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[RC] Successful endurance Arab crosses - Ridecamp GuestPlease Reply to: Anita Messenger libertymtn@xxxxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ========================================== Being a long time Morab breeder, I've been following this thread with interest. You simply cannot talk about endurance "Arab crosses" without talking about the Morabs. :-)Since the first of the year, I have done extensive research into endurance Morabs, and have been pleasantly shocked at what I have dug up so far. There is *way* too much to go into in a post like this, but you can go to my website featuring endurance Morabs and see just how well they have been doing in this sport, and not just in this country, but in places all over the world. Endurance Morabs you may already know: Kootenai Zizzero+++GA, Tulip, Astro Aries, Kalos, Fort William+/++++MHF, Tamarron Red Rapture+BA, Hollinhurst Tarantella (2X Pan Am - 2 different countries!), Pancho (still holds the second fastest finishing time for the Tevis - 2X Tevis winner), Desert Roses Raz (Pan Am medalist), APM Classic Storm+/++SA, Bogie Man+BA, Nitetime Jamboree+/, Wrangle+BA, and more. Some of these are still active, some are retired or deceased. Two of them are in the top six for the most AERC miles (Tulip is in third). There are four Morabs that we know of who are in the 5,000+ mile list. Australia's first endurance Morab, Menora Fine Figure, started right off with wins and Best Conditions (a mare). More are now following in her footsteps. Hollinhurst Tarantella first started winning in England, then moved to Canada with his owner to continue his winning ways. Broadreed Accolade is out of a winning English Endurance Morab mare, Asoka Tosca, and sired by an English Morgan stallion. A rider there told me "She won almost everything in Southern England last year (2004)." A full brother is also doing well in endurance. Up and comers today include Red Express (Pan Am horse), BLT Marshall Ben Tut+BA (AERC Awards winner), Shataun's Secret Alibi (Best Condition in 9 out of 12 rides in 2004), Summerwood Silverhawk (2X Tevis finisher), Stings Inferno Flame (multiple LD winner and Best Condition - moving up to 50's now), Red Sans Legend, and more. Some of these endurance Morabs are also doing well in CTR's, even distance driving. One Vermont Morab mare is doing endurance, CTR, *and* distance driving...with her 66 year old lady owner. A set of Morab TWINS are both CTR awards winners. Even "part Morabs" are doing well - Movin On Blues, terrific 100 miler is five time Tevis Cup finisher, is 1/2 Morgan, 1/4 Arabian, and 1/4 QH. The awesome Menora Wildfire in Australia - 1/2 Morgan, 1/4 Arab, 1/4 pony. Asoka Tolka, a Gold Series horse now living in France, is 1/2 Morgan, 1/4 Arab, 1/4 TB. Chisolm has done endurance/CTR in Alaska *and* Arizona - he is 1/2 Morgan, 1/4 Arab, 1/4 QH. How about Suds? Do you remember him from the 60's? Owned/ridden by Maxi Dickinson, he was the winner of the 1962 NATRC Old Presidents CUP. Maxi told me that she rode Suds for a total of 35,000 miles. He was 7/8 Morgan and 1/8 Arabian - his Morgan sire, Antman, was really a Morab (3/4 Morgan/1/4 Arab) from William Randolph Hearst's breeding. Maxi has written a novel featuring Suds. In the novel, she refers to Suds as a Morab. Dorothy Lyons wrote a novel in 1951 about a buckskin Morab mare on a ranch who becomes an endurance horse with a handicapped teenage girl. The endurance Morabs are different percentages, all within the registries' perimeters - some are 50/50, some are 75% Morgan 25% Arabian, and some are 75% Arabian and 25% Morgan. Their percentages do not seem to matter where the Morab's abilities are concerned. Morabs are consitantly seen in the Top Ten, Best Condition, AERC awards, etc. I just spent hours last week going through the AERC Awards listings for the last ten years, and found that Morabs are listed almost every year. Tulip has been in the Awards listings almost every year for the last 11 years. The AERC breed listings show 110 Morabs listed with them over the years. We already know that many of the above named Morabs are not listed with AERC as Morabs. I have found them in the Arab cross list, half Arabian, and even the grade list. If I didn't know the horse/owner, I wouldn't know it was a Morab. For instance, Kootenai Zizzerro is listed as a half Arabian, but he's a registered Morab. No, the numbers for Morabs is not large...but on the whole, the ones that *are/have been* doing endurance, are doing VERY WELL. They are very good at *finishing*, and with bringing their rider in safely. Many of these Morabs have older riders (past 50). Our farm is the first to actively breed for GAITED Morabs. Most of our gaited Morabs are out of 50/50 Morab mares and sired by our gaited Morgan stallion, Mary Mels Mystery, so they are 75%Morgan and 25% Arabian. The oldest will be turning five in 2006, and will just be started under saddle. These horses are showing the ability to both gait *and* trot - we are hoping they will prove to be superb endurance horses. For those who like the Arab crossed with a gaited breed, you might want to seriously look into a gaited Morab. Just a word of warning, though - they are still very rare at this time. I have a Yahoo Groups list for those who have used/are using/will shortly be using Morabs for endurance, CTR and/or distance driving, and the list membership is steadily growing. There are many in the wings who are just now getting started with their endurance Morabs or who are working toward getting them started. One Morab breeder in Missouri just sold three Morabs at one time to endurance riders from Colorado. Our own farm has seen a steady increase in inquries from endurance riders, and several of our Morabs are already doing it or getting started with their owners. Please take some time to look over the endurance Morab website, and if you can help with anything (Morabs we've missed, pictures we need, correct information that may be wrong, etc.), please let me know. I have some updating I need to do, too. http://endurancemorab.8k.com Anita Messenger =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. 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