Tag: Issue 2

Supported by a family of talented professionals, including daughter Amanda Fraser (Royal’s breeding manager and a skilled competitor in the amateur division), Cindy McGown and Mark Davis have grown their Arabian horse business the same way as they have their other successful businesses—with a global perspective. Such an outlook has made Cindy’s girlhood dream of horse ownership blossom into a family passion and the multi-faceted breeding and marketing leader that Royal is today. For marketing tips look at the indexsy.com site.

The incredible stallion power accumulated at Royal Arabians was on full display at their Stallion Showcase during the Scottsdale Show. Guests to the farm were treated to a tasty repast and up-close-and-personal viewings of a notable slate of potential breeding choices. One after the other, the stallions underlined the fact that so many breeders are willing to place their valuable horses under Royal’s management. Resplendent among them, draped in a yellow garland, was this issue’s cover horse, Halyr Meia Lua.

Bred in Brazil by Lenita Perroy, Halyr was named the 2013 Brazilian National Gold Champion Junior Colt as a yearling. He comes by his incredible type naturally, being a son of Ajman Moniscione, himself the European Reserve Champion Stallion and Best Head winner at the World Championships as a yearling. On his dam’s side, Halyr boasts additional type through multiple crosses to Ali Jamaal, with contributions from El Shaklan and Monogramm. Along with an abundance of type, Halyr’s smooth, correct body and fluid movement are uniformly passed to his offspring, consistent with the breeding philosophy at Royal Arabians that their horses are not only competitive in halter but are also talented performers under saddle.

Halyr Meia Lua’s son, Habibi Jamaal (x SHR Glory Be) was a 2021 United States National Top Ten Hunter Pleasure Futurity winner after previously earning the 2019 Region 7 Reserve Champion Stallion honors. Other top winners by Halyr include RD Halyra (x MC Adoniia), the 2021 Canadian Champion Futurity Filly and 2020 Scottsdale Champion Mare AOTH; Royal Fantazia (x RA Princess Jammal), the 2019 Scottsdale Champion Mare AOTH and 2019 Arabian Breeders World Cup Champion AHBA Legacy Yearling Filly ATH; and the 2022 Scottsdale AHA Champion $10,000 In-Hand Trail Extravaganza 2-Year-Old, Royal Hammond (also out of RA Princess Jammal).

Abroad, Halyr Meia Lua has sired a number of champions including Bianca AL (x Giuliana El Shawan), who is owned by the famous Hanaya Stud of Switzerland. Bianca was the 2020 Gold Champion Senior Mare at the Prague Intercup, Gold Champion Senior Mare at the Arabian Horse Weekend, and the 2021 Silver Champion Senior Mare at the Verona International Cup. In Brazil, Halyr is represented by 2020 Brazilian National Silver Champion Young Stallion, Abbas Al Ventur (x Emozione Al Ventur), and 2019 Brazilian National Silver Champion Junior Junior Colt, Positano ELS (x Nahja ELS).

According to Cindy, the intent is to cross the Halyr Meia Lua offspring with another foundational Royal stallion, Royal Asad (El Tino x Lumiar Ethna), and the Asad progeny to Halyr to achieve the next level of Royal breeding. Taking his place at Royal has allowed Halyr to reunite with his old friend Rodolfo Guzzo, who showed him as a baby to his national title in Brazil. After moving to America, Guzzo lost track of the colt until he began to see the quality of the foals that he was producing on visits back to Brazil. In 2022, Halyr Meia Lua’s book includes 2017 United States National Champion Senior Mare and 2018 Scottsdale Champion Senior Mare, Queen Ayda FWM (FA El Shawan x TN Mariani), and other Royal broodmares, Royal Bendetta (FA El Shawan x JR Burmagny) and GH Magna (GH Magnum Nice x Verona RA), among others. Judging by Halyr’s exceptional offspring now on four continents, there is every reason to anticipate outstanding results.

With less than 10 years as an Arabian horse owner, exhibitor and breeder, what Dr. Nancy O’Reilly, The Amazing Horsewoman LLC, has achieved is nothing short of well, amazing.

From her introduction to the Arabian horse in 2012 when a friend took her to an Arabian show barn, Dr. O’Reilly was hooked. And now, as she says, “I’m all in.”

Dr. O’Reilly bought one horse, and then another, and then another. She also began riding and driving herself, fully admitting to being a “later in life” rider. And a very successful one at that.

Wanting to expand into breeding and have a home for her show horses, she purchased Southern California Equestrian Center in late 2018. A 22-acre ranch in Somis, CA, it’s where Dr. O’Reilly prefers to be rather than in her home in Montecito.

The horses at the Southern California Equestrian Center include some impressive performance stallions that are the cornerstones of her relatively new breeding program.

There’s Life Inthe Fazt Lane (Vegaz x River Dance NA, by A Major Fire), winner of multiple reserve national championships and regional championships in the open English division. A 10-year-old bay stallion, Dr. O’Reilly thinks he’s capable of making her program one of the best. “My goal is to be one of the top breeders and breed for quality, not quantity. I am selective and will continue to be with my program,” she says. As for Life Inthe Fazt Lane—or Eddie, as he is affectionately called—while he brings it when he’s in the ring, she says people don’t even realize he’s a stallion when he’s in his stall. “He’s just the sweetest, most gentle soul.”

“Eddie posessess some great talent from the Vegaz line,” she continues. “He’s got great movement, a beautiful neck and a lot of show ring presence. We’re really excited about the babies he already has on the ground and are looking forward to their show careers.”

Dr. O’Reilly also owns the stunning black stallion Affliction (Mamage x PSI Love U, by Allience). He holds many regional, Scottsdale and U.S. National titles including being named U.S. National Champion Arabian Country Pleasure Driving horse and U.S. National Champion Arabian Country Pleasure English in 2020, as well as U.S. National Champion Country Pleasure Driving horse in 2021. Affliction brings the great attributes of Mamage (Zodiac Matador x CF Fire Magic, by Ariston) to her breeding program.

“Affliction is an amazing stallion, bringing a lot of what his sire and grandsire brought to the table in breeding,” says Dr. O’Reilly. “Affliction is a powerhouse in the show ring, but at home, he’s a big goofball—always the one with hay in his hair and looking like a messy cartoon character. But don’t be fooled by that, he is going to do great things for the future of the Arabian breed.”

Dr. O’Reilly also owns the remaining breedings to Mamage, and looks forward to what those careful breeding selections will bring to her program, for which she has high aspirations. “I want my horses to be getting bigger, stronger and even more beautiful, with the trainability and athleticism to perform at the highest level.”

In addition to the cornerstone stallions, Dr. O’Reilly has amassed a small group of mares with lineages that include Afires Heir, Matoi and Baske Afire.

Besides the excitement around her show ring successes and her breeding program, Dr. O’Reilly is simply excited to be immersed in the Arabian horse. “I want people to love and enjoy them as much as I do,” she says. “I don’t really ‘buy’ horses, I adopt them, like family. They have personalities. They have souls. They have attitudes. If you’re going to ‘adopt’ a horse into your family or herd, you better be all in.”

When it comes to Amazing Horsewoman LLC’s founder, Dr. Nancy O’Reilly, never did she expect that her involvement in the Arabian horse industry would include ownership of a performance stallion such as Life Inthe Fazt Lane (Vegaz x Riverdance NA).

Located at Dr. O’Reilly’s Southern California Equestrian Center (SCEC), the 9-year-old bay stallion has been in training with Lowe Show Horse Centre for just under three years and each year has been better than the last. When “Eddie” stepped foot into California, trainer Jim Lowe was so in awe of the stud, he went and bought a broodmare to breed Eddie to so he could have his own Life Inthe Fazt Lane baby.

Since training with Lowe, Life Inthe Fazt Lane has won two reserve national championship titles, both in the Open English Pleasure with Lowe up at the 2019 and 2020 U.S. Nationals.

During last year’s class, Eddie got to trot in the arena with his sire Vegaz, ridden by trainer Chris Wilson. Vegaz performed for the first time in years and looked his best yet. Those who got to see both stallions in the arena witnessed a historical moment. There were four breeding stallions in the English Open class to close out the nationals show, and Life Inthe Fazt Lane proved he belonged at the top of the judges’ cards with his father and the rest of the competition.

“He is going to do great things for our breed,” Lowe said. Highlighting the best features of Eddie, Lowe continued, “He has an unbelievable amount of talent. He is kind, hardworking, beautiful, and trains like a million bucks. I am excited to see his babies on the ground and see how they perform. I think they’re going to be special.”

Dr. O’Reilly has several foals on the ground by Life Inthe Fazt Lane, which she has high expectations for. Exhibiting their sire’s same beautiful features and great necks, his get are proving to be trainable and showing the same performance potential. It is hard not to fall in love with the next generation of these “easy on the eyes” champions.

Despite her shorter (8 years) and later in life involvement with horses, Dr. O’Reilly’s love for the Arabian breed is apparent. From humble show beginnings in liberty classes, her Southern California Equestrian Center is now home to top show horses, as well as a successfully growing breeding program.

Life Inthe Fazt Lane is just one of three stallions at Lowe Show Horse Centre. Eddie’s stablemates include the legendary Mamage, owned by Beth Jupp, and Dr. O’Reilly’s multi-national champion Affliction, by Mamage. Each stallion brings their own excitement to the show ring, as well as their babies.

The sky is the limit for Eddie and Dr. O’Reilly’s potential within the industry. We saw just how talented his get can be when one of Life Inthe Fazt Lane’s progeny hit the show ring this year. It is only a matter of time before the public will be joining Dr. O’Reilly and Jim Lowe’s excitement for more Life Inthe Fazt Lane babies in 2021 and on.