*EL GHAZI
Though *El Ghazi would have been an impressive sire of champions based on his purebred get alone, it is his Half-Arabian offspring that have proven to be most extraordinary as show horses and national winners. He is the sire of 43 Half-Arabian national winners, including 17 national champions. Among them they have won 287 national awards. *El Ghazi is the sire of 99 Half-Arabian champions and/or reserves in halter and performance competition. A stunning 68 percent of his Half-Arabian get have been champions or reserves—an amazing percentage. Even legendary Arabian sires with completely restricted broodmare bands cannot boast percentages that high. His best Half-Arabian offspring include GTF Beetlejuice (x Milfair Cochinas Fantasy), eight-time National Champion in Half-Arabian English Pleasure AAOTR; Thank Ghaz (x I Hear Voices), multi-National and National Reserve Champion in Half-Arabian Country Pleasure Driving; Bright Ghaza (x Bright Fire), 10-time U.S. and Canadian National Champion and Reserve in open and amateur Half-Arabian Pleasure Driving and English Pleasure; and Papa Rhazi (x Mama Jazz), multi-national titlist in Pleasure Driving and English Pleasure AOTR, JOTR and open. Two of the biggest Half-Arabian national winners have been the superb English Pleasure open and amateur champion, Emperor Hadrian (x Northern Empress) with national championships in the Half-Arabian English Pleasure Futurity and English Pleasure open, and Ladighazi (x Junior Bridesmaid), 2004 Canadian and 2005 U.S. National Champion Half-Arabian Show Hack AAOTR. In the summer of 1996, *El Ghazi became a breeding sire for Val and Dolores Della Pello of Val-Delor LLC. “I always liked *El Ghazi,” Val says. “I first saw him at Bill Zekan’s place. I have been involved with horses most of my life. I was always attracted to Arabian horses because of their great beauty, and eventually bought several national champions. I personally rode a western pleasure horse to a top ten. We went through some rocky times in the Arabian horse industry. Eventually the breeding business got better and we started doing well breeding *El Ghazi. He was with Gene LaCroix in Montana initially, and then we sent him to Kristen Gallagher, first in Ohio, and then in Versailles, Ky. She did a great job with him, and that’s where he’s been for most of the past 10 years.” In addition to being named leading sire of Half-Arabian champions on numerous occasions, both at major
*El Ghazi with Val and Dolores Della Pello of Val-Delor LLC.
national shows and in annual statistical summaries, *El Ghazi has been an outstanding cross for all manner of Arabian and American Saddlebred bloodlines. He has been exemplary crossed with Polish bloodlines, and is the grandsire of famous show horses via his best daughters, such as RY Fire Ghazi, dam of U.S. National Champion Park Horse IXL Noble Express. In a time of inbreeding and a rapidly shrinking gene pool, *El Ghazi was an outstanding sire for those seeking English-type Arabian bloodlines, and an important source of *Bask, Witraz and Ofir breeding. A total for all of *El Ghazi’s offspring yields the following statistics: He is the sire of 79 national winners (including 26 national champions) that have accumulated 465 national awards. Though the dynamic bay stallion is gone, the story is far from over. *El Ghazi horses are well known for their long careers and lives. Many are currently on the show circuit, accumulating national and regional awards with consistency and tenacity. There is little doubt that his numbers of national winners, championships and high percentages will continue to grow, improve and impress us all over the next decade. As a sire in this country, *El Ghazi was remarkably successful and he will be sorely missed. ■
AUGUST 20 09 | 163