lifetime,” says Boge. “The grand setups, high caliber horses and intense competition is something one must see in person. No description will do justice to the feeling of sitting in the stands during finals night waiting for the horses to file into the ring.” A quiet whisper of expectation is on everyone’s lips as the gate swings open and the horses come bursting through, ready to give it their all. The crowd erupts into a roar, and only gets louder as the horse and rider go around the ring, with the announcer’s voice booming in the background, giving commands to the riders and their mounts. When the judges mark their final score on their cards and hand them to the announcer, once again, the arena goes quiet, waiting to hear who won the roses. After what seems like an eternity, the announcer comes crackling over the speaker and the winner is announced. The crowd loses it, with cries of glee and tears of joy mingling in. At the show, the events run in three different rings, showcasing the versatility and beauty of the
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Arabian horse. Events include halter classes, where horses are judged on performance. Performance classes include a variety of tack like English or Western and types of riding such as pleasure, reining and working. Jumping courses display the Arabian’s grace and skill as they jump and trot and canter around courses designed to challenge horse and rider. Driving events feature horses in harness pulling a wheeled vehicle and are judged on performance, manners, and confirmation. There’s even a ladies’ sidesaddle event where horse and rider are judged on attire and performance. The dramatic Native Costume event features flowing capes, coats, pantaloons, headdresses, scarfs, sashes and any other decorations in keeping with a colorful desert regalia, in the Bedouin style. As the oldest of all the light breeds, the Arabian is unique. The Arabian breed does not exist because of selective breeding, as were other modern light breeds, where it was necessary
to establish a registry before the development of the breed. The Arabian has been recognized for thousands of years and has been maintained and cherished in its purity over those years as much as is humanly possible. Arabians can be found in the foundation stock of the thoroughbred, the Percheron, the Morgan horse, and the Trotter, among many others. The show is accompanied by The Tour of Arabian Horse Legends. The tour teaches the history of the Arabian, the evolution of U.S. Nationals through the years, and highlights some of the legendary horses, breeders, and trainers. One of those legends is the inspirational Sheila Varian. “Shelia Varian was a visionary when it came to breeding great horses, and her breeding program proved that,” says Boge. “From her first stallion, Bay-Abi++, you can see much of the Varian bloodlines in horses today. Not only did
Sheila know a good horse and knew how to breed them well, she was also an extraordinary horse woman and didn’t let any obstacle stand in her way. Even the thought of competing in a largely male dominated sport didn’t faze her. She and her trusty steed, Rontenza, won the Open Stock Horse at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Rontenza was the only Arabian ever to win at the Cow Palace and at the time, Sheila was the only girl and amateur to have ever taken the class.” The U.S. Nationals is free and open to the public for the entire run of the event. Whether you live and breathe horses or you’re just looking for something different to do, there’s something for everyone.
LOCATOR
U.S. NATIONAL ARABIAN AND HALF-ARABIAN CHAMPIONSHIP HORSE SHOW Expo Square | Tulsa arabianhorses.org Oct. 20-28