The all round Athlete

Costume is the “fun” class of the Arabian show scene, and the flamboyant Arabian horses enjoy it to the hilt! There are two types of classes – SHOW COSTUME and NATIVE COSTUME. The Rule Book defines them like this –

RULE 26: ARABIAN NATIVE COSTUME. Traditional Bedouin garb or Royal Ceremonial Dress, hence over-revealing costumes would not be appropriate. Natural materials are preferable, such as wool, cotton and leather in black, white, brown, dark blue, red, yellow and dark green. Blue beads, shells, silver and other traditional items such as authentic embroidery and jewellery may be used.

ARABIAN SHOW COSTUME. Anything which makes an attractive picture reminiscent of the Arabian Nights legends or folklore of eastern countries is acceptable.

The horses are judged at the paces of canter, extended canter, gallop, walk and halt. Trotting is a pace not used at all in a costume class and no individual workout is required. The horse should be ridden boldly, under the direction of the judge, but with consideration for the welfare and safety of the other competitors. Excessive speed may be penalized. The class is judged 50% for costume, 50% for manners and paces.

Some horses are just natural costume horses. They usually have big well-defined outlines, with plenty of neck and hind-quarter, and smooth paces. They carry their heads proudly with necks and tails high and arched for symmetry, and are very confident and bold in their outlook.

Over the years we have had some wonderful costume horses in Australia . Well-remembered Australian Champion costume horses from our past include IRAKI ISKANDER [NSW], BAY BLAZE [Victoria], MINATAUR [Victoria], DIALA GLEN BINT NAJAF [NSW], MULAWA THE QUEST [NSW] and GAI RAPHAEL [Victoria].

Dressage is a very popular equestrian discipline with Clubs all over Australia. Young people often have their first dressage experience in Pony Club, but many large Arabian Shows have dressage programs where Purebreds and Derivatives all compete, from the lowest to the highest levels.

Occasionally a Purebred Arabian has won through to the top levels of open dressage, but those who want to ride an Arabian and are serious about their dressage will probably choose an Anglo Arabian [Thoroughbred/Arabian breeding] or an Arabian Warmblood [Warmblood/ Thoroughbred / Arabian breeding] [See the Derivative Standard of Excellence]. Purebred Arabians and Derivative Arabians are eligible to compete in Open Dressage Competition in their appropriate official levels, and many do.

Australian Arabians are held in the highest regard internationally. Australian Endurance teams have never failed to come home with at least one medal from any of the World Equestrian Games held so far, while other disciplines have yet to snare a single medal! The high point was reached in 1998 when Australia won Team Gold at the World Championships at Compeigne, France. Four years later they took Team Bronze in very difficult, slippery conditions in Jerez, Spain. Many of the other top riders from around the world were also mounted on Australian-bred Arabian horses! Several hundred are exported from Australia to the United Arab Emirates alone, every year.

The first Tom Quilty Gold Cup was held at Windsor, NSW, in 1966. This event is regarded as the Australian Championship Endurance Ride. Today it is rotated among all the States to try to give as many riders as possible “the Quilty experience”. There are endurance clubs in all States, and rides to suit all abilities, from 2O and 4O km introductory and training rides, to 80 km, 120 km and 160 km Rides for the serious competitors. The endurance motto is - “To complete is to win” - and there is an emphasis on finishing a Ride with a healthy, sound horse.

The access to great riding country, the companionship of riding [and camping] with kindred spirits, and the ability to set and reach one’s own personal goals, are all attractive reasons to try endurance. Purebred Arabians and Derivative Arabians all compete.

More information from the Australian Endurance Riders Association.

Eventing comprises the disciplines of Dressage, Cross-country and Showjumping. It is usually first encountered by young riders at Pony Club or in Inter-School Teams competition, and is in its most prestigious form at the Olympic Games.

Over the years Australia has been particularly successful in the sport now known as “Equestrian”, bringing home Team Gold for three Olympics in succession, including our own Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. This has led to a far greater interest being taken in the sport at all levels.

Until fairly recently, and unlike some other countries, Australia has not had a tradition of large-scale breeding specifically for eventing. Even in this last 2004 Athens Olympics, our Australian eventing horses came from many and varied backgrounds including the back of a knackery truck!

In the past some very successful show-jumpers have been sired by the Fenwick Stud’s Arabian stallions RIFFAL [imp UK], SHAFREYN [imp UK] and SINDH [imp UK]. They were horses like BRIGADOON a Purebred Arabian of 16 hands who hunted with the Oaklands Hunt as well as being an A Grade Showjumper. TRAFALGAR SQUARE was a 16 hand Partbred Arabian who once held the Australian Puissance record at 7 feet 1 ½ inches. In 1968 he won 34 showjumping events in one season but he was never considered for Olympic selection because his rider was a professional.

Anglo Arabian GAY SCOT was a high-flyer, who was Australian Showjumping Champion of 1977. The Purebred gelding GREAT STYLE by Shanasif, Partbred gelding MARTINS LAD by Riffayal [imp UK] and Chris Chugg’s Purebred gelding DEL BART by Delos, have all proved their jumping prowess in the past. Mrs Jean Luckock of Ennerdale Stud, who had a particular interest in jumping and eventing, bred a number of talented jumping horses including the three full-siblings APRICOT, JONATHON and IMPALA. Jonathon was included in the Olympic squad for the Rome Games with his rider John Kelly, but he missed his opportunity due to an injury.

The 2004 Athens Olympic Three-Day-Event competition was of great interest to Arabian enthusiasts because amongst the competitors was a Purebred Arabian horse from Brazil and a brilliant Anglo Arabian from Great Britain, TAMARILLO, bred by the Guinness family of Biddesden Stud, and ridden by a leading British rider, William Fox-Pitt. Tamarillo had won the world-renowned Badminton 3DE earlier in the year, as well as a bronze medal with the British team at the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Spain.

At the moment there is world-wide interest among amateur riders in Sporthorses for competition involving several disciplines. Arabian horses, with their proven ability in endurance and marathon racing all over the world, certainly have the stamina, courage and physical toughness to make excellent sporthorses. Add the popularity of the Anglo Arabians and Arabian Warmbloods to the mix, not to mention the choice of any of the other Derivatives.

Purebred Arabians and Arabian Riding Ponies usually fit height-wise into the Galloway Hack category, while Anglo Arabians and Arabian Warmbloods measure up as larger hacks. Arabian Ponies and Arabian Riding Ponies are suitable as children’s mounts in Pony Hack and Rider classes.

Sooner or later most Arabian horse owners want to show them. Some have National aspirations, while others merely wish to have some fun at the local Agricultural Shows. There are lots of Shows out there which cater for Arabian horses!

To begin with, most local Agricultural Shows provide classes for Arabians. These may be few in number depending on your area, but will usually include halter classes for Purebreds and Derivatives, and a selection of saddle classes. As well, Arabians may compete in any “open” or non-specific breed classes like hacking [most Arabians are Galloway-sized], Western classes and even the show-jumping. Youngsters mounted on Arabians also compete in Rider classes.

All States have Arabian Affiliates or regional Clubs, and most of these run at least one specialized Arabian Show annually. These have lots and lots of Arabian Classes for Purebreds, Partbred Arabians, Anglo Arabs, Arabian Warmbloods, Arabian Ponies, Arabian Riding Ponies, Quarabs and Arabian Stockhorses of all shapes and sizes. You will find at least one halter class for your Arabian and lots of saddle classes.

Each State will have at least one Royal Show with Arabian Classes and one very large Arabian Show like the Victorian Classic [Victoria], the East Coast Championships and the National Stud Horse and Pony Show [New South Wales], and the Arabian Challenge Show [Queensland].

The highlight of the showing year - the most prestigious Arabian Show in Australia - is the AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL ARABIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS.

The Show began in 1982 and has been held in most State capitals. For the past few years it has been held at the 2000 Olympic venue, the Sydney International Equestrian Complex at Horsley Park . The 2005 Aussie Champs will be held at this venue, while in March 2006 the show will be staged in Toowoomba, Queensland. The opportunity to be feted as Australian Champion for a year beckons many exhibitors!

NOTE: Most State Shows apart from the Royals do not require qualifications, but the Australian Championships does. Programmes for Shows are available from Affiliates, and the secretaries of these are listed in a section of the “Arabian Horse News” magazines. The entry qualifications for the Australian National Championships are printed in the September “Arabian Horse News” each year for the following year’s Show, and are also available on this website.

Both amateurs and professional handlers compete in halter classes. Most Affiliates run clinics for amateurs, and there are also Amateur Classes at Arabian Shows for people who love to show their own Arabians. The Arabian Horse Society’s Rule Book, available from the Society in hard copy, or from the Society website, will outline any rules involved in Arabian classes.

Most of the Arabian Shows provide harness classes. Purebreds and Derivatives will compete in light vehicles such as viceroys or sulkies, and there are a number of pairs and teams that regularly appear. Apart from the formal driving classes, such as Horse in Harness and the Turnout Class, there is the Ride and Drive and an Obstacle Drive marked with cones. Some of the more adventurous and disciplined compete in Scurry Racing which is a lot of fun to watch, and can involve single horses, pairs or teams. Arabians have been successful in open competition against other breeds.

Some Arabians compete in cross-country driving, which brings the Arabian’s endurance qualities into play. For those who like their harness, and want to compete with Arabians, there are plenty of opportunities.

Trail riding is popular because all ages can participate, because it is non-stress, and because riders get to ride in country to which they otherwise have no access. The Arabian has always been a family horse. Arabians are also passed from family to family, baby-sitting the newest bunch of youngsters, so they can ride along with Mum and Dad.

Apart from organized groups, Arabian owners also ride informally with their friends, and often well-behaved stallions are included in the groups as they love to get out and explore the countryside too.

Your horse’s first race will become one of those moments in life you will never forget. The exhilaration and pride of owning an Arabian racehorse gets into your blood and becomes part of your life. With The Arabian's influence on modern day Thoroughbred racing and its own long history of racing, athleticism, speed and beauty, Arabian racing today makes perfect sense.

The Arabian horse is the original source of all speed and remains the source of stamina, as it is renowned for its soundness of wind and limb.

Although Arabian racing in Australia is looked upon as a new participant in the Australian racing industry, history shows that Arabians were racing with Thoroughbreds in the 1800’s. One of the earliest recorded Arabians to be successful on the Australian race tracks was Saladin, an Anglo Arabian gelding by the Arabian stallion Pegasus. Saladin won the 1871 VRC Hotham Handicap run over 12 furlongs (2400 metres) and the 1872 VRC Australian Cup run over 18 furlongs (3600 metres). Another notable winner on the race track was Dagworth whose grand-dam was by the Arabian sire Glaucas. Dagworth won over distances from 10 furlong (2000 metres) to 24 furlong (4800 metres). By today’s standard the eleven major races won by Dagworth and the races won by Saladin would all be classed as group races.

The last few years have witnessed significant advancements in the development of an Australian Arabian Racing Industry. To ensure the future of Arabian Racing in Australia two major impediments had to be overcome. The first was the restrictions within Government legislation and the second was the reluctance of the Thoroughbred industry to accept Arabian racing.

The first obstacle was removed when the legislative restrictions that had prevented Arabian Racing expanding into a professional, viable industry were removed by State governments. The next achievement came in 2003 when Racing Victoria Ltd. gave permission to the Victorian Arabian Jockey Club Inc. to conduct races for Arabian horses within Thoroughbred race-day programs and for Racing Victoria’s licenced personnel to participate in Arabian Races. In 2004 the National Arabian Racehorse Association Ltd. was advised by The New South Wales Country Racing Council that they had given authorization to the New South Wales Thoroughbred Picnic Race Clubs to have Arabian Races conducted within their programs. This announcement was preceded by notification from Queensland that they were also prepared to have Arabian Racing conducted in that state.

The National Arabian Racehorse Association Ltd. is the controlling authority for Arabian racing in Australia and conducts Arabian Racing under the Australian Arabian Rules of Racing. These rules are modeled on the Australian Rules of Racing (Thoroughbred). Purebred Arabians, Partbred Arabians and Anglo Arabians are permitted to race. Horses are not permitted to race until the January of their three year old year and must be registered in the stud book of the Australian Arabian Horse Society Ltd. and have a Racehorse Document of Description issued by the National Arabian Racehorse Association Ltd.

Australian Arabian Racehorses are proving that they are right up there with the best in the world. Despite not as yet having access to racehorse training facilities, they are running times equal to, and in some instances faster than the times being run by Arabian racehorses in Europe and the Middle East. Some Arabian racehorses have been successful in the show ring while others are combining endurance with racing.

For many years Australia has been renowned for breeding some of the best Arabian endurance horses in the world and there is no doubt that the Australian Arabian Racehorse will achieve the same success.

The rush of excitement you feel when your Arabian racehorse jumps from the starting gate is overwhelming. Whether your horse finishes first or not, the emotions you experience are always the same, nervousness, concern, happiness, elation, you feel them all in the two minutes or so of a race. The rush of adrenalin when your Arabian is first past the finish post cannot be described.

If the thrill of racing is calling you but your wallet is holding you back, don’t despair. There are alternatives. One of the best ways to cut expenses is to form a racing partnership with your family, friends or workmates. Training your own racehorse is another way to cut expense. Owners are encouraged to train their own racehorse and can apply for an Owner/Trainer licence. In general, Arabian racing is no more of a drain on your wallet than showing and endurance and now is the perfect time to get involved.

Contact the National Arabian Racehorse Association Ltd for a complimentary copy of “Racing Starters Pack” which details what you need to know to ”go racing” including training and feeding an Arabian racehorse.

Arabian Shows have provided Western classes for many years. The Society was a foundation member of the Horse Shows Association of Australia [HSAA] which formulated the first Rule Book and gave us the rules for our Western classes.

Our Rule Book provides Western Pleasure, Western Equitation and reining classes. There are extensive notes on saddlery and dress, as well as the several acceptable ways of holding the reins, and a reining pattern. A Western Pleasure Championship is provided at the Australian National Championships each year.

Over the years we have enjoyed some excellent Western Champions, some of whom competed with success in open western competition. Who can forget IRAKI ISKANDER [NSW], or BAY HALLANY [QLD], or TALISMAN ROSE BAHRI [NSW]? Or GLENDALE PASHA [NSW], or CAMEO CROWN PRINCE [QLD] who won the title twice each?

Hopefully the new Quarab Registry will provide us with a new generation of Western and Reining horses.

CAMPDRAFTING

Campdrafting is a uniquely Australian sport which involves cutting out a beast from a mob of cattle “in the camp”, working it across the face of the camp to demonstrate control by the horse and rider, then taking that beast out on a course which has to be completed in a certain time or the rider is “cracked off” by the judge with his stockwhip. It is a huge and growing sport, despite the continuing drought causing a shortage of available cattle, and it is not unusual to have over a hundred entries in each of several divisions over several days. Campdrafts like the Warwick Gold Cup Draft are huge events, while Stockmen’s Challenges like the one at Cloncurry annually, are drawing more and more competitors.

Over the years there have been a number of Arabian horses used in campdrafting, not to mention the many unregistered horses by Arabian sires bred on properties. Kids are introduced to campdrafting in Pony Club these days and some of these compete on Arabian horses.

One Arabian identity and renowned campdrafter who never competed on anything else BUT an Arabian was the late Alan Hopf of Farleigh Stud at Cinnabar in Queensland . He and his wife Phyllis also bred all the horses he competed on. Two of Alan’s great early horses were Partbreds Sadie and Chloe. He won many trophies on Sadie in the 60’s and competed right through the 90’s on home-bred horses by Purebred Arabian stallions Castaneer, Statesman, Zenith II [imp UK] and Sir Ibn Moniet [imp USA]. In 1997, for instance, he won the Proston Golden Spurs Draft on Sadie’s granddaughter NADITA, and placed second on the same mare in the same Draft in 1998. Alan passed away in March 2003.

POLOCROSSE

This sport was actually pioneered by two of the early members of the Arabian Horse Society of Australia – Mr and Mrs Edward Hirst of Springmead Farm. The Hirsts imported the stallions Rakib [imp UK ] and Rikham [imp UK ]. Mrs Hirst became Patroness of the Arabian Horse Society.

Polocrosse was derived from Polo and Lacrosse, and was designed so that a one-horse owner could compete, in contrast to Polo which required a string of ponies. It has become very popular, especially in country Australia where there are many Clubs.

STOCKHORSE

These are very popular classes in some areas, particularly among our younger riders. Our Arabian Rule Book provides rules for two Australian classes – Australian Pleasure and Working Stock Horse. The latter has been contested at Australian Championships since 1992.

Australian Pleasure is judged 80% on Performance and Manners and 20% on Condition and Conformation. The aim is to reward an all-round horse which is a pleasant, educated mount, showing ability. The desirable paces are a flat, ground-covering walk, free-moving rising trot and balanced, controlled, straight canter on correct leads. The class is judged both ways of the ring and is ridden two-handed.

The Working Stock Horse Class is judged 80% on pattern work and 20% on the ability of the rider and correct appointments. It is a fast, interesting class, which ends with a flourishing crack of the stockwhip.