One wellspring of the Armstrongs’ success has been the mare Serenata Eljamaal, a daughter of Parys El Jamaal from a JK Amadeus mare whose tail female includes the acclaimed broodmare sires GG Samir and Bluesprucetanzeer. Purchased right after she placed 11th in the U.S. National Championship for Yearling Fillies, Serenata went on to impress her new owners by winning the Canadian National Championship in 2-Year-Old Fillies and then adding U.S. and Canadian National Top Tens in Futurity Fillies. But beyond her obvious quality and potential, it was her disposition that attracted them. “For me, a horse has to have a really good personality,” Laura explains. That is an integral part of their breeding program. “We dream for the whole package and hope we get it.” It was Serenata Eljamaal who was responsible for True Desire LL, as well as a succession of others, including Cobra LRA, a Marwan Al Shaqab son who is on the market simply because it is not the Armstrongs’ intention to stand and promote breeding stallions. Attracting attention now are Ultimate Desire LRA (a full sister to True Desire LL), who just turned 3 and is with Keith Krichke to prepare for the international class at Scottsdale; the 2-year-old Spades LRA, a riveting
black son of DA Valentino who, like Cobra, is available for purchase (in the meantime, he is slated to compete at Scottsdale with Terry Holmes); and the incandescent Orchid El Jamaal LRA, a yearling filly by Ajman Moniscione. She is with Terry Holmes, and scheduled to come out at the Las Vegas World Cup. In little more than 10 years, Ron and Laura Armstrong have bred horses that have made names for themselves not only in the United States, but also in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Their band of broodmares now numbers eight in production, daughters of Parys El Jamaal, Besson Carol, DS Major Afire, GG Samir, Afire Bey V, and Ames Charisma. “I just like a pretty horse,” says Laura Armstrong when considering the bottom line of their breeding program. “I love a horse with big eyes, and good legs and feet.” The good legs and feet are likely part of the reason when Armstrong horses, usually already halter winners, are sold into the performance ranks, they are able to win in their new careers too. Ron Armstrong voices the key to their outlook. “The one principle I have is that winning has absolutely nothing to do with breeding,” he says. “But breeding has everything to do with winning.”
Armstrong ArAbiAns • Ron and Laura Armstrong • Newaygo, MI • 616-915-4142 • www.armstrongarabians.com w w w.ahtimes.com
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