Amateur Spotlight, Printed in Arabian Horse Times

Featured in January 2016

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AmAteur Spotligh

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ANNE WHITAKE

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R-KELLER

We never int end ed— or eve n fath om ed— how mu ch suc ces s our bre edi ng pro gra m wo uld have. We onl y int end ed to bre ed a ma re or two eve ry yea r or so. It wa s one or two foa ls tha t cre ate d the fou nda tion for con tin ued suc ces s.

Ho w lon g have you bee n involved wit h Ara bia n hor ses ? Sin ce 198 9 wh en my parent s purcha sed a Ha lf-A rab ian pon y for me. O ver the yea rs, one pony tur ned int o mu ltip le hor ses and tha t tur ned int o bre edi ng Ara bia ns.

Now we have a full stri ng of bre edi ng and show hor ses .

Wh at dis cip lin es have you sho wn in and are com pet ing in now ? Wh en I sta rte d rid ing at 8, I rod e and showed in hun ter ple asu re and dre ssa ge. In 199 8, I wa nte d to try som eth ing new and made the swi tch to wes ter n ple asu re. Now I onl y sho w in wes ter n ple asu re wh ich is the foc us of our bre edi ng pro gra m as wel l.

Wh at is you r fav ori te rid ing sty le?

Th ere is not hin g like rid ing a fin ish ed wes ter n hor se, esp eci ally a rea lly goo d one !

It’s my “Fe rra ri.”

Do you com e fro m a lon g lin e of fam ily involvem ent wit h the Ara bia n hor se?

Wh ile my fam ily is ver y involved wit h the hor ses , “tradit ion ” wil l sta rt wit h me .I wa s the typ ica l hor se cra zy litt le gir l, and wh ile my par ent s are ani ma l lov ers , nei the r had hor ses pri or to me and our Ha lf-A rab ian pon y.

I hop e tha t my hus ban d and I can car ry on the bre edi ng pro gra m tha t I sta rte d wit h my parent s, and our inf lue nce car ries on in fut ure gen era tion s of the hor ses tha t we ’ve bre d.

Wh o is you r fav ori te hor se you hav e eve r ow ned ?

Th at wo uld be a tie bet wee n Na vig ato r A, the firs t hor se we eve r bre d, and Onyx A, our cur ren t bre edi ng sta llion and wes ter n show hor se ext rao rdi nai re. Bo th hor ses wen t on to bec om e mu lti- Na tion al Ch am pions in the We ste rn Op en and Am ate ur div isions. I had the hon or of showin g and win nin g nat ion al cha mp ion shi ps wit h the m bot h. Ho we ver, my love for bot h of the se hor ses sta rte d the day the y were bor n.

I thi nk the y pic ked me as mu ch as I pic ked the m.

Ann e with Ony x A (Sun dan ce Kid V x Alia ge SSA ).

Ar abia n Hor se Tim es | 24 | Wes ter n

Amateur Spotlight—Anne Whitaker-Keller

AmAteur Spotlight ...

ANNE WHITAKER-KELLER We never intended—or even fathomed—how much success our breeding program would have. We only intended to breed a mare or two every year or so. It was one or two foals that created the foundation for continued success.

How long have you been involved with Arabian horses? Since 1989 when my parents purchased a Half-Arabian pony for me. Over the years, one pony turned into multiple horses and that turned into breeding Arabians. Now we have a full string of breeding and show horses.

What disciplines have you shown in and are competing in now? When I started riding at 8, I rode and showed in hunter pleasure and dressage. In 1998, I wanted to try something new and made the switch to western pleasure. Now I only show in western pleasure which is the focus of our breeding program as well.

What is your favorite riding style?

There is nothing like riding a finished western horse, especially a really good one!

It’s my “Ferrari.”

Do you come from a long line of family involvement with the Arabian horse?

While my family is very involved with the horses, “tradition” will start with me. I was the typical horse crazy little girl, and while my parents are animal lovers, neither had horses prior to me and our Half-Arabian pony.

I hope that my husband and I can carry on the breeding program that I started with my parents, and our influence carries on in future generations of the horses that we’ve bred.

Who is your favorite horse you have ever owned?

That would be a tie between Navigator A, the first horse we ever bred, and Onyx A, our current breeding stallion and western show horse extraordinaire. Both horses went on to become multi-National Champions in the Western Open and Amateur divisions. I had the honor of showing and winning national championships with them both. However, my love for both of these horses started the day they were born.

I think they picked me as much as I picked them.

Anne with Onyx A (Sundance Kid V x Aliage SSA).

Ar abian Horse Times | 24 | Western

Anne and multi-National Champion Onyx A.

How many horse events do you attend a year? I usually try to attend two of the three National-level events each year (Scottsdale, Canadian and U.S.

Anne with Psyanne A (Psymadre x BA Miss Mindy).

Nationals). I usually go to about two regional shows and a few Class A shows each year as well.

What would be one thing our readers would be surprised to know about you? That I barely showed as a youth rider. Prior to 1998, I had only shown at a few local non-rated schooling shows and local Class A shows, and I never showed with a trainer.

I was the one who clipped, bathed, lounged, groomed, tacked, braided, warmed-up and showed my pony. I was thrilled to get a ribbon at all even the “brown” one. My first national show that I competed in wasn’t until 2004 when I showed Navigator A at the Canadian Nationals. That was also my first national championship.

If there is one person you could thank in this world, who would it be and why? It would be two people … my parents who have supported my love of horses from the beginning.

How do you see your involvement in the Arabian horse business 15 years from now? I hope to still be breeding and showing Arabian horses. We’ve been very fortunate with our breeding program and hope that the foundation that we built over the past 18 years continues long into the future. n

Ar abian Horse Times | 25 | Western