Paul began riding at the age of six. Paul was awarded his first U.S. National Top Ten in Saddle Seat Equitation,
competing then as an eleven year old in a 17 & Class. Over forty years, Paul has owned, shown and/or trained many U.S. & Canadian National & Reserve National Champions and Top Ten winners in multiple divisions, including Jun or, Amateur and Open.

Judging has provided Paul the opportunity to judge over 300 shows globally in his career, including the United States National Championships many times. He has also judged: the Breeder’s World Cup Las Vegas, the Canadian National Championships, the Youth National Championships, the Brazilian National Championships, the United States Miniature National Championships, and the National Show Horse Finals several times. Paul has also many times judged the Scottsdale All-Arabian Horse Show in February and, the Breeder’s Finals.

Paul was awarded the APAHA Arabian Horse Trust Amateur Horseman of the Year award. He is also a past member of the Board of Directors of the Arabian Horse Association, past Director of AHA/Region 9, Past President of the North Texas Arabian Horse Club and, Founder & Chairman of the Pro-Am Challenge Championships for ten years, in addition to being the Show Chairman of the Region 9 Championship Horse Show for many years, based in Fort Worth TX.

For over ten years, Paul served as Chairman of the Judges & Stewards Steering Committee, which serves the Arabian Horse Association in many situations.
Paul currently organizes and manages the online community, We LOVE Arabian Horses®, along with launching Vitality Equestrian®, a new venture soon offering online courses via a faculty of equestrian experts spanning all aspects of horses.
Paul actively coaches amateur and junior riders in multiple breeds, specifically with his mindset ‘sports’ coaching, designed to improve the performance of horse and rider and especially, to increase the joy of the sport, including one’s interest and pleasure with their horses. Whether trail riding or competition, the enjoyment, learning and life lessons are robust with equestrians of all ages and skill levels.

Involved in the Arabian horse breeding for almost thirty years now, I was born in the south of Belgium, where I was living until 2021. Then, I chose to move my stud farm, called Faber Arabians, to the wonderful department of the Lot, in the southwest of France.

I bought my first Arabian purebred mare in 1994 and my first filly was born in 1995. They were out of Russian related bloodlines. The click came after watching the Russian stallions Dosator and Kubinec at the World championships in the early nineties. There and then, it became very clear to me that my way should be to only breed Arabian horses out of the Tersk stud bloodlines and I have built my breeding program exclusively with what is commonly called “straight Russian” Arabian Horses. I have chosen them for their specific qualities: charisma and attitude, amazing eyes, classic beauty with a true gender expression, versatility, athletic abilities, soundness, amazing movement and what is very important to me, their wonderful mind.

Together with my job as breeder of Arabian Horses, I have run a training company for more than 20 years: between others, I am in charge of the National judges course for the French Arabian horse Association (ACA) and I provide lectures and seminars for breeders and horses enthusiasts through Europe.

Since 1993, when I went to shows, I was fascinated by the judging system, the meaning of the points and the ranking of the horses and how to apply that knowledge to improve how the breeders see their horse. Then, first, I applied for the All breeds Belgian National judge course, which I passed in 2013. Then followed the ECAHO courses through which I became an International B judge in 2015. While acquiring experience, it became clear to me that my base as a type and conformation judge would strongly benefit from a certification as an ECAHO pleasure judge, a degree I obtained in 2017.

In the same spirit of broadening the diversification of my abilities, I studied the specific endurance horse judgement, which has become a part of the training of the French National judges I provide and I have regularly judged endurance young horses – Arabs, Anglo-arabs, Arabian partbreds – in hand contests in France!

Peter Pond founded Forest Hill Arabian Stud in 1968 and with his wife Jennifer have and still are active breeders of Purebred Arabian and Straight Egyptian Horses in Australia.

Peter has been a world recognized International Arabian Horse Judge since the early 1970’s. Peter has judged in Australia, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, Qatar, Kuwait , Brazil, South Africa, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States of America . Major shows judged include The European Nations Cup in Germany (Four Times) , The Egyptian Event in Kentucky, USA ( Twice), South African National Championships, The World Championships in Paris, Qatar International Championships (Twice), Kuwait National Championships for Straight Egyptians and the Kuwait International Show, The World Straight Egyptian Championships in Rome, UK International Show Towerlands, The British National Championships, The Arabian Breeders Cup Las Vegas, The Israel Arabian National Championships, The Australian National Arabian Championships ( Twice) and most Royal Agricultural Shows in Australia. Peter’s last judging assignment was the KIAHF Title show in Doha, Qatar last February 2023.

During the 54+ years history of Forest Hill Stud Peter has been totally dedicated to The Arabian Horse. His efforts extend far beyond a personal level. In the late 1970’s Peter served as Chairman on a number of National Arabian Promotion Committees which saw the introduction of The Australian National Arabian Championships and the introduction of The Roll of Merit. Peter also served as a Director on the Board of the Arabian Horse Society of Australia for a total of 21 years. 9 of those years as Chairman. During his time on the Board the Australian Championships, Roll of Merit and National Judges Panel were incorporated into the Society’s operations. Peter was also a member of a number of Management, Registry and other important AHSA Ltd committees.

Peter for many years attended the World Arabian Horse Organization Conferences overseas as an Australian Delegate. With his extensive experience at Board level in Australia he was eventually invited onto the Executive Committee of WAHO in 1996, Peter has served previously as Secretary and Vice President and is now currently President of WAHO, he joined as Life member of WAHO in 1973. The Executive Committee meet annually overseas and bi-annually hold their Executive Meetings in conjunction with an International Conference which is held in various member countries. The focus is on all registry matters affecting the Purebred Arabian Horse Worldwide. The AHSA of Australia has hosted the WAHO Conference three times, once in 1984 in Sydney, NSW (when Peter was Chairman) again in 2000 on The Gold Coast in Queensland and also in 2019 in Terrigal in NSW.

2024 Australian Arabian National Championships Officials

Kerryn Aldridge: AANC Show Committee Chair