Over the years Australia has been particularly successful in the sport now known as “Equestrian”, bringing home Team Gold for three Olympics in succession, including our own Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. This has led to a far greater interest being taken in the sport at all levels. Until fairly recently, and unlike some other countries, Australia has not had a tradition of large-scale breeding specifically for eventing. Even in this last 2004 Athens Olympics, our Australian eventing horses came from many and varied backgrounds including the back of a knackery truck!
In the past some very successful show-jumpers have been sired by the Fenwick Stud’s Arabian stallions RIFFAL [imp UK], SHAFREYN [imp UK] and SINDH [imp UK]. They were horses like BRIGADOON a Purebred Arabian of 16 hands who hunted with the Oaklands Hunt as well as being an A Grade Showjumper. TRAFALGAR SQUARE was a 16 hand Partbred Arabian who once held the Australian Puissance record at 7 feet 1 ½ inches. In 1968 he won 34 showjumping events in one season but he was never considered for Olympic selection because his rider was a professional. Anglo Arabian GAY SCOT was a high-flyer, who was Australian Showjumping Champion of 1977. The Purebred gelding GREAT STYLE by Shanasif, Partbred gelding MARTINS LAD by Riffayal [imp UK] and Chris Chugg’s Purebred gelding DEL BART by Delos, have all proved their jumping prowess in the past. Mrs Jean Luckock of Ennerdale Stud, who had a particular interest in jumping and eventing, bred a number of talented jumping horses including the three full-siblings APRICOT, JONATHON and IMPALA. Jonathon was included in the Olympic squad for the Rome Games with his rider John Kelly, but he missed his opportunity due to an injury.
The 2004 Athens Olympic Three-Day-Event competition was of great interest to Arabian enthusiasts because amongst the competitors was a Purebred Arabian horse from Brazil and a brilliant Anglo Arabian from Great Britain, TAMARILLO, bred by the Guinness family of Biddesden Stud, and ridden by a leading British rider, William Fox-Pitt. Tamarillo had won the world-renowned Badminton 3DE earlier in the year, as well as a bronze medal with the British team at the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Spain. At the moment there is world-wide interest among amateur riders in Sporthorses for competition involving several disciplines. Arabian horses, with their proven ability in endurance and marathon racing all over the world, certainly have the stamina, courage and physical toughness to make excellent sporthorses. Add the popularity of the Anglo Arabians and Arabian Warmbloods to the mix, not to mention the choice of any of the other Derivatives. | |||||
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