[dropcap]T[/dropcap]hink of the Arabian horse, and images of the vast desert are conjured up. Sand dunes and Bedouin tents set around an oasis with the blazing sun glinting off the backs of these majestic animals … That was far from the scene at the 2014 South African Arab Horse National Championships in Parys.
Calendar highlight
The South African Arab National Championships is the highlight of the Arabian showing calendar, and 2014 was no exception. Last year made its mark in history by offering a number of new classes never seen at Nationals before, embracing other disciplines in which the Arab horse excels.
Sport horses
A first for the show was the introduction of the Arabian Sport Horse classes. We hope that it will encourage breeders who focus primarily on endurance to bring their youngstock to the shows to prove the Arabian’s versatility.
Showjumping classes
Another brand new highlight of the programme was that for the first time in living memory, showjumping was hosted at the National Championships. A number of entries were received for the 70cm jumping class.
The full article appears in the March 2015 issue (97) of HQ.