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The 2012 Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show Halter Championships

The Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show is considered the largest competition for Arabian horses in the world. It is 11 very full days with over 125 halter and breeding classes for amateur and professional handlers; that does not include all of the performance divisions, which we will cover in a separate story.

There are several halter and breeding division allowing maximum opportunities for owners to show and enjoy their horses. The Scottsdale International Arabian Breeders Classic is a special division with U.S certified judges, as well as international judges from around the world, who use a point system similar to the European judging system. The Scottsdale Signature Stallion Classes, (SSS), are for the eligible offspring of Scottsdale Signature Stallions; and The SSS Auction Classes are exclusively for offspring resulting from a stallion service purchased at the SSS Auction. Last, but not least, are the Classic Arabian Classes, which are open to all registered Arabian horses. One of the most exciting aspects of the SSS classes is that all horses must be presented by amateur handlers, and the horses in the Auction classes must be handled by their amateur owners. Don't think for a minute the horses presented by the amateurs are of lesser quality. In fact, I heard many spectators comment that the horses presented in the SSS classes were some of the best of the show!

The competition in the SSS classes is very deep, perhaps because there is a lot more to win than ribbons and roses. The SSS classes have huge payouts; they vary from year to year depending on the amount the stallion service auction generates. The proposed payout for the 2012 Scottsdale Signature Stallion Classes was $590,598.41! Both the SSS Yearling Auction champion colt and filly won $34,618.50 and the reserve champions in those classes took home a paycheck of $17,309.25! It certainly proves that it pays to play at Scottsdale! However, even if you don't win a huge check, Scottsdale is one of the very best shows in the industry and it attracts some of the highest quality horses from around the world. Big breeders, small breeders, owners, trainers and everyday people all come together to celebrate the Arabian horse. Here are some of the halter champions from the show... [read more]

Sunday, February 26

Saturday was a wonderful day of classes at the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show. Wendell arena hosted the Signature Stallion Championships for Yearling Fillies and Colts with four sections of each. It's even more fun to watch these classes, which requires amateurs to show and that always adds another level of excitement. You see the determination on their faces, as well as the joy to be in the ring with their horses. It really is great fun to watch.

Wow! Can you believe it! Only two more days to show! But there are still plenty of classes, parties and presentations of beautiful, athletic Arabian horses. Scottsdale truly is a paradise for Arabian horse lovers and this event showcases the versatility and beauty of the breed like no other show in the world.

Saturday morning will host the Signature Yearling Colts and Fillies with four sections of each. Walking along the rail this morning I stopped to talk with a number of breeders and owners. I asked about the horses they were showing and mazingly there was a common thread that appeared - the influence of Fame VF. Time and again I was told,  "Oh, my horse is out of a Fame daughter." Just that mention says so much - we have come to except a certain look, a level of quality from this great sire, his get, grandget, and each new generation. Fame's influence come not only from his daughters, but through his male descendants as well - they are prolific sires of the top Arabian horses in the breed including Marwan al Shaqab, Versace, and others.

One of most noted sires today is splendid example of this family connection, he is Da Vinci FM (Versace - by Fame VF - x Full Moon Astar), owned by Sally and Jim Bedeker of Gemini Acres. Da Vinci FM carries some of the most influential individuals - both stallions and mares in his pedigree. His sire Versace is of course by Fame VF  and out of the legendary beauty, the incomparable Precious as Gold by El Shaklan. The sires GG Samir and Ramses Fayek strengthen the lines of classic Arabian type. Da Vinci FM is producing this quality and type in his off spring as well. His daughter SW Da Vidica, out of SW Jasmine by Magnum Psyche was first place Two-Year-Old Filly shown by Austin Boggs. Da Vidica will return to the ring Sunday morning for the Junior Filly Championships. It's going to be a great show! We'll see you there! [read more]

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Friday, February 24

Thursday was a big day at the Scottsdale Arabian horse show. Many people were talking about the success of the Scottsdale Signature Stallion Auction and discussing who were the successful bidders and what mares they would be using the breedings with. But before they make their final decision breeders lined the rail to watch the Scottsdale Signature Auction Classes held Thursday afternoon. These classes are exclusively for the horses resulting from Signature Auction breedings and the payouts were huge! Champion Two-Year-Old Gelding TKS Oh My Gatti (KM Bugatti x Khemos Fanci by The Chief Justice), owned by Kris and Tim Simmons won over $10,500. The investment they made purchasing

a breeding to KM Bugatti four years ago paid out big time!!!!! TKS Oh My Gatti will be presented along with other champions at Midwest Station I, owned by Bob, Janene, Austin and Olivia Boggs. Visit their website www.bobboggs.com for directions.

The popular stallion presentations began with a kickoff party at Ted Carson who presented SF Veraz (Gazal Al Shaqab x Veronica GA by Versace), owned by Patti and Mike Scheier and the sire of the sensational International Champion Yearling Filly and Junior Champion Filly, Jullye Al Gazal, owned by Larry Schopf. To learn more about SF Veraz, visit these websites: www.tedcarson.com or www.scheierfarms.com. Jullye Al Gazal is out of a daughter of Jullyen El Jamaal and has created quite a buzz; she was presented by Keith Krichke who is hosting a special presentation at his stalls at the show. Greg Knowles of Arabian Expressions has his presentation at his farm on Friday at 2:00pm where he will present the stallion Jiuliusz de Wiec and others. Visit his website for information; www.arabianexpressions.com. The parties will continue through out the show including a Sunday presentation by Shada Arabians of National Champion Stallion and sire of significance, Echo Magnifficoo and the sire of champions Audacious PS. You can also see the handsome 2012 Scottsdale Champion Three-Year-Old Stallion Maasai PVF (Maserati WR x Alora Gold NBW), owned by Ann Benson. Visit Shada's website at www.shadainc.com for more information. [read more]

Thursday, February 23

Yesterday, Wednesday February 22nd, was an interesting day at the Scottsdale Arabian 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 arm to arm all along the way. 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 WestWorld.

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 $500,014.00 raised. Best of luck for all the winning bidders - we hope your resulting foal is a superstar! [read more]

Wednesday, February 22

There is a phenomenon that happens every time I go to a horse show; I get so caught up with the horses, I forget the time. The quip, "Time flies when you're having fun", totally describes my time at the Scottsdale Arabian Show. I can't believe that on Wednesday, the show is already half over! The youth classes are done and the results are now a part of history. The focus of the show is now directed to the adult amateurs, the professional trainers, and their horses.

Among the horses to show are the yearling fillies and colts that showed in the preliminaries on Saturday. They will now be coming back into the ring for the second time and the judges will select their top ten, as well as choose their first and second place picks from the class. Those two horses will come back on Sunday for the championships. The momentum is building, but first the judges have to make their cuts. One of the yearling colts that will be coming back into the ring on Wednesday morning is OFW Wan And Only (OFW Magic Wan x OFW Jewelee by Padrons Psyche), owned by Luciana Fasano of Fazenda Floresta and presented by David Boggs. Luciana has a passion for Arabian stallions; she also owns National Champion AAS-Elishahh, National Champion Eccentric Valentino, and the straight Egyptian stallion Al Hadiyaa AA. With his pedigree and high quality, OFW Wan And Only is a great addition to Luciana's stallion herd. Luciana Fasano is a strong supporter of the Scottsdale show, both AAS-Elishahh and Eccentric Valentino are nominated Scottsdale Signature Stallions and will be featured in the Scottsdale Signature Stallion Auction tonight, Wednesday, February 22nd at 6:00 p.m. at the new Scottsdale Signature Stallion Auction Pavilion Tent on the west side of West World. [read more]

Tuesday, February 21

Some of the best things about the Scottsdale Arabian Show - and there are many - are seeing all your friends, meeting new people, and making new friends. As I walked around the arenas and through the vendor's retail area, I stopped for a moment as I realized that I was hearing a number of different languages ebbing and flowing as I passed the various booths; English, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, French, Flemish, Italian, and Arabic - all these languages, all these people from around the world - all brought together because of the Arabian horse!

Later, standing together along the ringside rail at Wendell arena, I looked across at all the people watching and enjoying the show. Many people I spoke to were evaluating the horses being shown in the ring and looking at their pedigrees too. A lot of breeding decisions are yet to be made and looking at the offspring of particular stallions is a big part of the Scottsdale experience.

Although the seats were very full for most of the classes, it occurred to me that there are many more people watching the show thanks to the live feed provided by iEquine. I asked Scott Bailey, the owner of iEquine and he was able to check the statistics and provide me some amazing data. IEquine is broadcasting live feed from three arenas this year: Wendell arena has had 35,536 viewers, the Equidome has had 51,358 viewers and the Reining Arena has had 11,066 viewers. I am sure the Wells Fargo Bank Celebrity Slide held last night brought many online viewers - it was great fun! Congratulations to the winner Keith Krichke! That's more than 97,960 views of the Scottsdale show from around the world. In fact, there were people from 86 different countries watching the Scottsdale Arabian show on IEquine's live feed! [read more]

Monday, February 20

It is incredibly difficult to describe the scope of the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show and the experience of being here. The size of the show grounds requires a comfy gold cart, a motor scooter, or very comfortable shoes. From one end to the other, there are horses - beautiful, talented, athletic Arabian horses - everywhere! For those of us who LOVE Arabian horses - this is heaven! It is so much fun to watch the horses and handlers compete, but I think it's almost as much fun to watch them in the warm up rings working and training, all the farm teams working together; trainers, clients, grooms, support buddies... I honestly cannot think of a more enjoyable way to spend the day than with family, friends and Arabian horses!

Sunday, February 19

Saturday at the Scottsdale show was filed with beautiful performance classesand beautiful Arabian horses. The morning started in the Equidome with youthexhibitors showing their purebred and half-Arabian horses in hunter, English, sidesaddle, saddle seat equitation, western pleasure, native costume, and more. Thetalent, skill, and most importantly, sportsmanship demonstrated by these youngcompetitors spoke well for their parents, trainers and coaches. The girls still outnumber the boys in participation, but I rather think the boys like the odds!

The morning classes at Wendell Arena were some of the most anticipated classesfor breeders; the yearling fillies and yearling colts. The classes were very goodsized with 36 entries in the younger age division and 42 entries in the older agedivision for yearling fillies. The colt classes were good sized too with 36 entries inthe younger division and 29 entries in the older age group.

The Reining Arena hosted Reining Seat Equitation, Adult Reining for purebred andhalf-Arabians, as well as the Western Horsemanship Championships for youth andadults. Show Arena Eight hosted a full schedule of Western Trail for both purebredand half-Arabians. The Markell Arena hosted numerous levels of Dressage, thediscipline many equestrians consider to be the highest level of horsemanship. [read more]

Saturday, February 18

The 2012 Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show is off to a great start! The youth classes were full of talented and very serious competitors. It is always fun to watch these youngsters show their horses in all of the various disciplines and classes offered
at the show. From halter to western, hunter, and English pleasure - the Scottsdale show offers every child an opportunity to enjoy the Arabian horse.

The kids weren't the only ones enjoying their horses; the classes for adult amateurs are under way as well with championship ribbons and roses being awarded to the top competitors. It is refreshing to see so many amateur owners showing their horses -the bond they share is clear to see. Watching them fulfill their dreams and goals is very inspiring. One person said that showing at the Scottsdale show was a dream come true and now they could check it off their "Bucket List" of life experiences.

Friday afternoon at Wendell area was standing room only for the Classic half-Arabian halter classes and championships including the Supreme Half Arabian Championship. Friday night offered the first International classes including two divisions of Yearling Colts; January 1 - April 15th and April 16th and Later. Next was the International class for Two-Year-Old Colts, which was followed by the International Junior Colt Championship. The International classes for mature mares began with Mares 4-5 Years Old, 5-6 Years Old, 7 & Older and then the Senior Mare Championship. [read more]

Click here for Photo Gallery of the 2012 Scottsdale Show

Thank you to our Platinum Sponsors

Arabians International

Fazenda Floresta

Gallun Farms

Gemini Acres Equine

Hennessey Arabian

Michael Byatt Arabians

Midwest Arabians

Mulawa Arabians

Mystica Arabians

Rohara Arabians