The inaugural Sport Horse National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Show made a successful debut September 17-21, 2003 at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, Va. The Arabian Horse Association (AHA) of Aurora, Colo., produced the event which is the only national single breed show focusing specifically on the sport horse disciplines. Prizes such as saddles, jewelry, artwork and bridles were awarded to competitors in select classes. The event featured top-level sport horse competition, a commercial trade fair, special events and many exciting exhibitions.

Nearly 400 of the nation's best Arabian, Half-Arabian and Anglo-Arabian sport horses competed in 63 classes in three divisions: sport horse in-hand and under-saddle, dressage and hunter/jumper. Class entries totaled more than1,350 with horses competing in an average of three classes. The sport horse division was the show's largest with 532 entries followed by the dressage and hunter/jumper divisions. Silver Cariad+ (Silver Cyclone++ x Sudans Jewel) and owner Jeannie Anderson beat out 55 horses for the championship in the largest class, Arabian Sport Horse Under Saddle.

The Sport Horse National Show Commission presented the first champion trophy to gelding champion PV Aspire++// (Revelry x BAF Fortune) and owner/handler Jill Delozier in the Arabian Sport Horse Geldings championship. "It was so great to be the first Sport Horse National champion! PV Aspire++// is the first horse we bred and raised ourselves," says Delozier.

Jason Andrew Clark's Half-Arabian gelding SD Dartanian+++// (Frohwind x PF Marquesa) was the show's biggest winner. The pair accrued seven championships, two reserve championships and three top tens in dressage, sport horse in hand, sport horse under saddle and sport horse show hack. "It took a while for it to sink in how well we did. I would have been happy with top tens. It was just unbelievable," says Clark.

The successful Desiderio riders were among the shows most successful competitors with 10 championships, six reserves and 40 top tens with their nine horses. They were also among the event's many admirers. "This was a great and well-run show. There was a huge variety of classes to show in and it was nice to see the large class sizes. We have decided that we definitely are going to Sport Horse Nationals in California next year," says Ricci Desiderio.

Several specialty classes headlined afternoon sessions, including the Jumper Mini-Prix, the Practical Horseman Hunter Classic and the crowning of the Supreme Sport Horse Supreme Champion. Schneider's Saddlery donated a saddle for the champion, a bridle for reserve champion and coolers for the top ten of both the Jumper Mini-Prix and the Hunter Classic. Visconde Rach+ (*Armagnac x Vanessa Rach) and 16-year-old owner Claire Rozran won the Jumper Mini-Prix by a margin of seven seconds over reserve champion Count Me In (Khondor x Gold Fling) and 15-year-old Alexandra Clark. The best working hunter horses competed in the Hunter Classic and the championship awarded to Jumpin Mac Flash+/(Flashy Mac x Bright Kazel) who won the hunter saddle for Amy and Allyson Bott and the reserve champion was Alexandria Desiderio's gelding Ser Imanask+// (Serinask x Lady Imaron). Paint Rock Designs sponsored awards for the supreme champion and reserve sport horses. The champion took home a Paint Rock Designs "Turtle Neck" blanket and the reserve champion received a cooler, bridle and saddle bag. Faralyn+++/ (Frohwind x FM Bay Melody), a Half-Arabian mare owned by Linda Stoudemayer, was crowned Supreme Champion Sport Horse and the recipient of an oil painting portrait by Joan McIntyre. The Reserve Champion Supreme Sport Horse was the Arabian stallion SC Gunslinger (*El Purchino x SC Snickers), owned by Suncatcher Arabians.

Along with competition, spectators had the opportunity to watch several combined driving demonstrations and two freestyle dressage exhibitions. Wayne and Ruth Gavitt and Larry Bason navigated an obstacle driving course with the Gavitts' two Half-Arabians Orvil Redenbacher (Lewisfield Nizani x Popcorn) and Mohamed Knockout (Mohamed Aly x Copacabana). Diane Dincher and So Bask (So-Neat x Ports Diana Bask) demonstrated pleasure driving. Christine Smith-Byerly and her Arabian mare Gisela MBI+ (Aikon x Gildia) performed a marathon driving exhibition. USDF Silver Medalists Lisa Payne and Johnny Robb performed a musical freestyle Pas De Deux with Arabian geldings Fleet Halaaniz+// (Ibn Mirzaz x Fleeta Twin-aana), and PF Succeeding On (Ivanhoe Tsultan x Aval). Lauren Ball-Tisdale performed an Intermediate I freestyle exhibition on FM Kaswyn+/ (PS Kasenova x Eowyn), the 2002 National Champion Fourth Level Horse.

Nine businesses sponsored the Arabian Sport Horse Nationals. Primedia Business Magazines and Media partnered with three of its publications as division sponsors: Dressage Today, Practical Horseman and Arabian Horse World. Award sponsors included AHA Corporate Partner Arabian Saddle Company, Bennett Fine Jewelry, Freedman Harness, Mobile Milling Services, Inc., Paint Rock Designs, Schneider's Saddlery, Stanley Ranch and The Gorgeous Horse.

AHA is a 40,000 member equine association that registers and maintains a database of more then one million Arabian, Half-Arabian and Anglo-Arabian horses. It administers more than $4 million in annual prize money, produces national events, recognizes more than 400 Arabian horse shows and distance rides and provides activities and programs that promote breeding and ownership. For information about Arabian, Half-Arabian and Anglo-Arabian horses, call 303-696-4500, e-mail info@ArabianHorses.org or visit www.ArabianHorses.org.

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