SabaA R A B I A N S

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In a lovely rural area in Sydney,Australia, Louise Cordina and herpartner Glenn North have found

the expression of their shared vision andideals in the evolution of Saba Arabians.“When we started the program we setout to achieve something special,” saysLouise, who describes the Saba “look”as classic and authentic. “We strive forthe whole package: wonderful type,conformation, movement, pedigree, andtemperament all in one horse. We refuseto take the simple path of picking thepoints of the horse that appeal most;rather we breed for all the true attributesof the Arabian. Of course it’s a moredifficult road, but we’re achieving this inthe foals and it’s being noticed by breedersaround the world.”

Saba is now home to approximately30 purebred Arabians, including twostallions, Thaqib Al Nasser (AnsataHalim Shah x Imperial Madanah) and Orashan (Messaoud x Ora), 15 broodmares, most of whom will foalthis year, and numerous youngstersbeing retained for the stud.

“We like to make our own path andnever sacrifice what we believe are thecorrect choices for our horses because offashion, ‘the done thing,’ or someoneelse’s opinion,” Louise continues. “We’realso very realistic; Glenn was luckyenough to meet and work with some ofthe original greats at farms such asBentwood, Gleannloch, and Ansata, sonaturally that set high standards. Hishorseman’s point of view has given ourprogram a solid foundation.”

Louise traces the stirrings in herheart for horses to her earliestmemories. “As a child my two mosttreasured possessions were a small horsecarved from wood and mother of pearl,and a book about the different horsebreeds of the world. I was quiteinseparable from both and as I spentseveral years of my childhood abroad,they regularly traveled around the worldwith me. Many hours on airplanes werespent religiously studying this book andthe one thing I remember the mostabout it was that despite the twohundred different breeds described, onepicture always remained etched in mymind. It was a sketch of an Arabianhead and was totally unique among allthe other pictures.

“In each country we visited Imanaged to track down horses of somedescription to ride or admire, even inthe most obscure places. But it was notuntil some years later back in Australiaas a teenager, that a friend mentioned tome that there was a lovely chestnutgelding on the property where she kepther horse that was not being ridden. Uponasking what breed he was, she replied‘Arabian.’ I said, ‘When can I come!’

“As fate would have it this littleArabian gelding changed the path of mylife and having previously ownedThoroughbred and Warmblood breeds —finally, this was the horse that I’d beenlooking for. He was super intelligentwith so much heart. We competedtogether in endurance and he continuallyinspired me with his stamina andunstoppable spirit. The more time I

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— A Conversation with

Louise Cordina and

Glenn North

Opposite page: Glenn North and LouiseCordina with the stallion Thaqib Al Nasser (Ansata Halim Shah x Imperial Madanah),also pictured below.

by Denise Hearst

SALLY THOMPSON PHOTO

spent with him the more respect Igained and realized that this was not justa ‘breed’ but an amazing creature whoseendurance, beauty, and heart hadensured their survival throughout theages. I felt a responsibility to helppreserve them and to ensure that theycontinued to exist is their most classicalform for generations to come. This forme was the defining decision that led meto be not just an ‘owner’ but a‘caretaker.’ And as a breeder today I stillconsider it an honor.

“In retrospect, it was a blessing

that my introduction to the Arabianhorse came through his functionality.Before anything else, I appreciated hisstrength and how the attributes thatmake him beautiful are also theattributes that make him functional. Asa breeder, it’s important to rememberwhy we’re looking for certain features inthe horse, not just breed for thembecause the ‘standard of excellence’ saysso. After all, breed standards, registries,and written pedigrees are all Westerninventions. We must remember that these horses

evolved simply as the purebred horse ofthe desert. Fine skin, large nostrils, andrefined bone are all things that we mayconsider ‘pretty,’ but they’re also thingsthat helped the horses survive forthousands of years in harsh conditions.As breeders of Arabians we have theprivilege of preserving one ofevolution’s greatest treasures, and wemust do so with the utmost respect fortheir heritage.”

Glenn explains his attraction to theArabian this way: “I was and still amdrawn to beautiful things. I am a

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The 50-acre Saba facility islocated about 45 minutes

from the airport in Sydney. “It’san ideal location for us, being close toamenities and easily accessible forvisitors,” says Louise. “The facilitiesinclude a young horse barn; separatefoaling, weaning, and hospital boxesmonitored by camera; a stallionshowroom with two oversize ‘suites’for our head sires which adjoins ourhome; quarantine facilities; workingarenas, a show arena with seating for70 people, a fully equipped breedinglab with semen collection andfreezing facilities. Everything on thefarm is designed for safety andpracticality, and Glenn’s experience inthese areas has created a functional,beautiful atmosphere.

“The remainder of the farm iscomprised of various size pasturesranging from smaller areas for theyoungsters to large pastures for thebroodmares.

“Our latest project is a new foalingfacility that will be connected to ourhome with viewing windows and anadjoining library and guest suite.

“We have two full-time staff andseveral part-time staff who work withGlenn to complete our team. Thereare 18 stalls on the property, anothertwo soon to be constructed, andadditional run-in sheds in the daypastures.”

perfectionist and having said that, mydesire and my fate focused on whatcould only be described as a blessed life.

“Ever since I was a small child Iwas involved with horses,” he continues.“My uncle had two hundred horses andponies of every breed as well as camels.By twelve years old I was driving fourblack ponies in a Wells Fargostagecoach. The very first horse I rodewith my uncle at two years old, was anArabian-related stallion named Smokey.From that day onwards I have beentransfixed with the image I still have inmy mind of a proud, dapple-greystallion with a small face, large blackeyes, and lofty tail, caressing that roadwith each stride. Powerful but gentle,elegant but strong.”

Our conversation with Louise andGlenn covered the totality of theirefforts at Saba Arabians, from thepractical to the philosophical. Here’swhat Louise had to say about their lifewith Arabians.

What roles do each of youplay in Saba Arabians? Whatpercentage of your wakinghours are spent with thehorses? Any other pastimes,hobbies, or occupations?

Glenn spends all his time at thefarm with our horses. I’m sure theymust have the best care on the planet!Anyone who really knows horses and

has worked with Glenn, will tell youthat he is one of the most talentedtrainers in the Arabian horse world.Combine that with over thirty years ofexperience and he is a force to bereckoned with when it comes tomanaging a farm and breeding greathorses. He has a sixth sense with themand knows what they’re thinking beforethey do. He never ceases to amaze mewith the minuscule details that he picksup on that no normal human wouldever notice!

Although I would love to spend mydays at the farm, my working hours arespent running a branch of my family’slarge company. I’m the fourthgeneration in a business that wasfounded in 1948 and I carry the samebeliefs that have brought me success inthe business world through to ourendeavors in the horse-breeding world;good ethics, honesty with yourself andothers, and believing in what you do.

Despite the fewer hours that I haveto spend with the horses, I try to nevermiss one of the mares foaling. I dearlylove all of our mares and apart fromthose who decide to foal in the middleof the day when I’m not around, I willalways be at their side.

Please trace for us theevolution of Saba Arabians,from first purchase to thebuilding of a broodmare band.How important is the label

“straight Egyptian” to the Sabaprogram? How would youdescribe the “Saba look”?

The earliest acquisitions for theSaba program were Egyptian related.Today we have two Egyptian-relatedfamilies as part of our program and oneof these stems from those originalacquisitions. La Moniette (Prince FaMoniet x Selilah), was purchased as afoal at her dam’s side and went on tobecome an extremely successful showhorse and later a valuable broodmare.As we expanded we concentrated onstraight Egyptians. We appreciate goodArabians of all bloodlines; however, forus, the Egyptian horses have had theleast amount of influence from otherprograms. We are striving to perpetuatehorses in their most classical form andconsequently want to be as close to thedesert in our lineage as possible.

We wanted horses that wereaccurate representatives of the Arabiansfrom centuries ago, but in their veryfinest form. We went about collectingstraight Egyptian mares that representedthe classic dry type of the desert, seeingeach as an ingredient in the end result.Today, about 90 percent of ourbreeding program is straight Egyptianand we intend to continue with thisbalance in the future. We have a greatdeal of respect for our related horsesalso, and love the fact that these linesare a more attainable option for people

who want the look of an Egyptianhorse but not the expense of a straightEgyptian.

In an age of “fancy” photographyit’s really lovely to have visitors comingto the farm saying “They’re so muchbetter in real life!” or “They look justlike paintings.” Thaqib Al Nasser hasactually become a favorite subject forartists and we regularly get requests forpermission to paint him. Tara Brown, atalented Australian artist, names him asher favorite muse and visits him and hisfoals regularly. She actually becameembroiled in a friendly argument with agentleman while exhibiting a paintingof Thaqib at the Egyptian Event. Heclaimed that no horse could possiblylook like that in real life. Tara informedhim that when she returned to Australiashe would forward some photos and hecould decide for himself. She did andhe promptly became a Thaqib fan.

Please identify and describeyour three to five best brood-mares; the same question forthe three to five best youngshow or breeding stock.

We were lucky enough to gather areally unique group of foundationmares that represent many of thebreed’s most prolific families, while stillmaintaining a diverse range ofbloodlines and outcrosses within thegroup. The blood of Imperial Madheenplays a large role in our program andtwo of his daughters are in ourbroodmare band. One, MB Madirah, isan exquisite black mare out of Indirah(Habib x Isis) who traces to thegorgeous Bint Farida daughter Ghazala.Ghazala was hailed as one of the mostbeautiful mares to have left Egypt, butsadly failed to produce any foals duringher years in the United States. Her

Egyptian-born daughter Inas, however,was exported to Hungary and today isone of only two daughters that providea source of this blood. Madirahepitomizes what made Madheen sosought after: she’s exotic with beautifuleyes, with a kind, gentle but regalnature, and is a wonderful producer.Her superb daughter by Thaqib AlNasser, Maarena Al Saba, is a wonderfulexample of the refined, exotic typeresulting from the combination of thesefamilies. Nefu Al Saba, a grandson ofMadirah by Thaqib, is another fineexample of the cross.

The mare Simeon Siboni, byAsfour out of an Imperial Madheengranddaughter, represents a formulathat Glenn predicted would be idealwhen he selected the Madheen sonImperial Madaar for Simeon Stud in1989. Bred to Thaqib she has given ustwo truly world class individuals: a filly,

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Saba Arabians’ mare MB Madirah (Imperial Madheen x Indirah) left, and her daughter Maarena Al Saba by Thaqib Al Nasser.

Suhalia Al Saba, and her full brother,Khalifah Al Saba. Suhalia caused quite astir from all corners of the globe. She’s afilly who really does have it all; type inabundance, spectacular movement,refinement, beautiful structure, and justquality personified. And the world is yetto meet her little brother!

Another filly that attracted a lot ofattention is the porcelain-like MarcellaAl Saba. A daughter of La Moniette andThaqib, she does indeed look like aliving painting! She too has an exquisitebrother with a very bright future:Shaheen Al Saba, who is heading toNew Zealand for new owners, theDesert Horse Stud.

Savaanah Al Saba is another fillygoing places. After waiting several yearsfor the opportunity to own a straightEgyptian by Thaqib, Westfield ParkArabians of Australia snapped up theirown piece of “Arabian art” with this

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The filly Suhalia Al Saba (Thaqib Al Nasser x Simeon Siboni),top left, and her full brother Khalifah Al Saba, top right.

The filly Marcella Al Saba (Thaqib AlNasser x La Moniette), right.

filly. Her dam JD Sh-Reba (Sheik ElShahir x MFA Maarqesa) has an exoticlook all of her own and brings to theprogram a unique pedigree combiningAnsata Ibn Halima, Morafic, TheEgyptian Prince, and Maar Ree.

BA Halamet by El Halimaar is aspecial mare and a daughter of anotherof the breed’s most beautiful matriarchs,Bint Bint Hamamaa. This family is aperfect example of the refinement thatwe look for in our program. Halamet isa dry, desert-type mare with wonderfulstructure, tail carriage, movement, andincomparable temperament. We havetwo daughters from her, one by ETCrown Prince and the other by ThaqibAl Nasser.

A mare we believe is destined tobecome an important part of ourprogram is a more recent acquisition,Imperial Orissah. She is, in ouropinion, one of Orashan’s mostbeautiful daughters and a truly world-class mare. Again out of an Imperial

Madheen daughter,Orissah representseverything that welook for in anoutstandingbroodmare. She isvery much the wholepackage and this issomething thatOrashan has theability to instill in hisprogeny; awonderfully soundfoundation. We’re extremely excitedabout the prospect of breeding her toThaqib and seeing the first results ofthe Orashan/Thaqib combination.

Your two stallions, Thaqib AlNasser and Orashan, eachcame to Australia withimpressive credentials, andafter worldwide searches. Tellus of the powers of persuasionemployed to get them … and

why you wanted them sobadly. What qualities doeseach stallion bring to thetable? Tell us a little abouteach of their personalities,and what they contribute tolife on the farm.

Seeing Thaqib Al Nasser in Qatarfor the first time was one of thosemoments that I think all breeders longfor; to be truly moved by a horse and

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Top left, the colt Shaheen Al Saba (Thaqib Al Nasser x LaMoniette), owned by Desert Horse Stud of New Zealand; topright, Savaanah Al Saba (Thaqib Al Nasser x JD Sh-Reba), ownedby Westfield Park Arabians of Australia; and right, Saba Arabians’mare Imperial Orissah (Orashan x Imperial Misteena).

STINE PHOTO

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The stallion Orashan (Messaoud x Ora), pictured at home at Saba Arabians at age 25.

Thaqib Al Nasser

Suhalia Al Saba

just know in your heart that it’s meantto be. Glenn had spent time in Qatartraining horses for Sheikh Nawaf binNasser Al-Thani’s Al Nasser Farm a yearor two earlier, so he was well aware ofthe quality of the horses there.

But upon meeting Thaqib we knewhe was unique. He possessed a degree ofrefinement and elegance greater thanany other horse we’d seen. He was theperfect combination of blood: a son ofAnsata Halim Shah out of one of themost beautiful Imperial Madheendaughters, who traced in tail female lineto Deenaa. He was in the flesheverything that was wonderful about hispedigree and it was obvious to us thatthis was a powerhouse breeding horse.But Thaqib wasn’t for sale, and it wasequally obvious that getting him wasnot going to be easy, and perhaps, outof the question.

Initially, my reaction was totaldepression! We couldn’t consider anyother colts or stallions because we justknew he was the one. I quietly decidedthat no matter what, Thaqib wouldcome to Australia.

Almost one year later, after muchpersistence, patience, and red tape,Thaqib stepped off a plane in Sydney. Hehad traveled through several Europeancities and spent two months in Englandon his way here. Thaqib has such abeautiful nature and positive outlook onlife, everybody who has met him fell inlove. I began receiving e-mails fromgrooms, shipping agents, and stallionhandlers all saying that he was the mostdelightful horse they had ever dealt with.

Thaqib sees life as an adventure.He’s extremely intelligent and lovesmaking friends with people and horsesalike. Thaqib can see me drive in fromhis stable. As soon as he hears my car hepromptly goes to his door, ears pricked

and with his very best “bring my carrotsplease” face. If I take too long he’llnicker and nod his head just to remindme that he’s waiting.

Both Orashan and Thaqib love tohave the foals around them whenthey’re out in the pasture. One of ourfilly foals from this season was withouta playmate as her mother hadundergone emergency surgery just priorto foaling. As the filly got older, Mompreferred to stay in her big roomy stallfor much of the day while the fillyplayed outside in an adjoining pasture.As we didn’t have another suitably agedfoal for her to play with, we put eitherThaqib or Orashan in the next-doorpasture. Both boys would spend thewhole day babysitting. Thaqib, nose tonose with her playing in the watertrough and Orashan, with his headdropped low over the gate while thefilly chewed on his forelock! Sheeventually spent more time with herdad, Thaqib or “uncle” Orashan thanshe did with her mom.

Orashan’s wonderful nature was oneof the first things that struck us when wesaw him in Virginia in 2006. Of coursewe were both well aware of Orashan theshow horse and breeding stallion, but tosee him at home completely natural andat 22 years of age, was again just one ofthose lightbulb moments. It was earlymorning and quite misty. Across a fieldwe noticed a golf cart coming toward usand a vision of white with big black eyes,calmly trotting alongside. As they camecloser we realized it was Orashan. Helooked astounding, his body absolutelyfaultless and just standing perfectlyrelaxed, enjoying his morning outing.

We had already decided that he’dplay a part in our program. We had oureye on his beautiful daughter ImperialOrissah and were trying to acquire her

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at that time. We’d also talked aboutsending another mare we had in theU.S., to be bred to him. For usOrashan was the perfect addition forour program. He shared the Messaoudtype with his paternal half brotherImperial Madheen, who alreadyfeatured prominently in our bloodlines,but Orashan introduced a different tailfemale line and had so much to offerstructurally. His daughters also hadproven themselves to be fantasticproducers. It hadn’t occurred to us toconsider purchasing him due to his age,but when we saw him that morning, thethought started to creep into our minds.

There was much to considerthough: could the trip be done in a waythat would cause him the least amountof disruption, and did we have enoughmares available to breed to him to dohim justice? We discussed it with RobSimpson, his manager, and Rob felt thatif any horse would cope well with a triplike this it would be Orashan. But mostof our mares were already in foal toThaqib and we couldn’t justify bringinga horse of Orashan’s caliber over unlesswe had the mares to breed to him.

Instead, we purchased anothermare in the U.S. specifically forOrashan and continued to pursue his

lovely daughter. But as the monthspassed by and the time of our foalingseason grew near, we couldn’t get thebeautiful white stallion out of ourminds. We ordered a plaque with hisname on it, called Rob, and asked himto make it happen!

He did, and Orashan arrived safe andsound in Australia in August 2007. Thaqiband Orashan live side by side in ourstallion showroom. They both epitomizethe true temperament of an Arabianstallion and are living proof that youshould never compromise on character.

Now that you have had achance to assess a couple ofThaqib’s foal crops, how wouldyou assess his strength as a sire?

Thaqib is one of those rarestallions that sires equally good colts ashe does fillies. Already he’s given us ason who we feel is a worthy heir to hisfather. Not only that, but this colt’s nota one-off. We’ve had a group of coltsthat are all of exceptional quality.

We, and many astute breedersaround the world, predicted that he hadthe ability to make a mark on thebreed, and Thaqib is definitely provingthat he is indeed the horse for the job.

Thaqib’s foals have a rare chiselingto the face and scooped-out tear bones.This refinement carries through toevery detail from tipped ears that looklike petals to dry clean bone andbeautiful fine throatlatches. He passeson his wonderful length of neck andoverall balance. The Thaqib offspringall love to dance! They possess hisnatural charisma and love of life andmost of all his beautiful nature. Walkinto a paddock full of Thaqib get andyou will be inundated by beautiful,inquisitive faces that will follow youanywhere, no halter required!

Do you breed your stallions to outside mares? If so, forwhat fees?

We don’t ordinarily stand ourhorses at stud, but we have allowed afew international breeders to haveaccess to Orashan by specialarrangement.

Describe today’s market forArabian horses in general, andEgyptian Arabians in specificin Australia today?

We consider ourselves very much

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Sedona Al Saba (Thaqib Al Nasser xJD Sh-Reba), left; and the

Egyptian-related stallion El Seid Al Saba (Thaqib Al Nasser x

Simeon Astarte).

part of the international community.We’re in constant contact with otherbreeders around the world and haveThaqib progeny booked to travel to astaggering dozen-plus countries. Wenever allow profitability to influenceour breeding decisions. Of course likeany farm there are bills to pay andsometimes you have to part with horsesthat you might have preferred to keep.

Actually there are many who thinkwe’re quite crazy for knocking backsome of the offers we’ve had on varioushorses, but ultimately we see what we’redoing as a long-term proposition, and ifyou take every offer you receive on greathorses then you’re bound to not end upwith very many great ones left!

Over the past two seasons we’veretained almost all the Thaqib progenyfor our own program. The only progenyreleased to other breeders to date arethose with full siblings that we’vealready retained. Thankfully thiscoming season we’re expecting a greaternumber of foals, many of which weshould be able to make available.

What’s the most fun you’veever had that involved anArabian horse?

I think one of our funniestmoments was shortly after Thaqibarrived in Australia. We had a steadystream of inquisitive visitors wanting tocome and meet him in person. On thisparticular day we probably had 20 to 30people visiting. Thaqib was about tomake his grand entrance in his beautifultraditional halter that we oftenpresented him in. He’s very smart — assoon as he has his show halter on heknows that everyone’s come to admirehim. The visitors crowded about at thetop of the pathway where Thaqib wascoming from. Thaqib spotted the crowdand happily came bouncing up the pathwith Glenn in tow. Halfway up thepath Thaqib bounced right out of thehalter and Glenn was left holding a leadwith no horse! Thaqib looked about as

shocked as Glenn and stoppedmomentarily wondering what to do. Hepromptly carried on bouncing up thepathway toward his crowd whoapparently got more of a fright thanThaqib, as they scattered in everydirection. Some appeared to be runningfor their lives because there was a wildstallion on the loose. Glenn walked upcasually, put a lead rope around hisneck, and proceeded to let everyonecome over and meet him. It really wasquite hilarious and although completelyunplanned, a perfect introduction toeverything that Thaqib is about.

Now, a look back: In yourexperience with Arabians, whatare the outstanding events —emotionally, financially,professionally? Explain, in your

soulful words, what theArabian horse means to you.

The most beautiful memory Ihave in my life is the desert at sunset.A warm breeze blowing just enough tomake the palms sway and the sanddance across the ground. A beautifulwhite Arabian, prancing with the windin her mane and the last rays of sunreflecting in her eyes. She snorts, turnsand stares into the horizon and for amoment everything else isinsignificant.

This is what the Arabian horse hasgiven me. My most treasured memories,a million moments of joy, my dearestfriends and my partner in life. Noamount of words could express norgratitude repay the gifts they have givenme. I will forever be in their debt.

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Louise and Glenn with the mare La Moniette(*Prince Fa Moniet x Selilah).

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Thaqib Al Nasser x La Moniette

487 Trevors RoadCarew RD5

Ashburton 7775New Zealand

DESERT HORSE STUDDemelza and Nick Hoogeveen

www.deserthorsestud.comPhone: +64-3-303-6575Fax: +64-3-303-6578email: demelza@ihug.co.nz

Al SabaShaheen

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Thaqib Al Nasser x JD Sh-Reba

Swan ValleyPerth

Western Australia

WESTFIELD PARK ARABIAN HORSESRick and Tanya York

www.freewebs.com/westfieldparkPhone: +61-8-9296-1282Mobile: +61-416-141-668email: tyork@bigpond.net.au

Al SabaSavaanah

BEAUTY — THE WAY NATURE INTENDED

22 Crosslands RoadGalston NSW 2159

Australia

Louise Cordina and Glenn North

www.saba-arabians.comPhone: +612-9653-3582Fax: +612-9653-2976email: louise@cordina.com.au

TYPE | MOVEMENT | CONFORMATION | TEMPERAMENT | PEDIGREE

The look of

Saba