Congratulations!
Nicolette's Revelation AF

Owner/Breeder - Adele Furby
Completed & Passed the "North American 70 Day Stallion Testing"

at Silver Creek Farm November 2012

70-Day Stallion Test Information

The North American 70-Day Stallion Test is held in accordance with the German Stockbreeding Law following the standards of performance tests and horse breeding value requirements as ordered by the breeding associations of the German Equestrian Federation. It is open to stallions of any sporthorse breed who are a minimum of 3 years of age.

Arrival
At arrival, the stallions undergo a veterinary examination before beginning the test. Once the stallions have passed the initial veterinary examination, the testing process begins.
Testing Process
The testing process lasts for seventy days, during which time the stallions must remain at the testing station. During the training period, the training director assesses the stallions in the following criteria:

Character
Constitution
Temperament
Willingness to Work
Rideability
Athletic Ability
Gaits (walk, trot, canter)
Free Jumping & Stadium Jumping (scope, technique)
Cross Country (canter, scope, technique)

The scores will be given during the training period by a training judge and will be factored in to calculate the final score.
Final Testing
During the final testing days, the stallions are assessed by two test judges, two guest jumper riders, and two guest dressage riders who were appointed by the training director and FN representative. Every judge and rider assigns their own marks. The following areas will be judged during the final testing days:

Gaits (walk, trot, canter)
Rideability
Free Jumping & Stadium Jumping (scope, technique)
Cross Country (canter, scope, technique)

Scoring
Judging scores are given by the judges according to the following marking system:

10 = Excellent

9 = Very Good

8 = Good

7 = Satisfactory

6 = Above Average

5 = Average

4 = Below Average

3 = Insufficient

2 = Bad

1 = Very Bad

Final Results
After the scores are collected, the final overall result of the test is calculated with the software program developed by the German Verden VIT. The final results align with the index average score of 100 and one standard divergence of 20 points from the average (100). Five year-old and older stallions will receive a deduction of 5% from the average achieved scores of the three and four year-old stallions in the test group. Following the same procedure, the rideability and jumping indexes are calculated. From these calculations, the stallion’s final score is calculated.
Conclusion
At the conclusion of the test, for each individual stallion, the “whole index”, “rideability index” and the “jumping index” are announced. After all of the scores have been announced, each stallion owner will receive a score sheet showing the marks given in each individual category, along with a comparison of the average score received by all the stallions in each individual category. The score sheet will also indicate the placing of the stallion in the final results of the stallion test group. The German Equestrian Federation is informed by the training director and the FN representative as to the results of the test. Results of the stallion’s test performance for licensing will be available to the registries.

Congratulations! *HADBAN USA

"Endurance News" (AERC), and Shagya-Arabian stallion *Hadban USA (ranking 6th place) is in the Top Ten for the "Jim Jones Stallion Award", "Among all regions, honoring the stallion with the most miles completed during the ride season (any number of riders). Top 10 stallions awarded.

Congratulations!

Owner: Adele Furby

Trainer: Richard Vrooman

Lessors: Jeremy and Ellen Olson

Breeder: Joseph Weiss

*Hadban USA article published in the ISG Info 2012-2 Magazine (German version). Translated to English after the one page article ARTICLE here.

"Congratulations" to Ellen Olson & SA Belshazzar aka "Zar"


A "SHAGYA" Long Listed for the American Olympic Endurance Team which will be competing in London at the 2012 Olympic Games.

Congratulations on your outstanding accomplishments world-wide which is recognized through out the Shagya Communities.
                             Thank you Ellen & Zar!

Background information on SA Belshazzar aka "Zar"

SA Belshazzar, NASS #P-Sh-97-117, whose nickname is "Zar" was bred by Daunna Sellers who is a lifetime member of NASS. His sire Bayram was bred by Adele Furby and is a product of two of the breeding horses Adele imported from Europe in 1986--the bay stallion *Oman (from Germany) and the grey mare *Biala (born in Poland). Daunna purchased Bayram from Adele when Bayram was a coming two-year old. Belshazzar's dam is the purebred Arabian mare Jayel Tongafarah, who was a daughter of *Farazdac and out of a silver Monarch daughter. *Farazdac was imported from Egypt in 1974.

NASS USDF ALL BREED AWARD WINNERS 2011 - Article By Kathy Richkind

The US Dressage Federation annually organizes the all breed awards, which allows registries to honor the success of horses and riders in their breed societies showing in open competition in dressage. It is organized by levels of training, and the NASS has for many years sponsored awards for its members. This year NASS has three horses which qualified for the program, which is an achievement for both the horses and their riders and for NASS. In order to qualify for the award program, a horse must first be nominated for the program with USDF. Then the horse and rider must earn eight scores at a given level (e.g. training, first, etc) from four different judges at four different recognized shows, with a median score greater than 60% overall, including at least two scores of 60% or higher from the highest test at each level. This is not an easy task, first in terms of time and expense to actually make it to four open shows (especially for those of us that live in geographically show-challenged parts of the country) and then to have consistently good rides throughout the show season. This is the first year that the NASS has had so many participants who made it through the qualifying process and received these year end awards. I asked each award winner to write a bit about themselves and their horses, and why Shagyas are so special to them. Here, in their own words, are this year’s award winners.

Shagya Emir AF

NASS USDF Training Level Champion:
Shagya Emir AF, owned and ridden by Terry Hey, with a median score of 62.857%
“Kai” is a 15.3 hand nine-year-old gray gelding (Shagya Scherzo AF x Echo Daal), bred by Adele Furby.
Photo: Shagya Emir AF and Terry Hey showing off their good medium trot.

In Terry’s words:
The first time I had actually heard anything about Shagya Arabians was when I was about 15. I had been given a "Horse Encyclopedia" for Christmas. You know the kind: huge coffee table type book full of colorful photos of different breeds of horses around the world. Under the chapter on Arabians there was a small paragraph about the Shagya Arabian, and a photo of a lovely grey stallion. I was immediately intrigued, being a dyed-in-the-wool Arabian horse lover. I read the paragraph but it was a little vague; it seemed to be saying that this breed wasn't really a purebred Arabian. Computers and the internet had not yet been invented and there wasn't anything about Shagyas in my local library. So I continued to focus on Arabians, and my own beloved mount, an Arab/Saddlebred gelding named Keo Sal.

Fast forward to 1987. I'm poor, single, working two jobs, and trying to find time to ride my little Arab/QH cross, Bree. I had been taking dressage lessons and was hooked. I still loved Arabians but began to wonder if a cross might be better suited to dressage but wasn't as enthralled with the idea of a huge warmblood as my fellow dressage students seemed to be.

Then I got the issue of Equus that contained the article about Shagyas, and Adele, and her attempts to bring this amazing breed to America and restore its numbers. There was a photo of a magnificent Shagya stallion being shown in hand at the trot: Shagal, as it turned out. As I stared at this photo, I realized this horse had all the qualities I was looking for in my dream horse: athletic ability, bone, a little more size, but with the best traits and beauty of the Arabian. I told myself that day that someday, I would have one. But I was poor, and Detroit was a long way from Montana, and Adele only had a dozen or so altogether anyway, and so it seemed an impossible dream.

Fast forward to 1998. I have gotten married. My horse, Bree, is now 24, having moved with me from Iowa, to Michigan, to Wisconsin and now finally back home to Iowa. My new husband graciously made room for him on his 38 acres which had, fortunately, a pen and a shelter large enough for a horse. I told him that Bree was old and arthritic and deserved retirement and that I would either quit riding, never having really had the chance to get serious about it anyway - or find a younger horse. My husband said "but you can't quit riding. I think you should get another horse."

By now I had a computer, and I wondered, "what would happen if I Google "Shagya?" Well, something happened: I got hits! At first, I did not think I could afford one. I had a little money saved, thinking to use it for grad school. But when I was awarded a full scholarship. . . . suddenly I had the chance to use that savings for something else. After looking at breeders in the Midwest - I chose Cosmos Whitner, bred by Bev Thompson - and was thrilled to learn that his sire, Shagya Sun, was by *Shandor, who was by that magically gloriously beautiful stallion I had seen in the photograph - Shagal.

When Bree passed away at the age of 30, we went back to Bev's farm and got our second Shagya, Florence, (Flow) to keep him company and be our pleasure riding and driving mare. Cosmos (aka Count) was my perfect partner, until he injured himself in the pasture. When it became clear that he was not going to be sound again, I contacted Adele, and chose Shagya Emir AF, Count's first cousin, to resume my dressage journey. It was not easy starting over, but by then I knew that I was thoroughly spoiled for any other breed other than a Shagya, and Emir, also a great grandson of Shagal, has been a joy. He had never been in barn before, much less a horse trailer, yet he loaded calmly and allowed us to haul him on a two day journey home from Montana to Sioux City, Iowa. I started him under saddle in the fall of his four year old year, (06) and we have been having adventures ever since! We train with Missy Fladland as time and schedules allow. In 2011 we also qualified for and competed at the USDF regional championships, and started showing at first level.

NASS USDF First Level Champion:
Banner CT , co-owned Ann Whittaker and Missy Myrick, and ridden by Ann Whittaker, with a median score of 63.387%
Banner (*Oman x Bravita AF) is a twenty-year-old 15.2 hand bay gelding, bred by Cindy Taylor
Photo: Ann Whittaker and Banner CT with a wonderful airy canter (photo by Carolyn Bunch Photography).

In Ann’s words:
I grew up in Florida - always horse crazy, but never had a horse and did not get to ride until I was in junior high. I took hunt seat equitation once a week for 1-2 years, but when the instructor quit teaching, the drive across town proved too much for my mom, who never understood the horse thing. I rode a little in college (jumping) when I found out I could get PE credits by riding. Then I did not ride for almost 30 years. I taught music, got married, had 3 children, moved all around (husband - Army) - Maryland, California, Germany (10 years), and now Washington. I had dogs (Salukis) that I showed, which I think was a sublimation of my love of horses. I also became a lactation consultant, which is what I do now part-time.

Then, as I approached that big 50 number, evaluating my life with the question - was there anything that I hadn't done that I had always wanted to do - and, of course, the answer was - ride! I was not interested in jumping anymore and had been fascinated with dressage for a long time. My daughter just happened to be dating a young man whose mother rode dressage and introduced me to her instructor, who has now been my instructor for 6 years. After determining that the body was still able (the spirit was always willing), I leased a thoroughbred mare and started my dressage journey. I had to re-train and re-learn many things, as the dressage seat and contact is so different from my early training, so it has been a real journey.

After about a year or so into this journey, my instructor, Missy Myrick, mentioned that she had a horse she might lease to me, but "I wasn't ready for him yet". She was talking about Banner, who I didn't even know she had, because she couldn't talk about it. It took quite a while before I learned the whole story. She was caretaker and protector for him because he belonged to one of her students - a young girl who lost her life at age 18. Her mother was not a horse person and left Banner in Missy's care. Missy has known Banner since he was about 8, so knew his previous owners, training and history. Within a few months of her comments, I had a few lessons on Banner and it proved to be a good match. He was about 15 ½ when we met, and was a good size match for me, very athletic, smart, sweet, and delightful to be around. I rode both horses for a few months, but very quickly moved to just riding Banner.  We've been together ever since - almost 5 years. We've been in full training (4 lessons /week) the whole time and we just continue to progress. We are doing flying changes and a few steps of piaffe. It just gets more and more fun and has totally made my life! I just love to ride!

Showing was not really on my agenda, because it's not why I do this, but Missy mentioned that I might be able to get my bronze medal on this horse.  I thought that seemed like good goal to have, so we started with 1st level this year. Before I could show, we had to get Banner's paperwork in order, which I thought would be a lease agreement with the mother, but still complicated because his ownership was in the daughter's name.   They surprised me by transferring Banner into my name! So I now own my 1st horse!   He has essentially been mine for some time, but it was a very special gift they gave me!

We hope to show 2nd and 3rd level in 2012. I tried out a couple of the 2nd level tests at a schooling show this fall. We'll just have to see how it goes!

I learned about Shagyas because of Banner coming into my life and now I can't imagine having anything else! What an amazing breed! I am constantly surprised that they aren't more popular given the number of small women in dressage!

NASS USDF First level Reserve Champion:
WS Emilagra, bred, owned and ridden by Kathy Richkind, with a median score of 63.003%“
Milagra” (*Shandor x Echo Daal) is a highly opinionated 15.1 hand 16-year-old chestnut mare
Photo: WS Emilagra being thanked by Kathy Richkind at the end of a test (photo by Joy Lynne Harrison)

In Kathy’s words:
I too was a horse crazy child but had to satisfy my passion with on-again, off-again weekly lessons (saddle seat, hunt seat, then dressage) until I got my first horse at age 35. Kiowa Bingo was a wonderful steady quarter horse that carried me from training to third level, then took on my daughters, then many pony clubbers – but at age 19 he developed navicular disease and I had to find a replacement mount, although Bingo remained in our family until his death at 35 years of age. I loved Arabians, did not want a big warmblood, learned of Shagyas through an article in a horse magazine featuring Adele Furby and her recently imported young stallions, and immediately decided this was the breed for me. Through Adele’s efforts I acquired the young Hungarian Bravo daughter Echo Daal and bred her to *Shandor to get my dreamed-for chestnut filly with high white socks, suitably named (E)milagra for the miracle that she was.

And Milagra has lived up to her name, surviving a near fatal infection as a newborn, three pregnancies, half a year lost to dryland distemper, and two colic surgeries, the last of which resulted in the removal of her entire large intestine at age 14. Her dressage career thus has suffered multiple interruptions (including my full time job as a geneticist and years as a single parent), but in true Shagya fashion she is one very tough mare– smart, easy keeper, bold and brave, the perfect temperament for this amateur owner/rider, steady in the show ring, and very opinionated!   Life with her is a continual discussion and she keeps me laughing. She is the first horse I have trained from the very beginning and our journey has been amazing to me.   I believe we are connected in a very special way – we are partners and she is the horse of my lifetime. We spent the last year and a half in the longest stretch of consistent training we have ever had, with monthly clinics with a wonderful trainer, Sarah Hall, who comes from New Hampshire to New Mexico every month and works with a small group of supportive and dedicated riders, many of whom have taken their horses up to FEI levels and multiple regional championships.

I take no day for granted with this mare now – I know that every additional day we have together is a gift.   We ended our show year with an amazing 5^th place win at the USDF regional championships – picture one small chestnut mare in the midst of a herd of giant bay warmblood geldings – she definitely stood out in the award ceremony. I plan on showing at second level in 2012, although we will not make it to the required four shows to qualify at that level for USDF all-breed awards, what with dates conflicting with family events and travel plans. After that, a try for third level in hopes of earning our USDF bronze medal, and maybe a trip or two back to the regional championships. If we live long enough, who knows how far we can go! It just takes us longer than most!

Congratulations to Ellen Olson & SA Belshazzar aka "Zar"

Goethe Challenge FEI Endurance Ride – Levy County Ocala, Florida

Commentary from Ellen Olson

Ellen and Zar WON the FEI 100 mile and also received Best Condition.

Zar and I had a fantastic ride. He was 100% all day. The weather was hot with high humidity. The trail was deep sand or hard packed roads. There was 50% pulled in each distance. My plan for Zar for the day was 10mph... just a nice easy pace for our COC. Zar having had a different opinion on the speed was able to speed it up a bit... lol. We finished in around 9 hours 30 minutes.

Zar will hopefully make the top 12 training list for team USA to be picked to go to the World Championships in England. Again, we are always impressed with the talent that the Shagya breed shows us.

Happy New Year!
Ellen Rapp Olson

Background information on SA Belshazzar aka "Zar"

SA Belshazzar, NASS #P-Sh-97-117, whose nickname is "Zar" was bred by Daunna Sellers who is a lifetime member of NASS. His sire Bayram was bred by Adele Furby and is a product of two of the breeding horses Adele imported from Europe in 1986--the bay stallion *Oman (from Germany) and the grey mare *Biala (born in Poland). Daunna purchased Bayram from Adele when Bayram was a coming two-year old. Belshazzar's dam is the purebred Arabian mare Jayel Tongafarah, who was a daughter of *Farazdac and out of a silver Monarch daughter. *Farazdac was imported from Egypt in 1974.

The Goethe Challenge FEI Endurance Ride was held on December 17, 2011 in Levy County Ocala, Florida. The ride was sanctioned by AERC (American Endurance Ride Conference).

Congratulations also goes out to Jeremy Olson and Ellen Rapp who were married this past August 2011!

ADDITIONAL info on the ride can be found on the Horse Reporter link: : http://siteground303.com/~horserep/2011/12/22/ellen-olson-and-sa-belshazzar-win-winter-fei-160k-in-florida/

Shagya Emir AF & Terry Hey