2012 Scottsdale Show Blog - 2/23

Yesterday, Wednesday February 22nd, was an interesting day at the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show with performance classes held simultaneously in all of the rings, except the Wendell Arena where the top ten halter classes for the Classic Yearling Fillies and Colts were held. There were some spectacular yearlings presented at the show this year, which is a credit to their breeders. The seats were full and the rail was crowded with people standing shoulder to shoulder. Breeding was the topic I heard mentioned the most among spectators, and the booths were full of people prospecting for just the right stallion for their mare. It was the perfect prelude to The Scottsdale Signature Auction held last night, Wednesday at West
World.

The Scottsdale Signature Auction offered 165 amazing stallions! There was something for everyone from sires of English and Western performance offspring to international sires of halter champions and highly acclaimed breeding stock. Thanks
to new technological advances, even the breeding services of deceased stallions can be utilized through the use of frozen semen and oocyte procedures. Several of the leading sires of the breed were included in this year's auction, proving they may be gone - but they certainly are not forgotten by those who loved and valued them. The Scottsdale Signature Auction was a great success with over $500,000 raised. Best of luck to all the winning bidders - we hope your resulting foal is a superstar!

An expert in this field is Mario Zerlotti of Zerlotti Equine Reproductive Services in Texas. Zerlotti's company offers a wide variety of breeding services for stallions and mares. The company also offers very unique marketing services for mature horses as well as youngsters and even unborn foals. They have a program call "Create A Foal"; you can select the mare you want a foal from and also the stallion that compliments that mare the best. The result is a foal of predictable pedigree - but that's about it. Everyone who has been breeding Arabian horses, even for a season or two, knows there are no guarantees when it comes to the physical characteristics of a foal - but I guess you can say the we try to "stack the deck" in our own favor by selecting the best mare possible and then selecting the stallion that will compliment her and give her the best baby.

One world-class breeder utilizing the services of Zerlotti Equine Reproductive Services is Mystica Arabians of Australia,  owned by Jeff and Robyn McGlinn. Their stallion, EKS Bey Al Gazal (Marwan al Shaqab x Starbright Bey by Gazal Al Shaqab), is returning from Australia to the United States and will stand at Zerlotti Equine. Mystica Arabians has gathered a world-class group of horses for their breeding farm. They have created a very strong foundation with a beautiful group of mares including the exquisite National Champion Star of Marwan. For more information on this premier breeding farm, visit the Mystica Arabians website at www.mystica.com.au or stop by and visit with Mario Zerlotti at the Scottsdale show - see you there!