiveness of these breeding programs.
“The sport horse is being bred to endure the demands of the vigorous and athletic disciplines of its involvement must be able to rely mainly on the ultimate “form to function”, in breeding these horses it is of the utmost importance to recognize and evaluate the conformation of the animal. From inception, the sport horse must be bred for physical and mental capabilities that will ultimately determine his lifetime sustainability to reach the goals of the discipline.” The ideal sport horse is “more workman-like in capability and attitude.” Said Kim Fortune, owner of Riverfare Farms, LLC in Webster, NH offers training, boarding, sales and lessons. Fortune specializes in Arabian Working Hunters and has won a US Top Ten in the Open Working Hunter division.
Tom Crossen with the Arabian/Hanoverian gelding, Pikasso CA. For more info on the Crossen's breeding program, contact Susan Crossen at susanrca@msn.com
or 860.872.4820.When asked what the major differences are between the sport horse and the pleasure horse Fortune went on to say, “With the pleasure horse as well, the breeding program is to achieve an athletic partner of quiet, easy going attitude, consistency and suitability for a pleasurable ride. So having said that, the difference of what the judges are looking for in hunter pleasure is primarily having the emphasis on the manners and appearance of a pleasurable ride for both horse and rider, and the emphasis the sport horse judge is looking for the evaluation of breeding and effectiveness of in direct relation to: conformation, movement, balance and ability to perform in the desired disciple.”
Horses competing in the In-Hand classes will be required to walk and trot a pattern. The most commonly used pattern is the “Triangle”, but competitors may be asked to show the “V” pattern instead. In the “Triangle” pattern, the handler halts and poses the horse at A (the point of the Triangle). The Judge will then walk around the horse and assess its conformation. The horse should be posed in the “open stance,” with all legs clearly visible to the judge from all angles. The horse’s head/neck should be in a natural position (NO POSING OF HEAD AND NECK POSITION IS ALLOWED.) The handler will then be asked to walk the horse on the triangle. The Handler will show the horse at the working walk from A to B, the extended walk from B to C, and, again at the working walk from C to A. The handler will then continue on the Triangle at the working trot from A to D, Extent the trot from D to E (it is acceptable to build the extended trot over 2-3 strides) and back to the working trot from E to A. The handler will then halt the horse again at A and wait to be dismissed by the judge. The “V” pattern is similar but the horse will be walked from A to B then shown at the extended walk form B to C. The Handler will then reverse the pattern by showing the extended trot from C to B and working trot from B to A.
Horses shown in In-Hand classes will be exhibited in a hunter or dressage type bridle for 3 year olds and up. Two year olds may be shown in either a plain leather stable halter or in a bridle. Horses under the age of 2 must be shown in a plain leather halter. Manes and tails may or may not be braided. Handlers should dress “conservatively” in casual attire. Beige or white causal style pants with a white shirt, gloves and running type shoes are appropriate. Handlers may also dress in breeches, boots and a jacket. Ladies (or men) with long hair should have it tied back and men should wear a single color tie or tie with a simple pattern. The handler is also has the option to carry a whip, not to exceed 6’.
Gretchen Geromin astride CA Paragon, Third Level, Champion, and Tom Crossen holding CA Garimond, First Level, Reserve Champion, at the Region XVI, Arabian Horse Show 2002. Both horses are owned by Crossen Arabians, Tolland, Conn.In the Sport Horse In-Hand classes, conformation will count 40%, movement 40%, expression and manners 10% and overall balance and harmony 10%. Each horse is judged on an individual basis and the highest overall score determines the winner. In the event of a tie, the winner will be the horse with the highest score in the movement category, followed by conformation, overall balance and harmony and finally expression and manners.
Under saddle classes in the Sport Horse Division are run like any other under saddle class. Horses will be judged as a group and should be equipped in tack suitable to Dressage or Hunter/Jumpers. The horses will be shown at walk, trot, canter and hand-gallop in both directions. Horses may also be asked to halt and back. Horses will be judged on manners, performance, quality and conformation. Judges are required to consider all gaits and all categories when placing the class. IAHA recognized shows have been using Hunter/Jumper or Dressage judges instead of Arabian Judges in the under saddle divisions. Competitors have found the new outlook “refreshing.” Judges are discouraging the “locked in” look and are looking for horses with a “more relaxed and freer way of going.”
Show hack classes will begin with all horses tracking counter clockwise around the ring. Horses will be judged at the walk, trot, canter and hand-gallop. Extended gaits along with halt and back will be required as well. Riders should dress as they would for Arabian Show Hack classes. A suitable show hack horse is not necessarily a Dressage horse, or an English Pleasure horse. The horse should execute smooth transitions, be balanced, show vitality and animation while being well mannered and give the appearance of a pleasurable ride. Horses may be shown with a braided mane and tail, decorations are prohibited. Spurs, whip or crop are optional.
Crossen Arabians, a breeding facility in Tolland, Conn., (about 20 miles east of Hartford) has enjoyed success in the Sport Horse classes. They have been breeding Arabians and Half-Arabians since 1986 and their breeding program focuses mainly on horses of Polish decent. Crossen Arabian’s prides itself on breeding “with a focus on athletic ability and tractable temperaments.” Three of their most successful horses are CA Garimond+ (purebred), recipient of the Legion of Honor from the International Arabian Horse Association, 2002 Reserve Champion at the Region 16 Arabian Horse Show in First Level, recipient of the USDF All-Breed Award and Third Place this year in the USAE Region 16 Region Horse of the Year Award. CA Paragon (also a purebred) Regional Champion at Third Level and Reserve Champion at the East Coast Championship Show both in 2002. And, Pikasso CA, (Half-Arabian/Hanoverian) who has been shown in the Sport Horse In-Hand Classes and has claimed the blue in every class he has been entered in, including the AHANE HA/Gelding Sport Horse In-Hand Championship.
Cheryl Smith Ehrlick is the Vice-Chair person for the 2003 Sport Horse Show Commission. She is an active competitor in Sport Horse and Dressage classes. She has coached Hunter/Jumper and is a past Chairperson for the Hunter/Jumper Committee (5 years) and is co-coordinator of Hunter/Jumper ring at the Canadian and US Nationals. Ehrlick has also served on the Ad Hoc Sport Horse Committee.
Rick Thell is the owner/manager of Greene Field Farm in Greene, RI. Thell is enjoying success in the sport horse divisions with horses like Fancee Jabask, Sarjeuo, Jabask Frills and Troverdoor. He has had horses win in conformation, Pleasure and Dressage Classes. Thell exhibits horses at over 30 shows a year and shows all breeds.
Bill Bohl is the Owner and Trainer at Bridlewood Arabians in S. Woodstock, VT. Bill has been interested in horses all his life and fell in love with the Arabian breed at age 12. Bill began training soon after graduating from High School and has been doing it ever since. He admitted to working with other breeds for a time but was always drawn back to the Arabian.
When asked if the new division was a good place for amateurs Susan Crossen answered “an emphatic YES! As a matter of fact, except for on e of the classes that Pikasso was shown in, we have shown him ourselves. And the only reason we handed him over to a professional is that the horse outgrew my husband, who is only 5’6”! When trotting alongside an Arabian/Hanoverian that is over 15 hands, with a tremendous stride, longer legs on the part of the human becomes an advantage.” Ehrlick added, “With ATR (amateur to ride) classes offered, this permits junior riders to show. [There is a] broad spectrum of classes so [there are] plenty of class choices for everyone.” Bohl also agreed and said “this division is good for everyone, it opens the door for new Arabian Owners and Trainers.” He also added that this was a great opportunity for trainers who are already established in their sport (i.e. Hunter/Jumper or Dressage) to consider training and competing Arabians, as well as attracting new owners to the breed. “Absolutely,” Fortune said “the Arabian Sport Horse Division where as it is now at the introduction stage the opportunity for everyone abounds. The levels of competition have been structured to allow everyone in the Arabian industry to enter and feel comfortable, grow in their division and move up with confidence. The national show committee has taken a wealth of time and planning in respect to the breeders and riders of these horses in establishing divisions that are competitor friendly and accessible to all Arabian sport horses.”
Kim Fortune of Riverfare Farms, LLC, in Webster, N.H., taking a jump with her purebred Arabian mare, JN Chantilly Lace (MS Santana x *El Paso daughter). Kim and this mare are US National Top Ten winners in Open Hunter. To contact Kim call 603.746.6772 or e-mail fortunate762@msn.com. See their
web site at www.riverfarefarms.com.It is certain that the popularity of Arabian sport horses will grow in the coming years. Currently on SporthorseClassifieds.com there are 25 Arabian and Half-Arabian sport horses for sale from all across the US. It will be interesting to watch those numbers over the next few years. In response to this growth Crossen had this to say about the prices of Sport Horses. “The need for a wide spectrum of horses for the beginner to the advanced rider can only increase the price, as the demand is what drives the market. And the Arabian market is no different than the open circuit, in that, if you are aspiring to compete in the higher levels, you will be looking to purchase a top quality horse with athletic abilities that can get you there. Those are the horses that will bring top dollar. Prices could range from four digits to five depending on the quality and ability of the horse.” Ehrlick commented that “[she has] paid as little as $3,000 and as much as over $30,000 for [a] sport horse.” Fortune said, “values run from $5,000 and up, depending on the level of competition and the established record as well as the training the animal has received. Keeping in mind that [these horses are] being bred and marketed to be able to perform athletically and endure longevity this animal is bred to “stick around” in that aspect, prices will be reflected appropriately.”
Crossen Arabians has found success with Arabian of Polish blood as well as Hanoverian crosses. Ehrlick offered this advice. “An athletic horse is an athletic horse, regardless of bloodlines. Look at the horse, not the papers. Personally I like Anglo Arabs, but I have Paint/Arabs and Warmblood/Arab crosses competing in our barn. I also have several pure Egyptians competing as well as Crabbet lines.” Thell echoed those sentiments by saying “I do not think a particular bloodline is better than another. What is important is substance and size with a correct and balanced look to perform like a sport horse.” Bohl believes that “many of the Polish horses were bred to race, that racing blood would be beneficial to sport horses. He also added “all bloodlines can be improved through sport horse breeding.”
Bohl was also optimistic that the new sport horse division would encourage Arabian mare owners to consider breeding to sport horse types, either Purebred, Half-Arabian or Stallions of other breeds. Through this breeding he hopes that bloodline could be improved and that the resulting foals have increased athletic ability. Fortune added “I really like to promote the Polish and Russian Arabian who has presented the big bone and height through breeding that enables it sustain itself in the many disciplines, that is not disregarding the Egyptian bloodlines that tend to be very typey for the show ring. The practice of crossing the Arabian with the numerous Warmblood breeds and the Thoroughbred has become on of the fastest growing aspects of the Arabian breeding industry being able to achieve gone, height, athleticism and stamina as well as look, has been what has made the Arabian cross one of the most sought after breeds … for all levels of competition and many disciplines.”
According to Fotune, “one of the most exciting things about the new nationals is that we have a separate location (the Virginia Horse Center). This will give us consistent footing, which will reduce the risk if injury to animals and riders." Crossen also added “What do I think is the most significant benefit of the Sport Horse Nationals? I’m afraid it’s a tie between two answers 1) Proximity to the show every other year. 2) With the sport horse and Dressage becoming so popular, it was necessary to find a site adequate to provide for the expansion. This would allow for the many different horse and rider combinations, as well as the additional classes, and hopefully a wider audience.”
