The National Show Horse Im Looking Art Uses a Fresian Saddle

Enquire the average person if they know what a Warlander is, and their answer could be anything from a stiff cocktail to a Swedish detective. Enquire SUZY JARRATT however, and she'll tell you it's neither of the higher up.

The Warlander is a brood of equus caballus well known around the world, except here in Australia, the land of its nascence. And the person responsible for its conception in the '90s is Karen Maree Kaye from the Classical Sporthorse Stud in Henley Brook, WA. Back then she was smitten with the Andalusian, also known equally the Pure Spanish Horse or PRE (Pura Raza Española): "There weren't that many hither except for those which came over with Ray Williams," she explains.

Williams was the founder on El Caballo Blanco in WA, and afterward in NSW, which featured performances past Spanish dancing horses bred at his Bodeguero Stud, named after his imported stallion. Karen admired Andalusians non only for their spirit, but because they were too "really neat to ride, and used themselves so well in the back cease."

Another breed which excited her was the Friesian. "At the time I had some Thoroughbred mares on which I'd been competing and I wanted to observe a stallion. I looked at Warmbloods and couldn't find anything and and then I found a Friesian, the second one to come into Australia, which had a beautiful front. I've ever loved the ones in Renaissance paintings with their long manes and swan necks. And then because I was doing classical dressage, I began breeding them."

Equally an aside, it's worth noting that the '90s Friesian was in some ways different to today's Friesians, which accept been developed to possess more sport aptitude.

Then with a stable of 2 different breeds, information technology was then Karen's aim to develop a type which was light moving and comfy: "Ane that had the bone, placid nature, glorious front end and extravagant motion of the Friesian, with the Andalusian's agility and ability to collect. A equus caballus capable of doing high schoolhouse dressage and have enough gumption to exercise airs above the basis," she says.

Information technology was also of import that there were no genetic weaknesses. "Friesian dwarfism had come to lite and I worked with top geneticists at Sydney University who assisted in developing a comprehensive standard breeding guide then there was a clear programme for time to come generations," she adds.

The Warlander name came from veterinarian Warwick Vale, at present National President of the Australian Veterinary Clan, who had worked with Karen while developing the brood. What would she have washed, I asked her, if Warwick'southward name had been Col or Phil? "I really don't know," she giggles.

The globe's first Warlander was named CS Dominador, a bay by baroque Friesian Valentino El Domino Classique out of Blackford Allegria. "He was a smashing horse," Karen recalls, "he had the hybrid vigour of the two crosses. I knew I was on to something. Clyde, as he was known, grew to 16hh. His Andalusian dam was 15.1hh and his sire wasn't much bigger. He naturally performed the high school movements and was a very derisive character. He died only a few months ago. His possessor, Kate Dalrymple, buried him on her parents' holding in the Snowy Mountains. He was much loved."

Owned and bred past Karen Maree Kaye, Main Studbook Warlander gelding CS Invictus was successful at the Gosnells Breed Bear witness (Image courtesy Classical Sporthorse Stud)

Karen'southward motivation to breed Warlanders thirty decades ago was her love of classical dressage – which she still has. "Training my horses is an fine art, I do it for myself to build a relationship. I'm presently working with my grey stallion Invictus," she says. "I don't compete in dressage. I'm 1 of the few people in the world who has learned Baucher'due south 2d fashion. There's me and Rene Bacharach!"

And if you find that a scrap bewildering, Francois Baucher was a French riding main in the 1800s whose 'second fashion' emphasised the importance of didactics the horse to keep his cervix upright, comport it himself without the assist of his passenger and continually sustain optimal residuum and mobility. Rene Bacharach was a scholarly equestrian and close friend of Nuno Oliveira, a Portuguese master who approached riding as a true fine art. Oliveira died in Perth in 1989, Bacharach in Paris in '91.

Owned by Morgan Moore, Inquieto RAM is approved for convenance in the Usa (Image by Apr Visel Photography)

Whilst she is passionate nearly the art of classical dressage, Karen does non expect every Warlander rider to experience the same way. "And I certainly don't desire owning one of these horses to be an elitist thing," she adds, "they're for anybody. In my instance I want to achieve eighty and have a horse with brains that'south a pleasure to ride. All around the world they're doing annihilation and everything from trail riding, dressage, and reining, to film work and jousting."

Yet these global achievements are barely recognised in this country. "They're then well-known everywhere else," Karen tells me, "and in America they're into the third generation of breeding. I must acknowledge I don't actually like existence a promoter, I tend to but stick on my v acres in Western Australia!"

The about famous Warlander is reputed to exist an American stallion named Hummer, who ten years agone was crowned World Grand Champion Stallion past the International Friesian Show Horse Association. He has been used in Chevy commercials, was the face of Guerlain's Habit Rouge fragrance, and appeared in The Lord of the Rings likewise equally several music videos.

In that location is a representative of the breed in Australia who has also gained international significance – a driving horse named Shepherds Hill Larry SPORT. Karen explains: "He was the first Warlander in the world to get a SPORT predicate after winning an advanced World Cup level National Championship in 2011."

Jodie McKeone driving Shepherds Hill Larry SPORT at the 2013 Adelaide Purple (Image past Julie Wilson Equestrian Photography).

Larry is owned, trained, and driven past Jodie McKeown of Shepherds Hill Farm, Spring Hill, about 70 kilometres from Melbourne. "My mother, Evanne Chesson, and I have the well-nigh registered Warlanders in the world," Jodie says. "They are our passion. Good, all-circular ride and drive horses."

Born in 2004 on December 25, Jodie regards Larry equally the all-time Christmas present she has ever had: "He'south an instance of breeding good temperament to practiced temperament. His mother was a purebred Andalusian called Espania. She went dorsum to the days of El Caballo in Sydney, and his sire was Wizzard, a Friesian we bred here."

He shone as a four-year-erstwhile at the Australian Driving Championships at Witwood, a property nigh Canberra, winning novice and open unmarried equus caballus classes, and over the years continued up through the levels under Jodie's guidance.

Driving is the oldest competitive equestrian sport and Jodie is no slouch at manoeuvring single to 4-in-paw teams. 1 of the masters of this discipline is Boyd Exell, formerly from Bega, five times Earth Champion and ix times FEI Earth Cup Driving Champion. Several years ago Jodie worked with him on his holding at Valkenswaard in Kingdom of the netherlands.

Has Boyd e'er displayed an interest in Warlanders? "They're but non on his radar," she says. But that doesn't deter her from training with him. Every fourth dimension he has given clinics in his home country Jodie has been in attendance. She recalls 1 such event given jointly past Exell and dressage international Brett Parbery. "Boyd asked Brett which horse out of all the teams existence driven would he select to ride. He pointed at Larry, saying that he hadn't broken rhythm once."

The 17-twelvemonth-old grayness is now semi-retired and working every bit a driving schoolmaster. "He'southward doing a still shoot on the neighbour's property tomorrow," Jodie says. "He's used to lights and cameras. He worked under saddle on Frontier, an American movie airplane pilot made hither in Australia. Some years before that our Andalusian Blackford Santo Domingo played the Brolga in The Silver Brumby. He was the foundation stallion of our Warlander brood line."

Jodie regards these horses equally exceptional. "They tin can exist ridden by everyday people who, let's face it, correspond 95 per cent of the equestrian industry in Commonwealth of australia. They're ideal for young riders wanting to stride upwards from Pony Club and here in Victoria they're used a lot for dressage in developed riding clubs. All nosotros need is some 'proper noun' to do well in an official arena and everyone will desire 1!"

Jodie is particularly appreciative of Karen Maree Kaye: "Our connection goes back to when we bought a horse from her sight unseen and trucked it from WA. We were pleased with the condition it was in and with its preparation and temperament, and ended up ownership 2 more. She has enormous brownie and should exist applauded for all her hard work and research. Give thanks goodness she created the breed and the Society."

If y'all're interested in knowing more, visit warlanderstudbooksociety.com.au, and if you lot're thinking of purchasing a Warlander in Commonwealth of australia, ensure the horse is registered here before you buy.

Feature Image: Inquieto RAM, a second generation Warlander stallion and son of internationally acclaimed Warlander stallion Hummer (Image past April Visel Photography)

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Source: https://equestrianhub.com.au/blog/breed-feature-the-warlander/

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