Matt Lantz coming to Scoggins Training Center:

NRHA professional and US National Champion Half Arabian Reining Futurity winner, Matt Lantz Of Lantz Performance Horses, will be holding a Reining Clinic at Scoggins Training Center in Tuscola, IL on Saturday, May 17, 2008.  Click here for the flyer!

Distance Horse Award to Teresa Searcy and Nitetime Jamboree+//!:

We would like to congratulate club member, Teresa Searcy, and her half-arabian mount, Nitetime Jamboree+//, for their achievement of 2500 miles in AHA recognized rides!  For those of you who do not know Teresa, she has been a long-term supporter and competitor of distance racing here in Indiana, and she is currently the IAHC distance group's chairperson.  Way to go, Tess!!!

Arabian Horse Documentary on PBS:

The Arabian Horse Owners Foundation (AHOF) has funded a 54-minute Arabian horse documentary.  It will be airing on PBS in high definition and has closed captioning (date and time currently unknown in our area).  Facets of the Arabian industry captured by this film include the Tevis Cup, US Nationals, Arabian Sport Horse Nationals, Therapeutic Riding, Ranching, Breeding, Pleasure trail riding, and History with Judi Forbis.  You can read more about this project in your April/May 2008 issue of Modern Arabian Horse magazine (by AHA) or by visiting  www.ArabianHorseOwners.org.

Chris Cox Clinic coming:

Two-time winner of "The Road to the Horse", Chris Cox, will be conducting a 3-day clinic at Lazy J Equestrian Facility in Paw Paw, Michigan on August 22nd-24th, 2008.  Click here for more information!

Our Thanks to Jean Loosemore:

Our thanks go out to Jean Loosemore of Rocky River Farm in Bloomington, Indiana for hosting our club meeting on March 15th.  The club had a good turnout, we learned about the new halter rules taking affect in April, and we saw many beautiful Arabians and half-Arabians there. 

Our 2008 Scottsdale Champions:

To see our club's 2008 Scottsdale champions (including lots of great pics!), click here.  Congrats to all!!!

Our 2007 AHA Open Incentive Champion:

WRA Summers Kiss, owned by Mary Weeks of Indianapolis, IN and Marian Beatty of Ohio, was awarded the Arabian Horse Association's Championship in the Open Incentives Division in the Miscellaneous Category.  "Summer" defeated over 125 horses last year in open shows, all while being ridden sidesaddle.  Summer also competed at the United States Equestrian Team Headquarters in the USEF All Sidesaddle Show in September of 2007, garnering one Championship and a Reserve.  We want to extend a big congrats to Mary, Marian, and Summer!
For more information on this AHA program, click here!

Our 2007 Competitor in the Great Santa Fe Ride and Endurance Race:

In September 2007, two great Arabian horses carried club member Mike Urschel over 500 miles to complete The Great Santa Fe Trail Ride and Endurance Race.  This ride follows the original Santa Fe Trail (in opposite direction), beginning in Santa Fe, New Mexico on September 1^st and ending in Independence, Missouri on September 15^th.  This 10 day event had the horses and riders covering an average of 50-55 miles per day with the help of only two crewmen (Bev Staats and Jess Melvin).  Carrying him along his journey was *Bask+++ bred mare MAGNFCNT  FORTCHIN (“Maggie”, pictured below) and CMK bred stallion SHOGUNS JOSHUA FADJUR (“Josh”, pictured left).  Mike and his Arabians placed 1^st through 27^th on the individual days, and 5^th overall out of 62 riders!  To cap off this wonderful accomplishment, Mike’s journey was front page news for his local newspaper of Wabash, Indiana.

There are two more magnificent parts to this story, however.  First, “Josh” was injured before the start of the race, and vets had forewarned Mike that his stallion would not heal in time to participate in the race.  When “Maggie” was pulled after day 3, Mike took “Josh” to the vet, and they agreed he had made a miraculous recovery in time to carry Mike to his finish!  Second and even more importantly, Mike did all of this while living with Parkinson's Disease.  He has limited use of his limbs, and he praises these wonderful Arabians for allowing him to do the things he otherwise could not do himself.  What a wonderful lesson learned…from both man and horse.   Kudos to Mike!

For a FREE 2008 AHA Handbook, AHA members can go here!