An Arabian Weekend at the Kentucky Horse Park

An Arabian Weekend at the

Kentucky Horse Park

a r a b i a n

h o r s e

w o r l d

Publisher Denise P. Hearst

Editor and Sales Manager Lynn Anderson

Editor Mary Jane Parkinson

Managing Editor Kirsten Mathieson Sales Associate Wendy Flynn

Art Director Melanie K. Davis

WORLD

Art Production Leigh Brandt, Jamie Fend,

Louise Herndon, Elizabeth Howard,

John Johnson, Sannie Ricasata, Janet Van Hoorebeke Circulation/Accounting Manager Rhonda Hall

An Arabian Weekend at

by Mary Jane Parkinson

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Computer Systems Douglas Tatelman

WHAT IN THE

Staff Writers Steve Andersen, Betty Finke,

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T

he Arabian horse high-trotted into Kentucky Horse Park on a weekend early in June — tail flagged, nostrils distended, eyes bulging, ears pricked — and provided a look of splendor and new insights into the breed. At the International Museum of the Horse, one of the park’s most popular facilities, the brand new Al-Marah Arabian Horse Galleries were opened with appropriate ceremony. In the same building, “A Gift from the Desert: The Art, History, and Culture of the Arabian Horse,” a splendid exhibit of the history and romance of the Arabian horse, attracted many. And in another part of the park, at the annual Egyptian Event, Arabian horses of Egyptian bloodlines vied for titles and awards.

the

Kentucky Horse Park

Thoughts of an Arabian horse cultural and education center have been on leaders’ minds for decades and decades. Committees have been appointed, architectural plans drawn, and potential sites studied. Much of the planning has paid off — at least in terms of convincing Arabian people of the need for such a center — but several noble efforts have died aborning. This time, the center is real: the Al-Marah Arabian Horse Galleries. Good solid Kentucky construction of the practical elements of such a center, a worthy education program, and a romantic spin on the Arabian horse in art, literature, and adventure.

The Galleries are titled “Al-Marah” in recognition of Bazy Tankersley’s contributions to the effort. Her program was long ago christened “Al-Marah,” an Arabic term meaning “a garden-like oasis,” and the 2,500-plus Arabians she has bred since carry the Al-Marah prefix.

The name is fitting. Many visitors to the Galleries experience the feeling of a welcome desert oasis.

“Bazy Tankersley of Al-Marah Arabians at Tucson, Arizona, is a remarkable person,” says museum patron Christie Metz (Silver Maple Farm at Santa Ynez, California). “Without a Bazy in the breed, countless persons would never have learned about, encountered, and personally enjoyed the Arabian horse. Bazy has helped the Arabian horse to enrich human lives by opening doors worldwide to a variety of cultures. In short, she is a person of extraordinary abilities that she has utilized on behalf of the Arabian horse. Thus, the bricks and mortar are far more than a building; they are a reflection and testament to one person’s belief that the Arabian horse plays, and will continue to play, a major role in many lives.”

One of the first tasks of developing the center was the reclaiming/acquisition of artifacts and publications from the storage facilities of the now-defunct Arabian Horse Trust in the Denver area. This was accomplished after some negotiation, and 3 b ARABIAN HORSE WORLD b AUGUST 2010

the center is enriched by items such as pioneer breeder Albert W. Harris’s saddle, endurance trophies of the early 1920s, Gladys Brown Edwards artwork, and many other artifacts, plus a library worthy of world renown.

The Galleries incorporate all that’s up-to-date in museum presentations.

As visitors walk into the “sandstone cave” entrance to the exhibits, they are immediately plunged into the near-reality of a desert sandstorm — the sights and the whirling, swishing sounds that strongly suggest they are not in Kentucky anymore. From there, A life-size sculpture of a Bedouin and his Arabian greet visitors at the entrance of the Al-Marah Arabian Horse Galleries.

visitors may choose from dozens of displays that chronicle the development of the Arabian horse from prehistoric times to the present day when Arabians are recognized as doers in a wide variety of show and performance disciplines.

Elements of the history of the breed are portrayed, such as the early imports to the United States, the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, the founding of foreign breeding programs, early endurance rides, the Davenport importation of 1906, the creation of the Registry in 1908, and on into modern times. A desert black tent exhibit is complete with life-size mare and foal models and many of the artifacts of that mode of living.

Most exhibits are interactive, allowing the visitor to dial up or punch up specific features on a screen or to use flip-cards to learn more on a selected subject. The galleries put special emphasis on young people and their enthusiasm for new modes of learning.

At the end of the tour, as a keepsake of the galleries tour, they are given printed pages detailing the information contained in the exhibits. “We wanted to present the Arabian horse to people who are not only currently involved, but also to people who might choose that horse as part of their future,” says Bob Fauls, co-chair (with Howard Pike) of the Purebred Arabian Trust, a prime mover of the Galleries, along with the Arabian Horse Owners Foundation as represented by Executive Director Howard Schenk. “The Galleries were designed with a special emphasis and appeal to the 8- to 14-year-old age group.”

There’s an exhibit on one of Bazy Tankersley’s special interests: a literacy program based on Arabian horses. The Black Stallion Literacy Foundation is the brainchild of Bazy’s son Mark Miller. The program utilizes the famed Walter Farley series on horses (The Black Stallion, Little Black, A Pony, 4 b ARABIAN HORSE WORLD b august 2010

and others), which leads young readers into a sense of accomplishment in mastering the books and rewarding them with Farley books and occasions where they can actually touch and talk to Arabian horses.

The program is active and successful in many school districts in the country.

Visitors to the Galleries were also aware of the Al-Marah presence through the presentation of gift copies of A Field of Arabians: Bazy Tankersley and the Horses of Al-Marah, by Susanne and Jake Page, a 2010 publication, each copy signed by Bazy’s daughter Tiffany, and And Ride Away Singing: The Breeding Philosophy

of BazyTankersley and the History of AlMarah Arabians, (1998), signed by the author, Mary Jane Parkinson.

An exhibit on the Arabian horse in films attracted many visitors, as they watched Arabians — from silent films such as “The Son of the Sheikh” made in 1926 to presentations of current celebrities and their Arabians.

And how many dozens of times did sculptor Ed Bogucki pose with his life-size creation of *Bask at the entry to the museum?

“A Gift from the Desert: The Art, History, and Culture of the Arabian Above: An interactive display as part of “The Black Stallion” exhibit.

Below: The Arabian theater entrance on the ground floor across from “The Black Stallion Experience” exhibit.

Below: The display of early sires and dams, picturing such greats as *Rifala, *Raffles, *Fadl, and Indraff, among others.

Horse,” presented by the Saudi Arabian Equestrian Federation, lured visitors to another part of the Galleries for another awe-inspiring look at the breed.

The theme of the exhibit: “God has gifted man with coursers of the highest breeding … and made horses the most beautiful means of riding, the beauty of pageants, the most splendid gift,

and the most desirable possessions,” this quote from a seventeenth century manuscript on the subject of Arabian horses by Sheikh Muhammad alBakhshi al-Halabi.” The exhibit is the happy outcome of a treasure hunt of great size and time. After three years of identifying, locating, and arranging loans, the exhibit became a reality this 5 b ARABIAN HORSE WORLD b august 2010

Above: The “Versatility and Elegance” display depicting Arabians and riders in a more current environment.

year, the result of the generosity and foresight of individuals and institutions in the Middle East, Europe, and North America. Twenty-five museums and individuals loaned more than 350 items for the display.

A handsome and expansive exhibit catalog opens: “With powerful strides and a lofty gaze, the Arabian horse

my three-and-a-half-year journey working on these two exciting projects has left me with a tremendous respect and admiration for these wonderful horses as well as those humans who nurture them and protect their purity.”

Left: “Gift from the Desert” ribbon cutting ceremony on May 27, 2010, from left to right: John Nicholson, Kentucky Horse Park Director; Jane and Steven Beshear, first lady and Governor of Kentucky; HRH Faissal bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Saud, Honorary President of the Saudi Arabian Equestrian Federation; and Bill Cooke, Kentucky Horse Park Museum Director.

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galloped forth from the deserts of the Near East to change the course of equestrian history,” then chronicles the stories of these changes.

Museumgoers can drink in the beauty of centuries-old artifacts associated with the Arabian breed. Just for a few examples: The Standard of Ur (a small wooden structure carried into battle, found in the Royal Cemetery at Ur, dated 2600-2450 BCE; a terracotta horse and rider, dated 900-750 BCE, and many other such figures; a bronze breastplate for a chariot horse from early Turkey; a silver beaded dress and headcloth from Saudi Arabia; elaborate jewelry items from the Middle East; paintings and drawings by well-known artists of well-known Arabians; warhorse gear; metal and glass plates of great beauty and elaborate design; stirrups from the eleventh and twelfth centuries; items once owned

by Lawrence of Arabia; watercolors by British artist and author Peter Upton; a collection of Homer Davenport sketches from his time in the desert.

“A Gift from the Desert” exhibit will remain at the International Museum of the Horse through mid-October.

Bill Cooke, Director of the International Museum of the Horse, is a happy man these days. “With this spring’s opening of ‘A Gift from the Desert’ and the Al-Marah Arabian Horse Galleries, the International Museum of the Horse has truly established 2010 as the year of the Arabian horse at Kentucky Horse Park,” he notes. “For a museum that celebrates all horses for all time, this represents an unprecedented tribute to a single breed. Given that the Arabian is not only the world’s oldest breed of horse, but also that Arabian blood has played a tremendous role in the establishment of virtually all modern light breeds, we feel this level of attention is richly deserved.

Personally, I can say with certainty that

HRH Prince Nawaf bin Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz, the president of the Saudi Arabian Equestrian Federation, hosted the reception and ribbon cutting of the “Gift from the Desert” exhibit.

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HRH Princess Adelah bint Abdullah, daughter of the King of Saudi Arabia, at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the “A Gift from the Desert.”

Above: “A Nomadic Culture” display of Bedouin arifacts and theme panels on their nomadic culture.

Facing page top: The strength and endurance display.

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1. Left to right: Mohamed Al Sulaiti, Al Shaqab breeding and show manager; Judi Forbis of Ansata Arabians; Abdulla Al Kuwari of Al Shaqab; and Dr. Nasr Marei of Albadeia Stud, Egypt.

2. Left to right: Pat Trusty; Cynthia Culbertson, co-writer of the catalog and curator of the “A Gift from the Desert” exhibit; Mauri and Steve Chase of Chase Arabians, Texas.

3. Denise Hearst, Arabian Horse World publisher, left, and Lynn Anderson, editor, with Al Crolius of Active Interest Media.

4. Christine and Bob Fauls, who, along with Howard Pike co-chair the Purebred Arabian Trust, were prime movers of the effort to build the Galleries.

5. Deb Mihaloff, left, and Alan Kirshner of Cre Run, Virginia, with Liz Salmon, right.

6. Drs. Karen and Jody Cruz of Rancho Bulakenyo, California, admire a painting of their stallion Imperal Al Kamar, painted by Barbara Rush, pictured at right.

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