PERFORMANCE AWARD 2009
Khehanad Adhem ++/
The Institute for the Desert Arabian Horse has announced the top ten winners in its Drinkers of the Wind Performance Award Program for 2009. “Horses from throughout the US and Canada are attracted to this program because it recognizes achievement in a wide variety of performance disciplines, demonstrating the versatility of the Desert Arabian Horse,” said Anita Enander, Chairman of the Institute for the Desert Arabian Horse. “These horses represent the best characteristics of the Bedouin Arabian horse: nobility, character, strength, and willingness to perform. It is particularly noteworthy that most are trained and ridden by their owners.
AHA Region 11 Sport Horse Championships. Khehanad Adhem++//, ridden by Lance Bowman. Copyright Avalon Photography. Use by permission from Lance Bowman.
High point award winner for 2009 is Khehanad Adhem++//, 1999 stallion (Khe Adhm x Sahanade). In addition to multiple Region 11 and 14 championships, he was three-time National Reserve Champion in Second-Level Dressage AAOTR, First-Level AAOTR, and First Level ATR. He garnered additional National Top Tens in both First– and Second-Level Championships and in Second-Level ATR. He gained his Legion of Merit and Legion of Excellence awards from AHA during the year as well as multiple USDF awards. Khehanad Adhem++// is owned and ridden by Lance Bowman of Paducah, Kentucky. The perpetual trophy awarded to the top horse comes from the estate of Walter Schimanski. Lance will also receive a cash prize donated by Hansi Heck-Melnyk, long-time owner of Serenity Farms and a strong advocate for demonstrating the performance abilities of the Desert Arabian horse.
Reserve winner is the mare OT Dytu RSI (Drkumo RSI x Dytatu RSI), who completed 29 American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) rides for a total of 1485 miles. “Tu” routinely competes in multi-day 50-mile rides. She placed first at the Eastern Mojave Scenic Pioneer. During the 4-day Grand Canyon Pioneer XP she was first on two days and was Best Condition on another day of the same ride. OT Dytu RSI was bred, trained, and ridden by Crockett Dumas, of Escalante, Utah, who competes in the heavyweight division. Tu won the top Drinkers of the Wind award in 2008. She is also the only mare to achieve top 10 in 2009.
Other top 10 horses excelled in endurance, dressage, sport horse under saddle and competitive trail. They are listed in alphabetical order with their most significant achievements:
- Crucian — Shelley Dake — endurance, including 3-day Shore to Shore — 1995 Davenport gelding
- Fabah Serr — Teri Johnson-Kelley — trail and competitive trail; Region 7 — reserve champion Trail — 2001 Straight Babson Egyptian gelding
- Galaxy Aanuket WZ — ridden by Rebecca Hayden for owner Marie Sobiski — endurance (25 and 30s); won the Pyramid Challenge at the 2009 Egyptian Event – 2001 Straight Egyptian stallion
- Gwaihir TOS — Becky Sue Burkheart — endurance — Heart of the Hills 50 — 1st lightweight — 2000 Blue Star stallion
- Mah Sabbah Bedu — Susan Mayo and Keith Kosel — dressage and sport horse under saddle — 2001 Babson Egyptian stallion
- Susar El Khamor — Susan Mayo — dressage and show hack — 1996 Egyptian stallion
- Susar J’El Rabdan — Keith Kosel — dressage and sport horse under saddle — 1993 combined source gelding
- Thee Macade — ridden by Susan Thompson for owners Matthew & Wendy Thompson — endurance (Region 12 50-mile champion) 2000 Straight Egyptian stallion
The Drinkers of the Wind competition is open to horses presumed to descend entirely from Bedouin-bred horses. All horses marked in the AHA DataSource as being Pyramid Society Straight Egyptian and/or Al Khamsa horses in North America are eligible to compete.
The Institute also recognized top ten among horses that competed in local, community, 4-H, and other shows in less traditional events.
Top point horse in this category for 2009 is TreffHavenAlizeer, a 1997 Straight Egyptian gelding that competes in trail, walk-trot maiden, equitation, pairs, and Western equitation. Owner Chris Bode lives in Plano Texas and has done all of Ali’s training for the last three years. The pair was the Tiki Trail Champion for 2009 at the Susar Farm Open Horse Show series and won that honor competing against over 100 horses!
Anduril TOS. Photo courtesy of Tamara Woodcock
- Anduril TOS — Tamara Woodcock, owner and ridden by Sheyenne Boone — jumper — 1999 Blue Star mare
- Elbereth TOS — Becky Sue Burkheart — Mounted Shooting — 2000 Blue Star mare
- Fad Maahrus — Lisa Shaw — trail, English pleasure, equitation, jumping, bareback equitation — 1990 combined source gelding
- Ibn Sashali — Jaqueline Sterle — combined training-level & first year of competition — 2004 Straight Egyptian gelding
- Malika ofthe Nile (2009 winner) — Julia Maruyama — shown by youth including Pony classes and has wins at multiple shows in Western Pleasure, Trail & Western Equitation
- Masada Susar — Elizabeth Powell — English pleasure, jumping, bareback — 2002 Straight Egyptian mare
- Mireyenion TOS — Becky Sue Burkheart — Mounted shooting — 2005 Blue Star mare
- Susar Sabada — Elizabeth Powell — pattern, English walk/trot maiden — 2005 combined source stallion
- Treff-Haven IbnNaheed — Jan Cooper — maiden year showing walk/trot in Western & English — 2002 Straight Egyptian gelding
For further information about the Drinkers of the Wind award program, contact Susan Mayo, competition secretary ( ) and member of the Institute Board of Directors. Participation is free.