Talaria Farms - Arabian Horse

2005 U.S. Egyptian Event

When Allison unfurled the first red feng shui flag at this year’s Egyptian Event, there were chortles from several amused folks. But, by the end of the week, everyone should have been converted to true believers. Talaria Farms, without a doubt, had the best Egyptian Event ever (and we believe the best show of any farm at the Kentucky Horse Park). See the photo of our stalls (actually shot after a few owners had taken some of their win ribbons home)!

During the four days of set-up (we arrived Thursday afternoon as Talaria and Pure Gold Arabians were responsible for Center Ring this year also), Jane Eikenberry and John Dolphy dished out, from their “RV Restaurant” delicious meals for our barn crew (plus many clients, friends and folks in adjacent stalls at the Horse Park). Every night there were more to serve—Jane counted “heads” at the last meal she served, and said “I finally just stopped counting at 50!”
It was such a treat to have a home-cooked meal, plus cold iced tea, soft drinks, and wine or beer waiting when we finally quit for the day, sweaty and tired, after hours of putting up columns, tents, and stall draperies. No “fast food” this year for the Talaria crowd—thanks to contributing clients!

It is almost impossible to find words to describe the magnitude of Talaria’s 2005 Egyptian Event. First of all, we need to recognize and thank the people who worked so hard, from January to June, to make this year’s Event so successful: Rob Simpson, Michael Carpio, Jose and Angelica Palomera did an absolutely masterful job preparing the Talaria horses for the 2005 Event. Mike Albertini was there for visitors and our clients. Katie Kilgore is to be thanked, along with Kristin Huntsberger and Jessica Jacobs, for their hard work during the hot steamy days in the groom stalls. And—Gary McDonald, Eileen Verdieck, Shawn Crews, Ted Carson, Rob Simpson, and Michael Carpio all showed our horses to perfection.

Plus, what would we have done without the entire Orwig family (Bridgette, Denny, Jackie, and David), who helped us enormously, right until the very last item was packed into the truck for the trip home? And, hats off to our own Marcus Jackson, whose skills & stamina kept us all going when our spirits and energy flagged.

We always arrive in Kentucky a little apprehensive about what the week will bring. How will our horses stack up against the best Egyptian horses in the country—and perhaps the world?

Well, this year the week started right off with a blue ribbon for one member of our “Talaria Family!” Amy Austin and “Rocky” (Rhapsody in Red) came trotting back to the barn from the very first class (Amateur Halter Geldings) with a blue ribbon in hand and the week was off to a fabulous start! Suhal al Nasser hung the next big blue neck ribbon on the barn with his unanimous win in “Most Classic Head Male” (with Curt Westley’s Afrikhan Shah a unanimous 2nd in the same class).

From then on it became almost impossible to keep count of all the wins—and by week’s end we had literally run out of space on the barn side and front to display the multitude of ribbons and plaques. The successes of the Talaria horses, both farm and client-owned, are almost too numerous to catalog here, but we are especially proud of all our amateurs: Amy Austin, Todd & Robyn McWherter, Bob Loovis, Merrie Aiken, Regina McBroom, Kati Hardwick, Holly McDonald, Jessica Jacobs, and our smallest star, Kenny McDonald. Every single Talaria amateur who went into the ring came out with at least a “Top Ten.” Many had Championships (several unanimous), and several had Reserves. Plus—in the Novice Halter Mares class Talaria amateurs took 7 out of the Top Ten prizes (which we believe is an Egyptian Event record)! Regina McBroom and Salima al Shaikh won the championship in that class, with Merrie Aiken and her gorgeous Botswana daughter, Kenyacatchme, a close second—then Katie Hardwick (with TF Tangiers), Robyn McWherter (with Thee Midnight Angel), Bob Loovis (with the lovely Ramses Nefertiti), Marty Baxter (with BBT Masai Mara), and Jessica Jacobs (with Hawkeyes Gaarnet) brought in five more Top Tens! (Everyone cheering in our seats was hoarse the next day!)

Botswana’s foals came home with 7 Championships, 6 Reserve Championships (including 2005 Egyptian Event Res. Junior Champion Filly with TF Star of Afrika), 5 Top Fives, and 12 Top Tens—making him once again the 2nd Leading SE Halter Sire after the Event (with 155 points this year over 95 points last year with the same number of get showing). This keeps his “winning get ratio” almost 70% after five foal crops—which is a pretty astounding statistic!

Here are some of our 2005 Egyptian Event highlights:

Rhapsody in Red (with owner, Amy Austin):
Adult Amateur Halter Gelding – Champion
World Class Geldings 5 Years + (with Gary M) - Res. Champion
Amateur Halter Geldings Championship: Res. Champion

Layla Moniet (owned by Sapphire Arabians/The Jacobs Family)
Amateur Halter Mares, 3 Years (with Jessica Jacobs) – Top Ten
World Class Mares, 3 Years (with Rob Simpson) –

Top Ten

Hawkeye’s Gaarnet (owned by Sapphire Arabians/The Jacobs Family)
Halter Mares, 3 Years, AATH – Top Ten
World Class Mares, 4&5 Years Old – Top Ten

BBT Masai Mara (owned by Clint Teegarden & Marty Baxter)
Egyptian-Sired 2 Year Old Fillies (with M. Carpio) – Reserve Champion
Amateur Mares, Novice Handler (with Marty Baxter) – Top Ten

Cedars Kenyacatchme (owned by Ed & Merrie Aiken)
Halter Mares, 3 Years, AATH (with Merrie Aiken) – Reserve Champion
Amateur Halter Mares, Nov. Handler (with Merrie)- Reserve Champion
Ext. Spec. 4 Year Old SE Mares (with Gary McDonald) Top Ten

Falisha bint Fardousa (owned by Allison Mehta)
S.E. Yearling Futurity Fillies (with Gary McDonald) – 3rd Place

Malawi PG (owned by Robyn Thomas- & Todd McWherter)
Adult Amateur Halter Fillies (with Robyn McWherter) – 3rd Place
(plus three more Top Tens, earning her sire 16 points!)

The Midnight Angel (owned by Robyn Thomas- & Todd McWherter)
World Class 2 Year Old Fillies (with Rob Simpson) – Top Ten
Amateur Mares Novice Handler (w/ Robyn McWherter) Top Ten

Ramses Nefertiti (owned by Jacque & Bob Loovis)
Adult Halter Mares, Novice Handler (with Bob Loovis) Top Ten
World Class Mares, 6-9 Years Old (w/Gary McDonald) Top Ten

Thee Nostalgia (owned by Robyn Thomas- & Todd McWherter)
World Class Colts, 2 Years Old (with Gary McDonald) Top Ten
2 Year Old SE Futurity Colts (with Michael Carpio) – Top Ten

Salima al Shaikh (owned by Regina McBroom)
Amateur Mares, Novice Handler (w/ Regina McBroom) –Champion
Amateur Mare Championship (with Regina) – Champion (unanimous)

Sharjah PG (owned by Dennis & Bridgette Orwig)
EBC Fillies – Champion
Yearling S.E. Futurity Fillies – Top Ten

Star of Afrika (owned by Allison Mehta)
Egyptian-Sired 2-Year Old Futurity Fillies – Champion
2005 Egyptian Event Reserve Junior Champion Filly

Suhal al Nasser (owned by Miguel & Luis Muzquiz, Mexico City)
Most Classic Head Male—Unanimous Champion
World Class Stallions, 4 Years (w/Eileen Verdieck) – Champion (unanimous)

Thee Ritz (owned by Tom & Chris Owen)
Adult Amateur Halter Colts (with Todd McWherter) – Reserve Champion
World Class Colts 1 Year Old (with M. Carpio) –

Top Ten
Yearling S.E. Futurity Colts – Top Ten

TF Afrikhan Shah (owned by Curt Westley)
Egyptian-Sired 2-Year Old Futurity Colt (with Eileen) – Champion
Most Classic Head (with Gary McDonald) – 2nd Place
World Class 2-Year Old Colts (with Eileen) – 3rd Place

TF Afrikan Alkhemi (owned by Tom Crawford & Allison Mehta)
2 Year Old S.E. Futurity Colt (with Gary McDonald) – Reserve Champion
2 Year World Class Colts (with Michael Carpio) –

Top Ten

TF Afrikhan Magik (owned by Curt Westley)
World Class Yearling Colts (with Gary McDonald) – Champion
Egyptian-Sired Yearling Futurity Colts (with Gary) – Champion
EBC – Top Ten

TF Fezzan (owned by Allison Mehta)
Amateur Halter Stallions, 3+ (with Amy Austin) – Champion
Extended. Specialty SE Stallions,

3 & over (with Gary McDonald) – Reserve. Champion
Amateur Halter Stallion Championship (with Amy) - Champion

TF Tangiers (owned by Talaria Farms)
World Class Mares, 3 Years Old (with Gary McD.) – Top Five

In addition, two classes during the week were truly special.

Kenny McDonald won the JTH Halter Mares, unanimously, with a wonderful mare named Azhra Moniet the McDonalds have leased. She only came out of the pasture a couple of months ago, and is confirmed in foal to Botswana for a 2006 foal. Azhra absolutely adores Kenny—as you can see in the accompanying photo. Later in the week, Azhra (with Kenny at hand) also won the Liberty Class Championship!

And, for Allison Mehta, her most coveted win of the show was the Produce of Dam Championship (again, unanimous)--won for Allison’s 21 year old Ikhnatoon daughter, *Fardousa, by two of *Fardousa’s daughters (both by Botswana)—Falisha bint Fardousa (with Gary McDonald) and TF Nairobi (with Kati Hardwick). *Fardousa’s name will now be listed on the perpetual trophy, along with some of the other great Straight Egyptian broodmares of our time. Falisha went on to place 3rd in the very prestigious SE Yearling Futurity Filly class, and Nairobi won two more Top Tens and a Top Five.

An absolutely wonderful week, despite the heat and humidity, at the Kentucky Horse Park. Talaria Farms salutes all our great clients, our hardworking crew, trainers, and friends—but most of all, the wonderful horses. See you again next year!

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