*KS RUBIN photo art - from Kentucky 2010 - North American Young Riders Endurance Ride
What is a Shagya? *KS RUBIN exemplifies the outstanding traits for which this breed was created.
The Shagya-Arabian horse, is an Arabian-Warmblood breed that was founded in the late 1700's by the Austro-Hungarian empire as cavalry mount. The founding mares were primarily mares who carried some Arabian blood, and from mares who originated from other European countries such as Lippizans, Spanish horses, Frederiksborgers, Hannoverians, Oldenburgs and English Thoroughbreds. Later the breeding stock was improved by the addition of imported desertbred Arabian mares. Purebred Arabian stallions were then used on this mare base to produce the desired cavalry mount that was hardy, frugal, loyal, and had tremendous endurance. The breed was named after the great foundation Arabian stallion, named Shagya.
All breeding stock was performance tested as well as progeny tested. Each horse was ridden and/or driven before they were selected for inclusion into the breeding program. Additionally the stallions were used for years in various sections of the Austro-Hungarian horse breeding program (e.g. Anglo-Arabian and Warmblood programs) before they were selected for the Shagya breeding program. Of these stallions only a few achieved the status of becoming a "main stud stallion" of one or more of the stud farms. The foundation of the Shagya breed took place at about the same time as the founding of the English Thoroughbred.
The Shagya-Arabian horse is very versatile and excels from the highest levels of international performance to being a trusted family horse. The Shagya has also been widely used as an improver of other Warmblood breeds, especially the Trakehners. The Trakehner breed contains a large amount of Shagya-Arabian blood in their pedigrees, as do many other European Warmbloods. In practice, the Shagya-Arabian has been the preferred choice as a warmblood improver because of their versatility, soundness and their wonderful temperaments.
In 2006, an unknown horse named "HUNGARES" captured the Gold medal in Endurance at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany. He is a purebred Shagya-Arabian, from Babolna, Hungary.
In August 2012, at the World Endurance Championship in England, another Shagya-Arabian named "IKLAND", won the "Best Condition" award after finishing in Fifth position at this FEI 5* event.
*KS RUBIN (2010) NAJYRER (CEI**) - TOP TEN
*KS RUBIN (2010) Descanso
The Shagya has indeed been influential in many Warmblood breeds, and has earned the title of "the great improver". For example, the American Trakehner Association 2007 Yearbook and Breeders Guide lists at total of 40 approved Trakehner stallions. Of the 40 Trakehner stallions, 13 stallions contain Shagya bloodlines within their first four generations. This equates to a full "one third" (33%) of the approved Trakehner stallions from the American Trakehner Association bearing Shagya bloodlines in their first four generations!
Gazal VII
Gazal VII was born during the evacuation of the Babolna Stud, to Bergstetten. At age 23 he went to Germany where he had a decisive influence on the Shagya breed. He was considered to be the "Stallion of the Century" since he was the embodiment of the breeding goal of the modern Shagya Arabian. He had 19 licensed sons at stud in Germany. Several of his sons have been used in other German Warmblood breeds including Czardas (Hanoverian), Gazal (Trakehner and East Friesian), Anakreon (Hanoverian), Nasrallah (Trakehner), and Amor (Trakehner, Hanoverian and Rheinlander).
Gazal VII also left excellent daughters for the Trakehner breed, e.g. Freude II, who established her own family tree and produced the approved stallions Flushing Meadow and the very important Fernando (UK). Gazal's daughter Ariadne produced the stallion Aparee, who stands at stud in Australia. Not only the Trakenher breed profited from Gazal's influence. In Hanover, the FEI dressage stallion Goethe, by Grosso Z, a most successful dressage stallion in Germany, also carries Gazal VII through his second dam, the mare Galone. (Source: 2007 ATA Convention Program)
*KS RUBIN is linebred to this great "Stallion of the Century" - GAZAL VII.
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