North American Shagya Arabian Society

N.A.S.S.

Shagya breeding in America officially began in 1986 with the founding of the North American Shagya-Arabian Society. NASS is the ONLY U.S.A. recognized member of the International Shagya-Araber Gesellschaft (ISG) which is the international body supporting the breeding and preservation of the Shagya-Arabian breed.

The Purpose of NASS:

• Promotion, preservation, and improvement of the purebred Shagya-Arabian horse.

• Establishment of a Shagya-Arabian Registry for purebred and partbred Shagya Arabians.

• Regulation and approval of breeding stock.

• Dissemination of information about the breed to the public.

• Establishment of an awards system for performance achievement.

• Promotion of cooperation with Shagya-Arabian breeders around the world, and in particular with the Purebred Shagya Society International (ISG).

NASS Brochure A PDF of the NASS Brochure 

NASS Brochure - 22 Years of Promoting, Preserving and Improving the Shagya Arabian in North America

Shagyas were relatively unknown in America before the 1980s, although a few had been imported both before and after World War II. Prior to the founding of the NASS no registry for Shagyas existed in America, and Shagyas were sometimes mistakenly registered as either purebred or part bred Arabians. 

NASS carries out its role by maintaining the Shagya Arabian Registry of North America (SHARONA). NASS also organizes and conducts inspection tours. To be eligible for Shagya breeding, mares and stallions must be approved by a panel of judges selected by NASS. NASS inspection tours were conducted in 1989, 1991, 1994, 1997, 2000, 2003 and 2006. In addition, NASS offers an awards program for the following categories:

Breeding/Sport Horse Combined Training Distance Riding Dressage Driving (Combined & Pleasure) Hunter Hunter Pleasure Open Jumper Meritorious Dam & Sire

 NASS publishes a quarterly newsletter and an annual report. The newsletter includes minutes of board meetings, farm news, articles about the breed, classified section and membership information.  The NASS annual report includes inspection tour results when applicable, farm news, articles about the breed, classified ads and announcement of the winners in the awards program.