 Copyright Arabian Horse World (June2003)
" Toskhara Arabians" von Honi Roberts
Dick and Christine Reed are home. Nine years ago the couple, pursuing a career opportunity for Dick, moved not just their household, but all of Toskhara Arabians — 22 horses — to England from Texas. Late last year they loaded an airplane with 31 horses and headed west, back to Texas. This time their high-flying equines included treasured broodmares representing the second and third generations of their program, homebred youngsters already tested on the racetracks of Poland, and their famous stallions..
Just why would one move an entire farm across the Atlantic and back again? “An opportunity with Frito Lay in the United Kingdom presented itself, and the challenge and experience were enticing,” explains Dick. “However, if I moved to the UK, Christine was moving to the UK. And if Christine was moving, so were the horses. .”
“We made many friends in England, but it was wonderful to bring Toskhara Arabians back to the U.S.,” Christine says contentedly. The couple purchased the 41-acre equestrian facility in Aubrey, Texas, now called the Diamond R Ranch.
he Diamond R Ranch in Aubrey / Texas
Toskhara is named after the Reed’s foundation mare, Mia Toskhara (Mi Tosk by *Bask x Khara Mia by Khemosabi). “She personified the beauty and athleticism of the *Bask/Khemosabi cross, which we greatly admire,” Christine says. “We’re not interested in the latest fad, but in proven quality.”
Dick and Christine founded Toskhara Arabians in 1989. Once in Dallas, Christine and Dick wasted no time enrolling in riding lessons. It was Quarter Horse country, and soon they were looking at horses to buy. A trainer offered Dick an Arabian mare to ride, and compared to the Quarter Horses he’d experienced, “I found her responsive, enthusiastic, and a pleasure to ride. We made the unanimous decision it would be Arabian horses for us. I’d learned from breeding dogs that you need to start with a high-quality female (it takes forever to breed out the female’s bad qualities).” So the Reeds purchased Mia Toskhara from Oak Haven Arabians and bred her to the legendary Khemosabi.
The Reed’s acquisition of the pure Polish *Bask son Algonkwin (x *Alpaga by Celebes) at the 1992 Freeman/Patterson auction inspired Christine to study Polish bloodlines in depth. The next year Dick and Christine visited Poland and the Polish horse sale for the first time.
Over the years the Reeds assembled an exquisite broodmare band. In addition to their Khemosabi/*Bask/Algonkwin/Ferzon-bred horses, they’ve brought home mares from Poland almost every year. They include daughters of *Eukaliptus, Palas, Wermut, Alegro, and Pepi. Their horses now have breathtaking beauty. To win in the European showring today, a horse must have both a beautiful head and a big trot.”
During their first visit to Poland and Michalow State Stud, the Reeds had also seen a pure Polish, but American-bred stallion presented: Monogramm (Negatraz x *Monogramma). Dick and Christine had first been introduced to Monogramm at the 1990 U.S. Nationals where they’d admired his beauty, big trot, show charisma, and kindness.
From their vantage point in England, the Reeds kept close watch on the Polish-bred Monogramm offspring. In 1996, the five top yearlings and four top two-year-olds were all by Monogramm. More of his daughters triumphed: Kwestura (2002 U.S. National Champion Mare) was Junior Champion, and Zagrobla (2003 Scottsdale Reserve Champion Mare) was Reserve Junior Champion.
It became Christine’s goal to purchase a Monogramm son at the 1998 Polish Prestige Auction. To that end, she and Dick enlisted the help of their good friend Scott Benjamin. Scott had worked at Michalow in 1994 when the six colts scheduled to be offered for sale were born, and he knew them well.
Kordelas was in race trim at the sale. “It was definitely a tense moment for us when we bought him at the highest price of any of the race colts that year,” Dick remembers.”
In 2000, Emma Maxwell showed Kordelas to Champion Stallion and Supreme Champion at the Northwest Regional Show and won Reserve Champion Stallion at the UK International Show. In 2000, they traveled to the All Nations Cup in Aachen, Germany, and the World Championships in Paris, and placed highly, averaging over 90 points.
At the 2001 Salon du Cheval, Kordelas earned the highest scores awarded to any of the stallions for “head and neck” and “legs.”
Currently there are no plans to show Kordelas in the U.S.
As the popularity of halter and arena classes here is stagnant or declining, sport horse classes and working western are growing. Their judging criterion is more tightly defined and adhered to, and there’s a better opportunity for fairness. In addition to our trainer, Anthony Champion, we have two top reining trainers based at our Texas. .
“In Europe we learned that one cannot overestimate the importance of Arabian type. It is paramount. Because of that exposure, some horses that used to seem pretty to us now seem plain. Kordelas has an abundance of Arabian type in addition to athletic potential that’s been proven on the racetracks of Poland.
What more to add? Welcome home, Dick and Christine. "
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