HORSE BREED
Book Thoroughbred breeding, with a
Anglo-Arabian stallion Concherto FF, a multi-state, Royal, national, East Coast and Australian champion in both halter and performance (Image courtesy of Holly Hess Ricks).
minimum 12.5 per cent Arabian blood. The horse can have two registered Anglo-Arabian parents, or one registered Anglo and one registered purebred Arabian, or be the result of a mating between a registered Thoroughbred and a registered Arabian. It’s these standards that help keep the bloodlines of the breed pure, thus maintaining the qualities of the Anglo-Arabian horse. According to the AHSA, there are currently just over 4,500 registered Anglo-Arabian mares, with about 3,900 stallions and geldings. One of the most notable breeders is Future Farms in Victoria, a stud specialising in Arabians and Anglo Arabians.
As a three-year-old, Athena was too
settlement. When the Arabian Horse
young for endurance events, so Rita,
Society of Australasia was established
a dressage novice, began training
in 1957, its newly formed Studbook
them both for the dressage ring. They
longer focussing on the Anglo, in the
catered for purebred, part-bred and
past the stud produced many show
Anglo-Arabians. Under the rules of
winning Anglo-Arabians horses.
the now Arabian Horse Society of
Visit the Arabian Horse Society
steadily worked their way up the levels, eventually winning the Fourth Level National Championship in 2004.
Origins of a breed
Where did Anglo-Arabians acquire
Australia (AHSA), an Anglo-Arabian
Also of note is Warrawee Stud in Lancefield Victoria. Although no
Australia at www.ahsa.asn.au for more
horse is one derived exclusively
information on the Anglo-Arabian and
from horses of Arabian and Stud
other Arabian derivative horses.
that winning streak? It’s apparently in the genes! Although there is little to document this, it’s believed that as early as the 1750s, Anglo-Arabians were being bred in Normandy as strong and agile war horses. It wasn’t until the early 19th Century that a breeding program began in earnest. The breed studbook was officially established in 1833, under the auspices of the French National Stud Service. The breed grew in popularity, and by the end of the 19th Century, the visually appealing and athletic Anglos had found their niche in a variety of disciplines. Since then, Anglo-Arabians have been used to improve many other breeds, including the German Warmblood.
The Anglo-Arabian in Australia
Arabian horses were introduced into Australia in the earliest days of European 82 | H O R S E V I B E S J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 2 0
Warrawee the Maestro, a champion in ridden and led classes (Image courtesy of Warrawee Stud).
