PRADAA has arrived!

Last season Holly Farm leased the lovely straight Russian mare Greengrove Sasha from Rod and Kathy Muir of Greengrove Stud, Australia.  GG Sasha is sired by the UK National Champion stallion NARIM from the last Aswan daughter VNUCHKA who was imported to Australia by the Muirs after purchase from Tersk Stud, Russia. 

GG Sasha has not been shown at halter but was raced lightly in 1997 and like her dam showed good form. Vnuchka was raced in Russia for two wins from three races prior to her exportation. 

David bred GG Sasha to NAAZIM (Mustafa x Naadirah (imp UK) with the wish to receive a colt of excellent quality and the view that this would be his future stallion. 

His wish granted - Pradaa was born on 20/10/00 and a foal with all the type and scope one would have expected from the joining.  Predominately Russian bred Pradaa has big shoes to fill, he is to date the only entire from Sasha and will also carry the great Naazim's genes into the next century as he is now 28 years. 

The joining was chosen to give more Naseem, Nazeer and Aswan blood to the breeding programme at Holly Farm where David has recognised the mix to give great athletic strength for endurance and also a typey horse for the halter ring.

David was rapt to complete at the World Championships in France, late last month. He finished 44th. An article is on the way, but in the meantime here are some pictures of the Kiwis at the champs. Photographs by Sue Crockett.

The castle at the Pierrefonds vet gate.

At the opening ceremony; David riding Simbar, with strapper Camille Jackett.

AUGUST 2000 World Championships, Compeigne, France David's big journey to the World Endurance Championships in France is now close to happening. The support from so many people in New Zealand, Australia and elsewhere has helped make it all possible -- and a lot easier. David's leased horse is SIMBAR, a New Zealand-bred gelding who was part of the 1998 NZ Gold Medal-winning team. There are now two other Kiwis riding at the Champs, so there will now be a New Zealand team. Mark Tylee and Madonna Harris join David at Compeigne later this month. All are riding leased horses. David says that Simbar is as ready as he could have hoped. He is travelling on to France after this weekend (August 18). The rest of the Kiwi team is heading directly to France. News - May 2000 It's not all hard work! The team take a break during training at Woodend Beach. Our Endurance team have been travelling up and down the South Island enjoying the challenge, while clocking up 45 completions thus far. While my other challenge this season has been doing my own farrier work, something I was never going to learn. What a steep learning curve it is. A big thank you to the riders who have joined in and the help at home while away. A special mention to Sarah Hamer for her contribution both training and riding while staying at Holly Farm. Certainly, whether it be friends who we drop in on while on the road or the organisers of the events, it all adds up to a combined effort which has been great. In action with Simeon Sadir Simeon Sadir had his first Open ride earlier in the season, (a gruelling, hazardous, wet etc..!) at Leithfield for 3rd place in 80km. His oldest progeny are now also coming out in performance, dressage, jumping, trail and starting endurance. Sadir is the first stallion I have purchased as a unproven baby. So it has been great to enjoy and see his own development to the degree where he is probably the first National Supreme Champion halter horse in the world to go out and qualify as an Open Distance Endurance horse. An achievement for others to follow. Our truck has seen many, many miles this season ... and no doubt there will me many more to come! Khaleb (Saracen Karim X Naaziri), one of our newly qualified endurance horses ran his first Open 80km to 1st.= and Best Conditioned Horse. The others have all made their way through their qualifying rides for a 100% success Open Qualification. We aim to have all horses FEI qualified by the end of the season. Thank you to the new and established clients (friends) who I have shown horses for this season. It is always a juggling act to help everyone but I think it has worked most of the time. Thank you to those who have bred their mares at Holly Farm this season, it all helps pay some of the bills and yes, Naaddel, is still well for his 27 years. We have had a great foaling with six foals. The first was a bay colt by Simeon Sapar out of Khala. The second was a bay filly also by Sapar out of Zelina. Shaaltarah has blessed us again with a bay filly. This filly is by Simeon Sapar and very special. HFA Saana El Sadir produced her first baby, a grey colt by Naaddel while HFA Mazriah had a grey filly by Anwar Sadat. My dedication to breeding a tall Anglo COLT was rewarded with a very nice tall bay FILLY by Simeon Sadir. It is always at this time of year that you realise that Yes, a sales list will be needed as your horse numbers are at the over subscribed level.! Many will be aware of my lease of GG Sasha, a Straight Russian mare from Kathy and Rod Muir in Sydney. Sasha is tall, elegant, correct and covers the ground effortlessly. Her breeding represents Naseem with his influence in Russia in particular through Salon and Nazeer through Aswan. She has successfully conceived to Naazim (Mustafa X Naadirah) and is due to foal my grey COLT this coming October at Greengrove in Australia. The latest addition to the people who help out is Iris Amann from Austria. Iris contacted Holly Farm through the website last winter and arrived at the beginning of the new Millennium with experience with the equine species but not with the Arabian or Endurance. That has now changed with Iris now having her Open rider card and I will be lucky to ever ride Simeon Sadir again. One of the latest appointments were at the Center Bush Cup Endurance Ride where I rode Traask (by Naaddel) in his first Open 120km. for 3rd and Iris rode Sadir in her first Open 80km. and won 1st. Late last month was the South Island Endurance Championships were we enjoyed being host to Penny Toft and Bremervale Justice, one of Australia’s top Endurance combinations along side our own team. This FEI CEI Cat. B. 120km Event went very well with Simeon Sadir coming 4th= with Bremervale Justice and both our other horses Silver Zareem (Saracen Karim) and Euralea Joico (Naaddel) also successfully completed their first attempt at 120km. Where to now ... I have added a trip to the UAE for the Most Preferred Ride, the World Cup and then on to the Qatar Festival of the Horse. That will be another story. David and JOMAIN National Capital FEI Cat. A. 160km. Ride, Canberra, Australia I was very fortunate to be able to ride JOMAIN IBARRA owned by Sue Crockett, Toowoomba, Queensland. JOMAIN as it turned out was a grandson of a daughter of NASSEMNA who my father bred back in the 1960’s. Anyhow, we meet up in Durral, Sydney to travel to Canberra. At the ride base it was found to be an excellent course. We went for a training ride the following morning which proved to be very fortunate as heavy rain set in and it looked to be staying for the next day. Although it rained heavily the rest of the day it was amazing how the ground recovered and after a delayed start, the next morning it was clear for the start of the ride. JOMAIN and I started on the first leg of the journey at day break and the lovely laid back gelding that I rode the day before turned into a determined non-listening athlete. We kept things under control and finished without any drama, fortunately. The second leg saw us all but enter the Capital City via the mass of tracks and laneways through, around and under the motorways. The third was the reverse of the first. It was interesting to talk to several competitiors. Many had travelled from all over, this being one of the few rides that allowed people to qualify for the World Championships. For some reason a number of Cat. B. rides are only around the 100km. distance which although this isn’t a problem in its self, isn’t the required 120km. needed. Last year this was Australia’s first FEI ride and had just a few competitors. Mind you, they still ran an Open 160km. (non FEI) at this ride at the same time. Coming across riders without hats etc. was rather interesting. However, the numbers were somewhat larger this time around, I believe about 50. It was going to get dark by the time we finished the forth leg so fortunately I had attached a light. I am not sure whether I prefer riding into the dark at the end or at the beginning but I couldn’t understand the 80km. ride starting after lunch! This meant most all finished in the dark. JOMAIN had settled into a consistent pace and was travelling well. As we returned home we meet the front runners going out on their last leg. Meg Wade had a very pleased look about her and her horse looked great. We vetted through with a little worry but in good shape which was pleasing. As is often the case, every ride has little surprises and this was not going to be any exception. This leg being only 15km long and the completed course being fairly consistent one could expect the last to be straightforward. I think they decided to take us to the highest Mountain around and as they could only be 7.5km. from home had to take a short cut back to base, straight down through the forestry almost on our behinds at times, in the dark. Even Meg took two hours to do this leg. Anyhow as we came down back to better tracks we had a good light from the moon so I decided to turn my light off as it was plain sailing from here. JOMAIN was moving along nicely when all of a sudden he did a 180 degree head down stop, I very nearly came off the shoulder! JOMAIN must have smelt some water under a Willow tree in the shadow as we went past in the dark and decided that he needed to have a drink right that moment. A great horse, one that I will remember. Anyway that requirement out of the way we ploughed through the river home for the last time without a second thought and headed for the finish line having no idea that we were in eighth position. We vetted through very well for a very satisfying completion. It was great to be over in Australia with not only another New Zealand competitor but many of the officials also from New Zealand. I certainly appreciated the chance to ride and thank Sue and Toby Crockett for having the confidence in me to ride JOMAIN and also to the strappers Camille and Lisa, it was a great time. Another of Sue and Toby’s horses EXPRESS also performed well in the Cat. B. 105 km. ride placing 8th. A great result after traveling all that distance. News - February 2000 At the Canterbury International A&P Show, Latarah El Sadir by Simeon Sadir was awarded Junior Champion Colt or Filly while HFA Kazrianna, full sister to endurance winner Trazdaan, was Reserve Champion Mare. Simeon Sapar has his second foal, Zapirah, a stunning bay filly out of Zelina. His first, a bay colt out of Khala had his first outing, winning Champion while his mother went Reserve. A very credible start for this young new sire. Most encouraging! At the NZ Royal, HFA Kazrianna went Supreme and Champion Mare, while HFA Delatraz (also by Kandahar Ibn Kazra) went Champion Stallion. HFA KAZRIANNA As our main show horse Holly Farm has continued on with HFA Kazrianna. She has represented us well, at the following shows Canterbury All Arabian Champion Mare, Otago Trophy Show Champion Mare and Supreme Champion Female as well as South Island Reseve Champion Mare. Simeon Sadir had an outing at the South Island Championships in endurance condition for Champion Stallion while his daughter Landon Fadirah has made her return for Champion Filly at the Otago Trophy Show and South Island Reserve Champion Junior Horse. Congratulations to Jennifer Low on the purchase of Shalimar Kalina who will be bred to Simeon Sadir and return to the show ring. Jennifer and her partner Andrew are new enthusiasts and their involvement has been a breath of fresh air. Our next appointment is at the Center Bush Cup Endurance Ride this coming weekend and then we have the New Zealand National Arabian Horse Championships the following weekend. As the endurance season here comes to its climax with the FEI Cat. A. & B. Championships one will need to look at what is next. Congratulations to John Stevenson on being invited to compete again in the United Arab Emirates for a prize pool of US$400 000. The invitation was also to Taralea Raja, his Naaddel son and World Gold Medal Team winner. All the best to all the riders on Holly Farm bred horses. It is very exciting to hear the success of Glendaar Kazdaf by Kandahar Ibn Kazra and Malik by Naaddel, in their first season competing in the United Arab Emirates. Here in New Zealand a blistering, win in 3 hrs 39.43 for 90km ridden by Annette Chan on Trazdaan, bred by Holly Farm has been staggering news! Our Endurance team have been traveling up and down the South Island enjoying the challenge, while clocking up 39 completions. Major thanks to the riders who have joined in and the help at home while away. Simeon Sadir had his first Open ride, a gruelling, hazardous, wet etc...! the other day for 3rd place in 80km. His first progeny are now also coming out in Endurance. Khaleb by Saracen Karim, one of our newly qualified horses has ran his first Open 80km to 1st.= and Best Conditioned Horse. While the others have made their way through their qualifying rides, all is set for a 100% success. We aim to have all six horses FEI qualified by the end of the season.