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Russ's Ramblings
January, 2012
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Hello everyone and welcome to a new year! 2012 has started with some really nice warm
weather, and one big rainstorm that gave our friends over in Cedar Creek some high
water. We haven’t had that problem for a while.
Chris and I are just home from the Region 9 meeting in Ft. Worth. The show committee
from the Region 9 show had just returned from touring the new improvements at the Will
Rogers Memorial Center, and they were very impressed. There is a state-of-the-art new
coliseum that is scheduled to be built in the next couple of years. It will be specifically for
horse events, but will be modeled on modern sports arenas. It will have skyboxes, robotic
lighting and all the bells and whistles, along with really good, well-planned seating. In the
meantime, the Will Rogers Coliseum has all-new seating, new lighting, new dust-free
footing, completely updated restrooms and public areas, and a new warm-up ring that is
DOUBLE the size of the old one! A number of us, including Margo Shallcross, our incoming
Regional director, think WRMC would be the ideal setting for U.S. Nationals. We have been
working hard to communicate that to the U.S. National show commission. It is really hard
to get anything to change in our tradition-bound industry sometimes, and I will let you
know how it comes out.
Also at the meeting, Francine Dismukes was honored with the Region 9 Lifetime
Achievement award. Craig Christianson read a very impressive tribute to her, and then
Francine gave a very moving acceptance. Cathy Christianson is doing a wonderful job with
this award, and it is totally fitting that we honor, and cherish, the horsemen and
horsewomen who paved the way for us in this sport.
The continuing slow economy is putting a lot of strain on the horse industry these days.
Hay prices have actually gotten significantly higher than grain, and some feeds, such as
Senior feeds, are now around $20.00 per bag. Hay surcharges have become the norm at
barns all over our area. Bastrop Farms, owned and operated by the Connelly family, is
facing an additional challenge. They are rebuilding after being totally devastated by the
Bastrop wildfire. It seems like every day some new, unexpected expense pops up to
surprise them. For example, after the county came in and removed all the burned trees,
they were left with a huge number of stumps that needed to be ground-up before they
could use their pastures. I’m sure they would appreciate any help we can offer. You can
contact Ann Lang at the CTAHC office, or make a tax deductible contribution by contributing
to the Arabian Horsemen’s Distress Fund, and be sure to earmark your contribution to
assist Bastrop Farms.
Diane Mack writes to tell us that she has relocated her business to the Leander area:
Winnerhaven Riding School is now located in Leander, Texas, at Deer Canyon Stables. We
have a full lesson program from the first-time rider through accomplished show riders,
both English & Western, for riders from 6 to 60+! Whether you want to learn to ride for
pleasure, or compete at the highest level in the show arena, Diane is ready to
accommodate your needs.
Diane is also taking a few select horses in training. Her specialty--training the horse and
it's amateur or youth rider to be a successful team to compete on a local or national level.
Silver Wind Arabians posted this announcement on Facebook recently:
Silver Wind Arabians and John and Donna Hughes would like to thank our clients and
Arabian horse friends for many years of friendship. We have decided to shut our barn
down, but we are excited that Silvio Domingues will begin his own show barn at our
facilities. We would appreciate your support in helping him get established on his own. In
addition, Megan Harp will continue to ride, and plans to establish her own mark as a
trainer in the Arabian Horse World when she graduates with her Equine Business degree
in two years, and we hope for Allison to get out there too!! We have enjoyed showing
with many of you and plan on having a horse or two in the future. We have many
National Champion, Reserve Champion, Top Ten, 3 year olds, 2 year olds available both
Half-Arab and Arabian in the English, Country English and Hunter disciplines, so if you are
looking for that special one keep us in mind. Thanks Again!!!
We wish the Hughes family all the best, as well as hoping all goes well for Silvio Domingues
as he starts his own training business.
The Houston January show has already happened and was down quite a few horses this
year in spite of relatively good weather. We sure hope that upcoming shows in our area
will be better attended. Linda McCrieght and her Lone Star Classic committee are already
working hard to make our show a big success, and we already have commitments from
several exhibitors. We can always use volunteers, so if you are interested in helping out
for an afternoon, please contact Linda McCreight. Lunch is provided.
In 2011, AHA registered an all-time record low number of foals with 3936 purebred foals,
down almost 20% from the previous year, and 1162 Half-Arabian registered, down almost
40% from 2010. We have to find a way to convince people that the opportunity to own
and enjoy an Arabian Horse has never been better than it is now. Arabian Horses are a
terrific bargain at the moment, and everyone who has ever wanted one, and had the
means to care for one, can surely find one that fits their budget. We must get this
message out. I know all the animal right activists love to demonize our breeders, and
preach the message that not breeding horses is the best way to prevent anything bad from
ever happening to one, but we have reached a critical point where, at this rate, we will not
have enough horses to justify our shows, and we will not have enough genetic diversity to
maintain the a breed. These horses are the wonderful, loving, beautiful creatures that they
are precisely because, over centuries of time, people BRED them to be just that. I come
from a time when it was an honorable and noble thing to call yourself a “horse breeder,”
and I still wear the title proudly. With that little sermon, I would love for any of my fellow
breeders out there to send in your baby pictures, and news of your new foals! Also send
me news of what stallions you are planning for your mares! I will share that message of
optimism and faith with anyone who reads this thing I write every month.
Till next time, Keep On Riding!
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