30/ MAY 2012 THE RIDER For The Love Of Shagyas


By Chris Evans and Kelly Bowers


Shagya History


The history of the Shagya horse can be traced back to the Austro-Hungar- ian Empire of the 18th cen- tury. It is believed that the official Shagya breed may have begun at three Hun- garian State Studs (breed- ing farms) at Babolna, Mezoehegyes and at Radautz (now part of Romania). During that time, the Hungarian caval- ry was among the best in the world, in great part due to their selection of the best horses to cross to produce superior military horses during the 18th and 19th centuries. The purebred Arabian was valued for its beauty and more impor- tantly for its soundness, stamina, disposition and weight carrying ability. Pure Arabs from Egypt, Arabia and the Middle East were being bred in Hun- gary, Poland, then in France at the direction of


Lapis


Napoleon himself, who set an example by riding only Arabians, such as his famous Marengo.


The stud farms also bred Arabian part-bred horses, or “Araber-rasse”. These crosses produced a bigger framed horse with the desired characteristics of the smaller purebred Arabians and eventually became known as Shagya Arabians. Shagya pedi-


grees often reveal Lipiz- zaner, Spanish, Furioso, Nonius, Gidran, Thorough- bred and Turkoman horses among others from before 1850. Since then, the Shagya breed has continu- ally been refined by utiliza- tion of approved purebred Arabian stallions


War Heroes


During World War II, a small Shagya stallion,


Lapis was captured by the German forces in Yugoslavia. Later, in Krampnitz, Germany, Cav- alry Lt. Walther Schmidt- Salzmann fell in love with the handsome grey stallion and he took Lapis as his mount when returning to the front in 1941. They were inseparable for three years covering almost 4000 miles, enduring continual hardships of war deep in Russian territory. After the defeat of the German army, Schmidt-Salzmann had to make his way home from central Russia during the winter of 1944-45. The faithful grey stallion car- ried him through enemy lines during this exception- ally frigid Russian winter, saving his master’s life. Forage was scarce and often the only source avail- able was old straw, stolen from thatched roofs, as the two partners made their way west. In one story Lapis swam alongside his master’s boat while cross- ing the Elbe river to escape enemy forces. The coura- geous Lapis arrived home healthy and sound, after making the entire journey with only front shoes.


Shagyas Today


Shagyas are generally bigger than purebred Ara- bians in height, build, and bone. While an Arabian may stand 14.2h, the Shagya often reaches 16h. The Shagya cannon bone in general larger than found in the Arabian type frame and may be as large as 9 inches or larger. The heavier bone structure is desirable for many of the disciplines practised today with sport horses. As well, their per- sonable and agreeable tem- perament is notably calm. The dominant Shagya colour is grey but because of the influences of so many other breeds other solid colours can be found. The larger Arabian frame is also combined with the Lipizzaner/Spanish influ- ences with some “baroque” type heads and also many straight profiles. Shagyas have become most desir- able for their beauty, soundness, size, bone, dis- position, endurance and athletic ability.


While Shagyas can and do compete superbly in all equestrian disciplines, (Hungares won the WEG gold medal in Endurance in 2006), the Shagya breed is also a valuable contributor to the development of modern warmblood breeds such as Hanoverian and Trakehner. The Trakehner stud book, the most “closed” pure breed of warmblood accepts only TB and Arabian blood crosses, including the Shagya Arabian. One of the best modern lines (the “R” line) in the Hanoverian breed is from the half Shagya stallion Ramzes born at Poland’s Janow Podlaski Stud. His sons Radetzky and Condus were both highly skilled and influential in dressage. Although not well known in Canada yet, over 2,000 Shagyas can be


Bolna Stud Yard


found in Europe. There are another few hundred sprin- kled around the globe with less than 200 in North America and just over a dozen or so in Canada. Canadian Shagya breeders are as rare as their horses but their foundation stock comes from the best of bloodlines. Canadian Shagya breeders hope to create a Canadian Associa- tion and to help grow this breed for recreation, for sport horse disciplines and to improve other breeds in Canada.


Shagyas In Canada • It is believed the first Shagya was imported to Canada by a woman named Martina Bastian in the early 1990’s. • In 1993, Urs and Peter Stelli of Comton, Quebec brought Amurath Samurai to Canada and exported his son Starwalk- er to the USA to breed. • In 1998, Adolf Loch of 100 Mile House, BC bred Janos, a black Shagya stallion who he sold to an Endurance rider in Japan. The breed is a perfect match for this disci- pline due to the stamina required to succeed at this sport. The Janos line can still be found in the USA. Loch is reportedly returned to Germany. • About four years later, Anke Brander, near Cranbrook, BC imported top scoring (over warm- bloods) German Shagya stallion Murad along with five Shagya mares. • In Stirling Ontario, breeder Shannon McCrack- en has a beautiful stallion, Olivero, who came from Germany in 2007 and is scheduled to undergo the difficult 70 day stallion performance tests in the USA. She also has a geld- ing, a 3 year old colt, a yearling filly and SW Sele- bration, a Trakehner approved Shagya (by top endurance horse, Oman) who is currently in foal to Olivero. Shannon will also be importing a yearling colt from France this summer. • In 2010, Chris Evans of Mono township import- ed a Trakehner approved Shagya mare, Lily Creek Diva Dance, who now has a Trakehner branded foal here along with four Arabi- ans. Interestingly, Diva was featured as the “cover-


girl” for American “Tail Tamer” products.


The 2012 CAN-AM Wel- comes Shagyas


Recently, equine enthusiasts in Ontario got the opportunity to see a Shagya Arabian horse at the London CAN-AM Equine Emporium in March. Shannon McCrack- en organized the booth to promote her Shagya stal- lion Olivero and to build a stronger base of support for Shagya horses in Canada. Olivero participated in Stallion Avenue’s 4 x daily presentations and was a hit with visitors. Shan- non along with Georgie Jones of Rohan Meadows and Chris Evans manned the booth and “What is a Shagya?” was the topic of conversation all weekend. The show had a predomi- nantly Western feeling with many Quarter Horses and Paints although there were representatives for the Friesian, Thoroughbred, Miniature, Mustang, Cana- dian, Gypsy Vanner, Mor- gan, Curly and Haflinger


From there he needed to offer no further explana- tion as he is THE most renowned and respected Arabian judge in North America – perhaps the world. Quite the honour to have been privileged with his visit to our first ever Canadian presentation of the Shagya. Mr. Cameron, viewing Olivero’s ring pre- sentation, expressed his opinion that this Shagya stallion would make a great cross for anyone looking for an endurance or sport horse, especially noting the substance and bone.” The CAN-AM went so well that plans are already in the works to fol- low this up with a Shagya booth at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto this November. This event is one of the premiere horse shows in North America with Olympic/World Cup riders and horses, so it annually attracts the cream of the English and Sport Horse disciplines. It will require the involvement of several Shagyas to be be there doing demos and the


Shagyas at Can Am


breeds along with the sole Shagya, Olivero.


Chris Evans describes his best day at CAN-AM, “While Arabian owners and breeders dropped by, very few had even heard of the Shagya, although they were familiar with so many of the Arabian bloodlines. One enquiring gentleman was very much familiar with the Shagya and its’ lines. He introduced him- self as Peter Cameron.


Shagyas can’t wait! For more info and photos regarding prominent blood- lines and historical photos, check out the Riders Web- site. Shagya Registry info can be found at the North American Shagya Society at www.shagya.net, the American Shagya Arabian Verband at www.shag- yaregistry.com and the Per- formance Shagya Registry at www.performanceshag- yaregistry.org.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72