I have always laughingly said that in the dictionary next to "backyard breeder" there should be a picture of our place. And, we have no aspirations of being "big", although we do strive to be good breeders.

Just the other day I was reading through Sheila Varian's ten commandments of breeding, and finding how especially true, for me personally, the first commandment--Breed toward your ideal horse, rings so true with me. I put special emphasis on "your", meaning that I breed toward what I like and prefer, and I try especially hard to not be swayed by fads or fashions.

It's definitely been a journey for us, and I won't bore everyone with a life story, but we are the most "regular" people you could ever meet. A family of four, me, my husband, and two kids (boy and girl, nine and three), with a small plot of land and what I think are some very nice horses.

My goal has always been to breed horses that are "classic" in appearance, and to not be enticed by freaky heads, giraffe necks, long bodies and wild temperaments. I want horses that would be good family horses, good kids horses, and beautiful in the true sense of the Arabian standard.

We have two mares, Lazize AH, a Hadaya El Tareef daughter, and Summre Afaire, sired by a Prince Ibn Shaikh son. Both are SE's. And we have our boy, our love, our joy--EA Asaalah, or more commonly known as "Turbo". We're expecting a foal in July out of Tareef daughter sired by Turbo and really excited for its arrival. Turbo sired a ES filly last year that exceeded all our expectations.

And this year, in June, we're headed for the Egyptian Event. To say that, lately, I've had stage fright would be an understatement, but I had a dear friend call me last night and help me get back on track with our plans. Turbo won't be showing, but he will be at the barns (Barn 11) for friends and passers-by to meet, and he will be presented at the Barn Party of Achaean Arabians.

We're not showmen...we trail ride, and our horses lead very natural lives. They're all fat, dirty and happy . Much of the preparations are new to me, such as the grooming and conditioning, but Turbo is looking good, feeling good, and staying well in check with his manners.

Please come see us if you attend the Event. Don't expect anything "extreme", in the horse, the people or the decorations...LOL...but I think you'll find that you will enjoy chatting with some friendly folks and meeting a beautiful, classic horse with a fun personality .

Here are some pics I took a couple days ago of Turbo....

What a lovely boy! Good luck at the EE. Keep posted to your experience there, I love to cheer for the little breeders!!!!! We deserve it!

Thank You . I appreciate all the cheers I can get...LOL. I will definitely take LOTS of photos while we're there and let everyone know how it goes.

Thanks again . Angela

If anyone has advice to offer, I'd love to hear it .

Angela:
Now, you are the kind of person this breed needs more of! I like your goals, your frankness, your honest enthusiasm and your obvious love for the Arabian horse!

Best of luck to you at the EE!

Thank you so much . Your words meant a lot. I know I'll never get rich doing this (or even break even), but if I would die tomorrow I would want people to know that I was true to myself and to the Arabian horse. The joy they bring is worth more than all the money in the world.

I agree!!! We need alot more breeders like you and myself (if i may ad) that wants to breed sweet tempered horses that are safe for families or first time arab owners and can easily go from the breeding shed to the show ring then hit the trails and back. YES they can do it all!!! And of course LOOK like an arabian and maintain a beautiful looking horse without sacrificing anything else.
I wish you all the luck in the world with your program. It sounds wonderful and i hope it continues to grow and flourish. Best of luck at the EE. Turbo looks super. Do take pics and share when you get back.

Thank You! I meet so many people who can't imagine an Arabian as a family horse, but they make great family horses. We've done several trail rides and open shows in an attempt to open the public's eyes about Arabians in our area, and slowly but surely I see people changing their minds. One of the best things we did last summer was start an informal riding club with a group of kids who came each week for lessons. We did use our pony for a lot of the riding, but we also used our Tareef daughter, and all of the kids had a turn at handling each of the horses (other than Turbo). I think I can safely say that while each child may not grow up to own Arabians, none will ever have a bad opinion of them .

Hi Angie,

You are such a wonderful ambassador for the Arabian horse. You are creative, always striving to learn more and have such a great personality. I always love talking with you. You will definitely go very far.

For those that don't know Angie personally, she is such a warm and caring person. She has a bubbly personality and someone you enjoy being around. You can probably tell it from her posts, though. She would also do anything for anyone.

She also has some fantastic horses, with exceptional bloodlines.

I think you will get a lot of positive feedback at the Egyptian Event. It is so refreshing to see someone as genuinely as nice as you are and because of that you will attract a lot of people. Turbo is looking fantastic and believe me you have nothing to worry about. You have put a lot of attention into the detail of things and that is sure to help you out too.

Can't wait to see you again. It will be exciting to see Turbo also. When will the Achaean party be?

Keep in touch! Let me know if you need any help with anything.

Cyglenda

Thank you so much Cyglenda . You truly made my day! Cyglenda has been a tremendous help to me, always willing to offer advice and has helped me in many different areas in the preparations for the Event.

I am honored that you liked the photos of Turbo, because I know what great taste you have in horses! Cyglenda just recently welcomed the gorgeous stallion AA Al Bashyr to her farm, in partnership with Wind Drinker Arabians, and he is breathtaking.

I am really looking forward to seeing you (and Bashyr!) in June...now that we'll be staying the entire week hopefully we'll both find time to just sit and chat .

Achaean has their barn party on Thursday, while all the other barn parties are going on. I've heard lots of great things about what a great party their have, and while Turbo won't make it to the arena this year to compete, it will be his moment to shine at the party . I am very privileged that Cindy and Mike of Achaean are letting us stall with them .

It will be a great week .