Allegiance MI

The story of Allegiance MI is one of heartbreak and hope, of survival and success, of expectations exceeded and unprecedented levels of excellence achieved.

Unwavering

Allegiance Photography by Stuart Vesty

116

ARABIAN STUDS & STALLIONS

I

t is an intricate tale of ambition and vision that weaves together many of the essential elements that have defined nearly a halfcentury of breeding at Mulawa Arabian Stud. Most importantly, it is an ever-evolving account of passion and inspiration, of a horse that continues to defy the odds and consistently create a brighter future of promise and possibility.

Born just after the New Year in 2009, Allegiance MI was the first foal born to his much admired dam Audacia, a former East Coast Champion Yearling Filly.

Beloved as one of the most beautiful daughters of the late Parkview Audacious, Audacia’s unique link to her sire was made even more special by the fact that she entered the world just one day before (29 August 2004) her celebrated sire left (30 August 2004), tragically lost to colic at the age of five. This keen connection of sire and daughter is most apparent phenotypically, as the aptly named Audacia closely resembles her sire in overall style and appeal, distinctly reminiscent of Audacious’ Australian National Champion dam Aliha Bint Nizr, a glorious mare still in residence at Alabama Stud that continues to exude aristocratic charm and feminine elegance. Jane and Greg credit Julie ‘with the foresight of recognising the potential of Parkview Audacious as a sire and a worthy first successor of TS Al Malik,’ while she is equally generous to offer immense ‘gratitude to Evelien and Cameron Bonney for breeding him.’

Maternally, Audacia’s pedigree, as if perfectly scripted, reads like a ‘who’s who’ of Mulawa foundation breeding icons.

Blessed with invaluable genetic links to the essence of what makes the Mulawabred horses both unique and instantly recognisable, Audacia has faithfully passed on these essential attributes from Polish, Spanish, Russian and American origins to Allegiance, and subsequently, to the latest generations of excellence now descended from, and exponentially expanding through, both mother and son. Pure Polish aristocracy is Audacia’s heritage through maternal grandsire Arrival, the best son of Mulawa Foundation Sire Ambition – Mulawa’s ‘reason for being’ and a direct son of the immortal Bask out of the athletically gifted Comet daughter Bint Ambara, imported from Lasma Arabians in 1976.

Further Comet virtue influences Audacia’s breeding merit through foundation mare

Jane recalls her earliest impressions of Allegiance as a foal, remembering him as ‘extremely special from the very beginning...’

Euni, a Janow Podlaski-bred daughter of Bandos (out of Bask’s equally famous full sister Bandola) and one of Comet’s all-time most influential daughters Eunice, dam also to Euni’s celebrated full siblings Eukaliptus and Europa. This intense line-bred CometWitraz-Amurath Sahib heritage was unmistakably evident in the phenotype of the late Mulawa Aria, Audacia’s cherished dam, who, of all the daughters of Arrival, was most reminiscent in colour, character and charm to the unforgettable Euni.

Enhancing this powerhouse pedigree with even more prestige is Audacia’s tail-female source – the ‘Queen of Mulawa’ herself: Karmaa. As one of the most influential daughters of World Champion Kaborr in the breed, Karmaa combines the esteemed Russian and Crabbet heritage of her sire brilliantly with the Spanish-infused, Kellogg, Brown and Selby-based American foundation bloodlines of her universally admired US Reserve National Champion dam An Marieta. Since her importation to Mulawa nearly 30 years ago in 1988, Karmaa has created a dynasty of champions and invaluable breeding horses unrivalled in

the Mulawa programme. So powerful and pervasive is her indispensable influence that all of the most successful Mulawabred sires of the last quarter century trace directly to her tail-female, including Klass, Kavalle MI and, indubitably, Allegiance MI. Jane recalls her earliest impressions of Allegiance as a foal, remembering him as ‘extremely special from the very beginning.

He was an incredibly high quality youngster with an abundance of qualities that are so important to us as breeders.’ The strength of TS Al Malik, the undeniable beauty of Aliha Bint Nizr, the aristocratic quality of Euni, the power, intelligence and upright forehand of Ambition and the enchanting elegance of Karmaa, were all evident in Allegiance from the onset. ‘None of us could have imagined just how special he would become’ nor just how significantly ‘his superb combination of attributes’ would influence the direction and success of the programme over the next decade.

Allegiance arrived just as the Mulawa brand was expanding with renewed intent and purpose internationally. As an incredibly

Previous Page: Allegiance MI; Above: Allegiance MI as a foal back in 2009

promising member of the Mulawa show team in 2009, he was amongst the first of a new generation of foals to draw serious attention from overseas breeders, agents and buyers. This interest was heightened after his show ring debut as National Stud Show Champion Yearling Colt, receiving high marks under an international panel of judges using the World Cup scoring system that November. Plans were made for visits from agents in Europe and North America just after the holiday season as everyone prepared for Allegiance to be the first to proudly fly the banner of the ‘modern Mulawa Arabian’ on the global stage.

Fate, however, had another plan in mind entirely...

A phone call from the team on New Year’s Eve brought immediate panic to the Farrells, with the skeleton crew reporting that ‘one of the yearling colts had injured himself seriously’ during daily turnout.

Jane distinctly remembers her feelings of dread, and chanting repeatedly to herself ‘please don’t let it be Allegiance, please don’t let it be Allegiance.’ Her worst fears were unfortunately confirmed a few hours later; the injured colt was indeed Allegiance, and after a proper veterinary assessment the prognosis was rather grim. He had shattered his left hock. The medical recommendation was that he be put down, given that most horses do not abide the constraints of immobility required to properly heal a serious compound leg fracture. Even if he were to recover, the professional opinion was that he would be notably unsound for the remainder of his likely shortened lifespan. In the course of one routine sunny holiday morning, the destiny of Allegiance and the subsequent trajectory of the Mulawa programme were irrevocably changed. What no one could possibly fathom at the time, was that this senseless tragedy would turn out to have a silver lining of infinite reward.

It has always been the Farrell creed to give every horse the opportunity to survive, should the horse itself have the will to live and the proper disposition to facilitate recovery. Given Allegiance’s intelligent, kind and sensible nature, a definitive gift of his Ambition heritage, the decision was made to cast the leg and provide palliative

Right: Audacia

care at the farm. Allegiance proved to be the ideal patient, willingly accepting his limited mobility throughout the healing process, and adoring the round-the-clock attention. Miraculously, the injury healed fully within just six months, with a rather significant amount of fibrous scar tissue but only minimal signs of unsoundness.

As such, the decision was made to give Allegiance a larger lease on life in the spacious stallion paddocks at Alabama Stud. In September 2010, just a few months shy of his second birthday, Allegiance made the permanent move to the Upper Hunter to a premier roadside paddock at Cronk Coar that has been his happy home ever since. On the brightest side, Allegiance has never shown any sign of lameness since early 2011, routinely inspiring the crew, as well as the other stallions and colts housed nearby, with a powerful animated display at the trot around his paddock, complete with an abundance of youthful exuberance and effusive ‘snort and blow’ for good measure.

With Allegiance in full recovery at Alabama, the expansive property that is home to the entirety of the Mulawa breeding operation, the decision was made to give him his first mares to cover that same season. His inaugural foal, arriving in September of 2011, was Allegiant MI, out of MI Angel, full sister to Aristocrat Dam On Angels Wings (TS Al Malik x M Angelique by Vision) of Gold N Wings, Sovereign Wings and Mulawa Bronze

Wings fame. This striking grey colt, with superlative structure, an elegant upright forehand, natural athleticism, an abundance of type and enormous dark eyes, far exceeded anything MI Angel had produced to date. Although MI Angel was one of Julie’s favourite mares and had been specifically chosen for her size, structure and expression, Jane reminded Greg prior to Allegiant’s arrival, ‘please do not judge Allegiance’s ability as a sire with just the first mare.’ This qualification changed, however, post foaling to unconditional endorsement and a decisive eagerness to give him a larger collection of mares to breed. When the second ultra-exotic, unquestionably special grey colt arrived in January 2012, born via embryo transfer to the recently imported Gainey/Spanishbred W Alegria, the mandate to cover some of the best mares in the programme was reaffirmed with decisive certitude.

With two outstanding colts on the ground, Greg and Julie were both as enthusiastic as Jane about expanding Allegiance’s breeding prospects in 2012. This evolution of the breeding vision coincided with the decline in health of Allegiance’s sire, Magnum Forty Four, who had been suffering from a chronic stifle injury incurred prior to importation in 2003. The stallion banner carrier of the Mulawa breeding programme in the new millennium up to that time, Magnum Forty Four was well on his way to making breed history as the only

ARABIAN STUDS & STALLIONS

himself an impressively consistent sire of the highest quality foals, with all the attributes prized in the Mulawa breeding programme abundantly evident in his progeny. ‘We all had the feeling that something great was happening…’

six-time recipient of Leading Sire honours at the Australian National Championships, with five of those titles earned in succession, when Allegiance was integrated into the breeding programme as the logical next step. Having been offered to the Farrells as a lease through long-time family friend and respected horseman Gene Reichardt, Magnum Forty Four brought the modern appeal of the globally renowned Magnum Psyche to the programme, with the added balance and boldness of Bey Shah and the reliable athleticism and structure of Fortel. Unequivocally evident from his earliest foals, Magnum Forty Four proved himself an unrivalled sire of extraordinary daughters, the vast majority of which have been the heart and soul of the Mulawa breeding programme over the last decade. The ‘44’ daughters proved to be the ideal cross for the other high profile Mulawa-bred Karmaa descendant, Klass, while gaining further worldwide acclaim as the dams of several international elite-level achievers, such as Klassical Dream MI (x Mustang’s Magnum), Prussia MI (x Parada) and Kavalle MI (x Karess).

candidly shares. In yet another incidence of perfect cosmic coordination in Allegiance’s incredible story, the torch of significant sire was passed from father to son in a graceful transition of purposeful breeding progress.

As his stifle injury exacerbated founder on multiple limbs late in 2012, the difficult decision was made to bring a humane end to Magnum Forty Four’s suffering in January 2013. ‘I will be forever grateful to Forty Four for giving us Allegiance when he did, to carry on for him as it were,’ Jane

Jane expounds on the virtues of the Allegiance foals from that first large foal crop, ‘There was a definite stamp to every one of his foals – elegant, typey and upright, with refined tapered muzzles and their sire’s commanding charisma.’

From the onset, Allegiance proved

The Allegiance era of excellence was well under way in 2012 as foal after foal of superior quality began arriving.

Allegiance proved himself with established broodmatrons, such as Klass’ full sister, beloved multi-champion Mae Marie, who delivered her best foal to date, the ultra feminine and superbly designed MI Marie, the first of many foals to prove the wisdom of line-breeding to Karmaa. Allegiance also jump-started the breeding careers of several high profile young/maiden mares in the programme including: Valentine MI (DA Valentino x HL Infactuation), who produced Advantage MI; DM Marcedes True Love (RHR Marcedes x GR Katalina), dam of Alyiance MI; and Scottsdale Champion LLC Briana (Pyro Thyme SA x RD Fabreanna), who bestowed upon the breed three sensational fillies via embryo transfer – Beyonce MI, Bryanne MI and Bree MI.

By late 2012, the first of the Allegiance get made their show ring debuts in all three of the eastern states. With popular reception and broad appeal, Alyiance MI, Advantage MI and Beyonce MI won major yearling titles in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, respectively. Advantage MI would also gain prestige for his sire and himself as East Coast Champion, a title that would also be earned by MI Marie as a three year old. Allegiant MI, most fittingly, would become the first of the Allegiance progeny to earn an Australian National Championship title, as Top Ten Junior Colt in 2014. Advantage would improve upon that achievement the year following, by attaining the first championship title at the Aussies for his sire as National Champion Junior Colt in Werribee, Victoria, under the World Cup scoring system and a respected panel of international judges.

Advantage would also accrue another first for his sire, by departing Australia for North America just a few months after his Australian National Championship win.

Making his overseas debut at Scottsdale 2016 as a young four year old, Advantage has since gone on to be a respected show horse in the States with Keith Krichke at the lead. So impressed were Keith and his wife, Maureen, with Advantage’s keen show attitude and endearing personality that they organised a group of their closest friends and trusted clients to buy Advantage in partnership, so they could not only ensure control of this special horse but chart his destiny and inevitable success as both a show horse and sire with careful and purposeful intention. ‘Having the horse so convincingly sell himself to the trainer is the ultimate honour for a breeder,’ Greg confesses. ‘We could not be happier that Advantage has found such a wonderful home and we look forward to watching his career progress for the partnership.’

While Advantage was busy trailblazing in the show ring both at home and overseas, his dam Valentine MI was hard at work creating a dynasty of daughters that would raise the Allegiance standard of excellence to the greatest levels of

achievement to date. The eldest of these superlative sisters was Venecia MI, who made a decisive splash in the show ring as East Coast Champion and Australian National Gold Champion as a yearling.

Exceptionally refined and feminine as well as remarkably complete in every respect, Venecia was, and continues to be increasingly so, a favourite of judges, breeders, trainers and spectators alike at every showing and public outing.

Venecia’s enviable show record, however improbably, was bested a year later by her younger full sister, Venice MI. The first of the Allegiance MI x Valentine MI progeny to arrive in a colour other than grey, Venice made a definitive entrance as an iridescent chestnut, complete with a dramatic, uniquely shaped blaze. What appeared to be at first an impediment to her prospects as a show filly, later evolved into one of her most endearing qualities, as the contours of her face grew more refined as she matured, enabling the striking blaze to accentuate her appeal to the extreme.

Venice’s arresting beauty and captivating markings are further enhanced by her impressive size and scope, her effortlessly animated and powerful trot, an impressively refined forehand, and an overwhelming enthusiasm for life, all of which have made her an unstoppable force of nature in the show ring. From the moment she steps a foot into a show arena, Venice is full on diva – neck arched, feet prancing, tail curled properly over her topline with snort, blow and attitude oozing from every pore. It was this charismatic allure that earned Venice the highest score amongst all entries at the Australian National Championships, a first for any yearling, in 2017, while securing the unanimous Gold National Yearling Filly Championship with consummate ease in the process. In doing so, Venice and Venecia became not only the first full sisters to be named back-to-back Gold National Champion Yearling Fillies in Australia, but also the first full sisters to win unanimous Australian National Championships at the same event, as Venecia added to her impressive list of accomplishments with the Gold National Champion Junior Filly title. The unanimous high-scoring accolade at the Aussies was the crowning

Left: Venecia MI Right: Venice MI

achievement in an undefeated season for Venice, with Yearling Filly Championship honours earned earlier at the National Stud Show in November, and at the East Coast Championships in January.

Most interestingly, Venecia scored just a half-point behind Venice and her showstopping performance at the Australian National Championships, according Allegiance the unique distinction as sire of the two highest scoring horses at Australia’s premier competition for the Arabian breed. Venecia has consistently scored amongst the top two horses at every event at which she has been assessed using the World Cup scorecard, earning successive Gold Champion Junior Filly honours at the Australasian Breeders Cup as a Yearling and as a Two Year Old, and Highest Scoring Junior Exhibit honours in 2017. It was at the most recent Breeders Cup that Venecia, and subsequently the Allegiance get, garnered the attention and admiration of respected international horseman Rhodri Jones of Wales. This interest led to an eventual visit by his brother Ryan a few weeks later, and the fortuitous sale of Venice to Al Muawd Stud, Saudi Arabia, for whom Ryan works as Farm Manager and Rod as principal showman.

‘We are looking forward to Venice’s debut in Europe and the Arabian Gulf with Al Muawd,’ Greg shares. ‘She will undoubtedly bring a lot of positive attention for Allegiance and the programme.’

Positive attention is exactly what Allegiance has steadily been receiving in North America, not only with the affirmative exposure of Advantage MI, but more recently, the success of yet another charming chestnut daughter: Madora MI. A refined, elegant, feminine and effervescent filly with the same undeniable charisma as Venice, Madora made her show ring debut at the most competitive Arabian horse show in the world at Scottsdale 2017, winning the first section of the yearling fillies and finishing Top Five Scottsdale International Junior Champion Filly in the finals. Her dam, Melody MI, is a top producing daughter of both TS Al Malik and Fames Harmony, having also produced another show ring winner closer to home, elder full sister Milan MI, achieving Australian National Champion Top Five Junior Filly honours in her show debut this past March amongst some of the deepest competition of the last decade.

Most appropriately, the Australian National Championships has become the litmus test of success on home turf for the Allegiance progeny. In addition to Advantage MI, Venecia MI, Venice MI and Milan MI, Salute MI topped off an undefeated season in 2016 as Australian National Champion Yearling Gelding.

The most recent Australian National Champion Yearling Gelding, unanimous winner Bogart MI, is also an Allegiance descendant, a direct paternal grandson

ARABIAN STUDS & STALLIONS

courtesy of aspiring Mulawa junior sire Advise MI. The significant accomplishments of Bogart in his undefeated debut season in the show ring brings the success for Allegiance full circle, as both Advise MI and Allegiant MI, the original pair of foals born in the inaugural 2011–12 foal crop, broadly expand the influence and impact of their ascending sire.

While Advise has thus far been effectual principally as a sire of champions, Allegiant has been actively engaged redefining the record books as a multi-talented and incomparably versatile show horse.

At just the tender age of five, Allegiant has already achieved as many Australian National titles, three of which have, most impressively, been earned under saddle.

In a clean sweep of all three divisions in which he was entered in 2017, Allegiant MI was honoured with a trio of National Championships, a first in Australia, as unanimous Gold National Champion Senior Gelding, Gold National Champion Ridden Arabian Gelding and National Champion Purebred Silver Snaffle. It was a proud moment for his ecstatic former owners, Samantha and Glenys Fallick, his pleased as punch new owners, Carlie Beer and Ricky Carver, as well as the Farrells, who most gratifyingly recognise the significance of Allegiant’s existence and

subsequent achievements in the trajectory of Allegiance’s rise to prominence as a sire.

That ascension of Allegiance as a Sire of Significance at Mulawa has reached a new zenith this past foaling season, with the arrival of perhaps the most exquisite daughter and dynamic son to date. DM Marcedes True Love delivered her third foal by Allegiance in late August 2016, a confident, commanding colt named Truth MI. A striking bay with an abundance of type, tail carriage and trot, Truth exudes the same enthralling show ring presence as all the best Allegiance get, while further blessed with the long, lean elastic neck and throat, the elegant upright forehand, the smooth harmoniously balanced build, the refined exotic face and large luminous eyes that have become trademark traits of his heritage. While Truth embodies the male archetype of Allegiance excellence thus far achieved, his paternal sister, just 16 days older, epitomises perhaps the pinnacle of success thus far realised for the Farrells after nearly 50 years of breeding pursuits.

Christened A Vision MI, an homage to her indispensable male ancestor, Mulawa foundation sire Vision (Jamil x Euni), as well as to the breathtaking revelation that she exemplifies, this ultra-exotic filly is out of unanimous Australian National Champion Senior Mare Always Valentine MI (DA

Valentino x Always An Angel by SK Shakla Khan), representing an astounding twelve generations of Mulawa breeding vision from both sides of her stellar pedigree.

Most rewardingly, the Allegiance get have all been blessed with a keen instinctive intelligence, a no-nonsense work ethic, and an infectious enthusiasm for life.

These positively focused, endearing dispositions have been a central tenet of the Mulawa breeding programme from the very beginning, essential characteristics of the Pure Polish foundation horses that were later enhanced by the influences of both Karmaa and TS Al Malik. ‘All of the Allegiance foals are a joy to be around,’ Julie confesses. Cameron Bonney, who has had the good fortune of training and presenting more Allegiance progeny than anyone else, readily admits that ‘his foals have a natural zest for life. They are fun, kind and loving, with an endless supply of show attitude on tap.’ As for his favourite females – Venecia MI, Venice MI and A Vision MI, Cam shares with a smile, ‘they are incredibly beautiful and each one of them not only knows it, but shows it!’

‘What I love most about the fact that Allegiance has risen to such prominence in the Mulawa programme is that, his heritage IS the Mulawa programme!’ Jane summarises perfectly. ‘The fact that his character and resolve are so great just makes me love and appreciate him more.’

For Jane, this heartfelt appreciation of Allegiance has translated into a breeding mantra that has served the programme exceptionally well over the last six years.

Should the Farrells have any doubt about the productive capability of any broodmare, before final judgement is passed, Jane’s ‘breed her to Allegiance!’ wisdom is applied, so confident are they in his ability to bring out the inherent best in every mare.

Something tells me this breeding principle will not only continue to serve the Mulawa programme well as they progress into a fifth decade of breeding aspirations, but years from now, will be remembered as a defining moment in which the Arabian breed in Australia took a monumental leap forward. For this, the ‘little horse that could’ and still most certainly does, deserves the ‘Unwavering Allegiance’ of us all… v

Left: A Vision MI