PENNSYLVANIA EQUESTRIAN February 2013 Page 39

Sue Eves Wins USEF Top Arabian Breeder Honorsby Marcella Peyre-Ferry

Being named the year’s top breeder is an honor for any farm, but for someone with a small operation such an award is remarkable. Sue Eves, of Charming Meadow Farm in Robesonia, Berks County, PA has been named the USEF Arabian Breeder of the Year for 2012, winning the title with 1318 points, by a margin of 776 points over the second place finisher.

To determine the Breeder of the Year Award, points accumu-lated in competition by regis-tered horses are counted for the individual or farm that was the horses’ breeder.

Eves has owned several outstanding stallions over the years, including Kharbon Bey V (a Cal Bred Top Ten Futurity Winner), his son Summer Wind Bey +//(a multi National Cham-pion Western Pleasure horse) and Kharbon’s great grandson, Klint Black+++/ (a National Cham-pion in Sport Horse in Hand and Western Pleasure). Following hip surgery several yeas ago, Eves felt she had to limit her operation. She no longer stands stallions, but still has four mares at her farm representing five genera-tions of her breeding program.

Just Two HorsesWhile large farms nationwide

were accumulating points this year from hundreds of horses they have bred over the years, Eves’ award was based on the accomplish-ments of just two Arabians she bred and subsequently sold - Ra-khassa Bey++++// (owned by Bill Doughty)- National Horse of the Year in Arabian Hunter/ Jumper, National Horse of the Year in Arabian Specialty and Reserve in Arabian Sport Horse; and Black Magyk (owned by Dawn and Clinton Voris) - Region 13 Horse of the Year in Arabian Halter and Reserve in Sport Horse.

“While this is a wonderful reflection on me as the breeder, it is also a tribute to the talent of the folks who did the showing. I am honored that the points accumu-lated by horses that I bred put me more than 700 points ahead of the second place breeder,” Eves said. “Additionally, this year is a big victory for ‘the little guy’. This award was started in 2008 and was won in three of the first four years by two breeders who, be-tween them, have bred over 3,000 horses. I’ve bred 50. The horses which achieved the points were owned by amateurs who did all of their own training and showing.”

Eves has been a lover of the Arabian breed since she was a girl. “I first became interested in Arabians as a kid when I fell in love with the Walter Farley “Black Stallion” series of books. When I was 15, my parents purchased a 6 week old Arabian filly for me and I literally trained her with a book in one hand and the horse in the other,” she said. “I have always enjoyed work-ing with young horses, so it was a natural progression for me to want to breed my own. Initially I fell in love with the beauty and

romanticism of the breed, but what has kept me involved for nearly 50 years is the athleticism, intelligence, sweet temperament and trainability.”

Sport Horses Her SpecialtyMost of Eves’ clients over

the years have been from out of state. Typically she sells her foals before they are weaned or when they are ready to start under saddle. “Happily, many of my foals have gone on to homes with the determination and resources to show and have become quite successful in the Arabian show ring,” she said. “The horses that I have bred have done well at the National level in halter and performance, but my favorite division is Arabian Sport Horse. In this division I have bred a National Champion In Hand Stal-lion, National Champion In Hand Mare, National Champion Sport Horse Under Saddle, National Champion Dressage Horse, Re-

serve National Champion Hunter Over Fences, Reserve National Champion Hunter Hack and multiple Top Ten winners in all of these divisions.”

The most important trait Eves breeds for is a good disposi-tion. “I expect my Arabians to exhibit Arabian type, be athletic, cheerful in their work and have

the brains to accept training,” she said. “My ideal Arabian is sweet, athletic, hardy, beautiful, and showing breed type to be easily identified as an Arabian.”

“My horses are of Varian/ Khemosabi bloodlines. I have been very successful in linebreed-ing the Huckleberry Bey++ sire line with the Kemosabi++++// dam line. Klint Black+++/ for example has three lines to Huck-leberry Bey++ and two to Khe-mosabi++++//,” Eves explains. “I have a two year old Klint granddaughter here that is one of the best I have ever bred. She has five lines to Huckleberry Bey++ and three to Khemosabi++++// with an outcross line to *El Shak-lan and Gai Parada+++/.”

Finishing the year in third place is the Arabian Breeder standings was another Pennsylvanian, Holly Nichole Schnader of Reinholds, with 511 points. Second place in the standings was Gerald C. Johnson of Lexington, KY with 542 points.

Rakhassa Bey++++//, bred by Sue Eves of Charming Meadows Farm in Robesonia, PA, started showing in A rated shows at the advanced age of 13. She finished the 2012 show season with two national cham-pionships, five reserve national championships and three top tens.

Phot

o cr

edit:

© L

ynn

Kau

fman

Pho

togr

aphy