One of the earliest Arabian horse breeders in Oklahoma was Katharyn Simpson of Vallejo Ranch, mother of Kathie Hart and today’s Vallejo III Ranch LLC, a fourth generation owner, breeder, and national championship winner. The family’s history goes back even further, with Kathie’s great grandfather, Herman Cornell, who had a cattle ranch in Kent, Tex., that also raised Arabian horses and included Bazy Tankersley as a customer. Katharyn in turn purchased a number of Arabians from Bazy, including AM Silversparrow, who she rode to the honor of being the first woman to win a U.S. National Championship in Open Western Pleasure in 1967. In the mid 1970s and ’80s, there were many small, grassroots breeders in Oklahoma with great horses, including Ivan Rowe and his stallion Rabol. Rabol sired some amazing offspring, many with the “RO” prefix, which became synonymous with very high quality horses. Ernie Blanton and his daughter, Pam, were wonderful breeders and operated Blanton Arabians. Pam bred the stallion Kamim, a beautiful and excellent sire. He produced Ibn Kamim and the beautiful mare Kamims Batik, who was Egyptian Event Supreme
Champion Mare. Gene and Mary Shirley had wonderful mares and bred them to Ansata’s Egyptian stallions. The Shirleys bred the stallion Shah El Shahir, who was exported to Brazil. Today’s programs include Shaman Arabians, in Cromwell, breeder of multi-national champion Halter Stallion Pyro Thyme SA; two of Oklahoma’s finest, Clair and Margaret Larson, current owners of Pyro Thyme SA and one-time owners of the mares RD Fabreanna and Valori TRF among others; and Bob Hart, Jr. of Vallejo III, in Afton, who grew up with horses under the guidance of his father, Bob Hart, Sr. and his mother, “Mama Hart.”
MISSOURI
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Leslie Connor’s family owned Connor Arabians, in Joplin. Her father Jerry’s first registered Arabian, Bayawi, was purchased in 1952. One of Leslie’s first horses was the stallion Ibn Esperanzo, bred by Raymond Davis of Esperanzo Ranch in Reeds Spring. Another important horse for Leslie was her mare Que Hama. Along with their small breeding operation, Leslie became an AHA judge in 1975, becoming one of the youngest people to ever receive their judge’s card, and has judged internationally. Dr. and Mrs. Tom Atkinson of Anchor Hill Ranch, in Rogersville, were prominent breeders, using the straight Egyptian stallion Al Metrabbi. The earliest registered Arabian owned by the Atkinsons was the mare Laida, purchased in 1948. Over the course of 40 years and more, the Atkinsons bred or owned over 290 Arabian horses of extreme quality that became the cornerstones for breeding programs across the country. The McCrea family has had a profound inf luence in the Arabian horse breed for more than 60 years, with Lois McCrea purchasing her first Arabian in 1955. The McCrea children, James, Bob, Janice, and Bruce, and now their children, are mainstays in the Arabian industry as owners, breeders, exhibitors, judges and board members. Janice, who married Jerry Wight, fondly remembers when she and her mother hauled their mare Tanbina in 1974 to be bred to *Bask. The result was the stallion Bold Fire, who was syndicated in 1981. Later, Janice and Jerry moved to Republic, where they opened Mid-America Farms. Though most
Valori TRF
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south central arabians