Tersk Stud
Encyclopedia
The Tersk Stud was officially established on February 11, 1921, on the orders of Marshal Semyon Budyonny
. The breeding farm was used to restore the Russian horse population, which suffered heavy losses during the Russian Revolution.
farm. The two traveled to the Middle East
in 1889 and purchased several purebred Arabian horse
s for use in their new breeding program. Stroganov also purchased horses from Crabbet Arabian Stud
in England
, including the mares Makbula and Sobha, and the stallion Mesaoud
, who came from Crabbet Stud by way of Kleniewski Stud in modern-day Poland
.
where he remained with his family until he died in 1923. The Stroganov estate was seized by Russian revolutionaries and none of the Arabians of the Stroganov and Shcherbatov programs are known to have survived the Russian Revolution. In 1921 Marshal Semyon Budyonny
, an accomplished horseman and cavalry
officer, ordered two farms near Mineralnye Vody
, the former Stroganov breeding farm and the nearby farm of White Army General Sultan Ghirey-Klych to be renamed and used for restoring the devastated Russian horse population. Today the stud is known as Tersky Horse-Breeding Farm No. 169.
There is no indication Stroganov and Shcherbatov or their breeding stock had any involvement in the founding of the Soviet-run Tersk Stud.
. The French horses had generally good conformation but were lacking Arabian type, so the stud’s managers searched for quality breeding stock with the characteristic Arabian refinement. In 1936, a shipment of 25 horses came from Crabbet Arabian Stud
in England
, some of which were descended from horses that had lived at the Stroganov and Shcherbatov stud and perished during the revolution. There were six stallions in the purchase, of which Naseem (a son of Skowronek
and great-grandson of Mesaoud
) was the most influential. Among the mares, Rissalma, Rixalina, and Star of the Hills left a significant impression on the breed. Tersk attempted to purchase Skowronek
himself from Crabbet Stud, but he was not for sale.
World War II
added significant bloodstock to Tersk, at the expense of Poland
’s Arabian breeding program. In 1939 the Soviets removed many of the best Arabians bred at Janów Podlaski
Stud in Poland and marched them the 1,000 miles back to Tersk Stud. Among the horses making the trek was Mammona, a bay suckling filly
whose name meant “treasure” in Polish. Mammona’s sire, Ofir, was also in the group of horses moved to Tersk. He had already left his mark on the breed by siring the famous "three Ws" in Poland: Witraz (the sire of *Bask
), *Witez II
, and Wielki Szlem. Ofir did not sire the same caliber of horses at Tersk as he did in Poland.
In 1941, to evade the advancing German troops, the Tersk horses were evacuated to western Kazakhstan
where they faced harsh weather and terrain. However, they returned to Tersk in 1943 with few losses.
The Ofir daughter, Mammona, had an extensive influence upon the Tersk breeding program. She produced the stallion Pomeranets, who influenced both the Arabian and Trakehner
breeds; the mares Nomenklatura (dam of Nabeg), Monopolia (dam of Monogramma), Metropolia (dam of *Menes), Malpia (dam of *Muscat, 1980 U.S. & Canadian National Champion Stallion, and *Moment), and *Magnolia (dam of *Marsianin, 1981 U.S. National Champion Stallion).
Aside from Ofir, other notable stallions brought to Tersk from Poland included Piolun, the sire of Priboj (out of Rissalma, who had been purchased from Crabbet Arabian Stud
); and Taki Pan, the sire of the mare Taktika, who produced the mare Ptashka and the stallions *Pietuszok and Topol (all by Priboj). Topol's son Naftalin sired very good racehorses, including Aspect, who won an amazing 28 of 39 races. *Pietuszok was exported to Poland in 1958, where he sired successful racehorses like Wosk, *Orzel, and Wilma (the dam of *Wiking, whose offspring have earned over $8 million in purses).
Another of the confiscated Polish mares, Taraszcza, was bred to the Crabbet-bred stallion Naseem at Tersk and foaled a grey colt named Negativ in 1945. Negativ sired 12 foal crops in Russia, but because they did not excel on the racetrack he was sold to Poland in 1962, renamed “Negatiw,” and sired better racehorses out of the Polish mares.
Negativ’s best-siring sons at Tersk were Suvenir and *Salon, the latter the sire of both the U.S. and Canadian National Champion Stallion *Muscat and Tersk head sire *Moment. Another Negativ son, Nabor (later renamed *Naborr when he was imported to the U.S.), sired just 9 registered foals at Tersk, apparently because his offspring were considered too delicate for the Tersk program, and was exported to Poland in 1955. The Poles sought a stallion of the Ibrahim sire line, and had hoped to purchase Negativ from Tersk but were unable at the time, but were satisfied to own his son Nabor instead. Nabor was exported to the U.S. in 1963, becoming the first Tersk-bred Arabian to go to the States. *Naborr was owned in the United States by Anne McCormack, and then upon her death was purchased at auction by Tom Chauncey and entertainer Wayne Newton
.
None of Negativ’s Tersk-bred daughters had a significant influence on the Tersk program.
After World War II
, Tersk imported a few stallions from Poland: Arax in 1958, Semen in 1962, and Elfur (a full brother to *El Paso) in 1972. Of these stallions, Arax had the greatest impact on Tersk’s program, siring the influential stallion Nabeg and a number of quality daughters.
Nabeg's most influential daughters include the U.S. National Top Ten Mare *Poznan, and Pesnianka, a dam of race and show champions in Europe.
Nabeg’s sons include the stallions *Menes, *Pesniar, and *Nariadni, all three imported to the U.S. Peleng, another son, was sold for $3.2 million but tested positive for piroplasmosis (Equine babesiosis
) and was never permitted to enter the U.S. Nabeg can also be found in Trakehner
pedigrees through some of his sons and daughters. Unfortunately Nabeg died young, having left only eight foal crops.
In 1958, the Sid Abouhom son Nil (named Azmy in Egypt) was a gift to the Soviet Union
from Egypt
in appreciation for the USSR’s assistance in funding the Aswan Dam
. Nil sired only 16 foals before his untimely death in 1960, but still left a lasting impression on the Tersk program. His loss was unfortunate because, based on his structure and brief siring record, Nil could have been as significant to Tersk as his successor. In 1963, the Egyptian government gave another stallion to the Soviet Union
, Raafat by Nazeer, who was renamed Aswan by the Soviets in honor of the dam project.
Aswan
had a profound influence on the Tersk breeding program. As a whole, the broodmare band at Tersk had generally good structure but lacked some elements of Arabian type. Aswan introduced a more extreme dished head with large nostrils, large expressive eye, long level croup, and high tail carriage. He also had obvious faults, such as offset front knees, post-legged back legs, a long low back
, a "wasp-waist," and a thick neck and throatlatch. But because Aswan’s faults were different than the Tersk mares’ faults, they often complemented each other well.
Aswan sired 299 offspring over 20 seasons at Tersk, more than any other stallion in the stud’s history. Some of Aswan’s best-known sons included Palas (out of a daughter of Nil, the first stallion given to the USSR by Egypt), who was exported to Poland and became a head sire at Janow Podlaski for many years; Kilimanjaro, a German National Reserve Champion who sired champions in North America and Europe; Patron, who sired the U.S. and Canadian National Champion Stallion *Padron
before his untimely death; and Plakat, a European champion who sired many champions himself.
Aswan excelled at siring broodmares
. Examples include Pesnia, the dam of *Pesniar, who was purchased for $1 million and imported to the U.S. in 1981; Molva, called Aswan’s most beautiful and best-producing daughter by former Tersk director Alexander Ponomarev and the dam of Wympel; and Karinka, a full sister to Kilimanjaro, an accomplished race mare and the dam of Russian Derby winner and European Champion Stallion Drug.
The *Menes son Balaton, out of the Aswan daughter Panagia, was foaled in 1982 at Tersk and was immediately identified as the stud’s next great hope. Balaton became one of the youngest stallions to become a head sire at Tersk at just three years of age, and Tersk Director Alexander Ponomarev called him "the horse of the century at Tersk" after his first foal crop arrived.
The Balaton son Kubinec, out of the *Muscat daughter Kosmetika, was foaled at Tersk in 1987. A chestnut
with a wide blaze going all the way over his nose and lips, Kubinec’s white markings
weren't considered acceptable in the Tersk breeding program. According to Dr. O.A. Balakshin of the All Russian Research Institute of Horse Breeding, “Too many horses now have white markings on their head and legs. This is undesirable and should be eliminated by selection.”. Kubinec was sold in 1991 and began making his mark in European show rings. He was named German National, European, and World Champion Stallion as well as European Conference of Arab Horse Organizations (ECAHO) "Five Star Stallion" and his offspring are desirable around the world today.
In the mid-1980s, Tersk Stud introduced a few different outcross stallions, such as the Polish imports Gvizd ("Gwizd" in Poland) and Harfiaj ("Harfiarz" in Poland) and the English-bred pure Spanish Esplendor. Gvizd, Harfiaj, and Esplendor left Tersk but some of their descendants were used in the Tersk breeding program. Of the three outcross stallions, Gvizd had the greatest influence through a few of his daughters and his son, Negasimyi, who later became a sire of racehorses at Tersk in the mid-1990s. Gvizd's daughter Purga produced the stallion Padishah (by race winner Drug), who won several halter championships in Europe in the early 2000s. Gvizd also sired Pogojii, winner of four stakes races in Russia.
Russian horses also retained their value within the U.S. A half-interest in the aged broodmare *Nariadnaia was sold at auction in the U.S. for $580,000 in 1983 and the stallion *Abdullahhh was sold for $3.2 million at a U.S. auction in 1984. The Soviets noticed the inflated prices that westerners were willing to pay for their horses and accordingly set high reserves on their auction lots.
Prices began to come down at the annual Tersk auction starting in 1985 and the values of all big-investment Arabian horses dropped dramatically after the U.S. tax laws were changed in 1986. After that point, breeding "straight Russian" Arabians, or horses that were descended only from Tersk-bred horses, was not as common in the U.S. Some American breeders increasingly crossed Russian-bred horses with other lines to produce more exotic type and movement, while Arabian sport horse
breeders outcrossed to Russian lines for their athletic ability.
AHRA eventually accepted and approved the registering of Arabians imported directly from the Soviet Union in 1978, and *Napaika and *Palmira were registered that same year.
, means "mineral waters" and is renowned as a spa town. The abundant natural mineral springs and beautiful scenery draw visitors from around the world. The weather is mild, ranging from 40 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter to nearly 80 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer.
While the weather is not harsh, the mares and foals at Tersk Stud live a rugged life outdoors most of the time. There are no fences around the stud, so mounted watchmen follow and monitor the herds night and day. The horses are brought into the barn twice each day to be fed and checked, but otherwise they are free to enjoy the open spaces.
s, but it has also hosted breeding programs for Akhal-Teke
s, Terskys, Kabardins, and Dons
. All Terskys were transferred to nearby Stavropol
Stud in 1945 to continue the development of the new breed.
From the beginning of its history, the stud has tested its horses on the racetrack
. Tersk Arabians are sent to the Pyatigorsk
racetrack at the age of two and may race one or two seasons. The best performers race on Sundays, with two-year-olds running 1,400 meters and older horses running 1,600 and 1,800 meters. The top individuals may be used for breeding
at Tersk or return to the racetrack for another season. Many others will be sold at the age of three.
While race records are important to the Tersk breeding program, Dr. Balakshin stated “…good racing results are not the only criterion for selecting young stock for breeding purposes. Excellent runners which deviate from breed type may be used for limited breeding or else they are eliminated from selection.”
Any horse used for breeding at Tersk is required to be rated “Elite” or “Grade I” in the Russian Stud Book. Horses that receive lower grades are sent to other studs or sold.
The current stud director is Vladimir Tolmachyov.
Semyon Budyonny
Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny , sometimes transliterated as Budennyj, Budyonnyy, Budennii, Budenny, Budyoni, Budyenny, or Budenny, was a Soviet cavalryman, military commander, politician and a close ally of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.-Early life:...
. The breeding farm was used to restore the Russian horse population, which suffered heavy losses during the Russian Revolution.
Early history
In the 1880s, Count Sergei Aleksandrovich Stroganov and his brother-in-law Prince Aleksandr Grigorievich Shcherbatov found a spot at the foot of Mount Zmeika (“small snake” in Russian) in the Northern Caucasus they felt was ideal for establishing a horse breedingHorse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
farm. The two traveled to the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
in 1889 and purchased several purebred Arabian horse
Arabian horse
The Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses...
s for use in their new breeding program. Stroganov also purchased horses from Crabbet Arabian Stud
Crabbet Arabian Stud
The Crabbet Arabian Stud, also known as the Crabbet Park Stud, was a horse breeding farm established on 2 July 1878 when the first Arabian horses brought to England by Wilfrid Scawen Blunt and Lady Anne Blunt arrived at Crabbet Park, their estate in Sussex...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, including the mares Makbula and Sobha, and the stallion Mesaoud
Mesaoud
Mesaoud, an Arabian stallion, foaled 1887, was one of the foundation sires of the Crabbet Arabian Stud in England. Bred in Egypt by Ali Pasha Sherif, he was imported to England by Wilfred and Lady Anne Blunt in 1891...
, who came from Crabbet Stud by way of Kleniewski Stud in modern-day Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
Russian Revolution & Civil War
Shcherbatov died in 1915. During the 1917 Russian Revolution, Stroganov fled to ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
where he remained with his family until he died in 1923. The Stroganov estate was seized by Russian revolutionaries and none of the Arabians of the Stroganov and Shcherbatov programs are known to have survived the Russian Revolution. In 1921 Marshal Semyon Budyonny
Semyon Budyonny
Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny , sometimes transliterated as Budennyj, Budyonnyy, Budennii, Budenny, Budyoni, Budyenny, or Budenny, was a Soviet cavalryman, military commander, politician and a close ally of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.-Early life:...
, an accomplished horseman and cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
officer, ordered two farms near Mineralnye Vody
Mineralnye Vody
Mineralnye Vody is a town in Stavropol Krai, Russia, which lies along the Kuma River and the main rail line between Rostov-on-Don and Baku . Population:...
, the former Stroganov breeding farm and the nearby farm of White Army General Sultan Ghirey-Klych to be renamed and used for restoring the devastated Russian horse population. Today the stud is known as Tersky Horse-Breeding Farm No. 169.
There is no indication Stroganov and Shcherbatov or their breeding stock had any involvement in the founding of the Soviet-run Tersk Stud.
Soviet-era Arabian horse program
Arabians were re-introduced to the new Tersk Stud in 1925 and the first French Arabian imports arrived in 1930. These included the stallion Kann and six mares, most notable of which was Carabine. Koheilan IV was imported from HungaryHungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. The French horses had generally good conformation but were lacking Arabian type, so the stud’s managers searched for quality breeding stock with the characteristic Arabian refinement. In 1936, a shipment of 25 horses came from Crabbet Arabian Stud
Crabbet Arabian Stud
The Crabbet Arabian Stud, also known as the Crabbet Park Stud, was a horse breeding farm established on 2 July 1878 when the first Arabian horses brought to England by Wilfrid Scawen Blunt and Lady Anne Blunt arrived at Crabbet Park, their estate in Sussex...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, some of which were descended from horses that had lived at the Stroganov and Shcherbatov stud and perished during the revolution. There were six stallions in the purchase, of which Naseem (a son of Skowronek
Skowronek
Skowronek was an Arabian stallion foaled in 1909. He was bred by Count Józef Potocki who owned the Antoniny Stud in Poland. He was imported to England as a young horse. Upon purchase by Lady Wentworth, Skowronek became a foundation stallion at Lady Wentworth's famed Crabbet Arabian Stud...
and great-grandson of Mesaoud
Mesaoud
Mesaoud, an Arabian stallion, foaled 1887, was one of the foundation sires of the Crabbet Arabian Stud in England. Bred in Egypt by Ali Pasha Sherif, he was imported to England by Wilfred and Lady Anne Blunt in 1891...
) was the most influential. Among the mares, Rissalma, Rixalina, and Star of the Hills left a significant impression on the breed. Tersk attempted to purchase Skowronek
Skowronek
Skowronek was an Arabian stallion foaled in 1909. He was bred by Count Józef Potocki who owned the Antoniny Stud in Poland. He was imported to England as a young horse. Upon purchase by Lady Wentworth, Skowronek became a foundation stallion at Lady Wentworth's famed Crabbet Arabian Stud...
himself from Crabbet Stud, but he was not for sale.
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
added significant bloodstock to Tersk, at the expense of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
’s Arabian breeding program. In 1939 the Soviets removed many of the best Arabians bred at Janów Podlaski
Janów Podlaski
Janów Podlaski is a village in Biała Podlaska County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland, close to the border with Belarus. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Janów Podlaski...
Stud in Poland and marched them the 1,000 miles back to Tersk Stud. Among the horses making the trek was Mammona, a bay suckling filly
Filly
A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....
whose name meant “treasure” in Polish. Mammona’s sire, Ofir, was also in the group of horses moved to Tersk. He had already left his mark on the breed by siring the famous "three Ws" in Poland: Witraz (the sire of *Bask
Bask
Bask, bred at the Albigowa State Stud in Poland and foaled in 1956, was a bay Arabian stallion who was imported into the United States in 1963 by Dr. Eugene LaCroix of Lasma Arabians and became a major sire of significance in the Arabian breed....
), *Witez II
Witez II
Witez II was a bay Arabian stallion foaled at the Janów Podlaski stud in Poland. Foaled April 1, 1938, he spent his early years at Janów at a time when Poland was under occupation by Nazi Germany before ultimately arriving in the United States in 1945, where he lived for the remainder of his life...
, and Wielki Szlem. Ofir did not sire the same caliber of horses at Tersk as he did in Poland.
In 1941, to evade the advancing German troops, the Tersk horses were evacuated to western Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
where they faced harsh weather and terrain. However, they returned to Tersk in 1943 with few losses.
Trakehner
Trakehner is a light warmblood breed of horse, originally developed at the East Prussian state stud farm in the town of Trakehnen from which the breed takes its name...
breeds; the mares Nomenklatura (dam of Nabeg), Monopolia (dam of Monogramma), Metropolia (dam of *Menes), Malpia (dam of *Muscat, 1980 U.S. & Canadian National Champion Stallion, and *Moment), and *Magnolia (dam of *Marsianin, 1981 U.S. National Champion Stallion).
Aside from Ofir, other notable stallions brought to Tersk from Poland included Piolun, the sire of Priboj (out of Rissalma, who had been purchased from Crabbet Arabian Stud
Crabbet Arabian Stud
The Crabbet Arabian Stud, also known as the Crabbet Park Stud, was a horse breeding farm established on 2 July 1878 when the first Arabian horses brought to England by Wilfrid Scawen Blunt and Lady Anne Blunt arrived at Crabbet Park, their estate in Sussex...
); and Taki Pan, the sire of the mare Taktika, who produced the mare Ptashka and the stallions *Pietuszok and Topol (all by Priboj). Topol's son Naftalin sired very good racehorses, including Aspect, who won an amazing 28 of 39 races. *Pietuszok was exported to Poland in 1958, where he sired successful racehorses like Wosk, *Orzel, and Wilma (the dam of *Wiking, whose offspring have earned over $8 million in purses).
Another of the confiscated Polish mares, Taraszcza, was bred to the Crabbet-bred stallion Naseem at Tersk and foaled a grey colt named Negativ in 1945. Negativ sired 12 foal crops in Russia, but because they did not excel on the racetrack he was sold to Poland in 1962, renamed “Negatiw,” and sired better racehorses out of the Polish mares.
Negativ’s best-siring sons at Tersk were Suvenir and *Salon, the latter the sire of both the U.S. and Canadian National Champion Stallion *Muscat and Tersk head sire *Moment. Another Negativ son, Nabor (later renamed *Naborr when he was imported to the U.S.), sired just 9 registered foals at Tersk, apparently because his offspring were considered too delicate for the Tersk program, and was exported to Poland in 1955. The Poles sought a stallion of the Ibrahim sire line, and had hoped to purchase Negativ from Tersk but were unable at the time, but were satisfied to own his son Nabor instead. Nabor was exported to the U.S. in 1963, becoming the first Tersk-bred Arabian to go to the States. *Naborr was owned in the United States by Anne McCormack, and then upon her death was purchased at auction by Tom Chauncey and entertainer Wayne Newton
Wayne Newton
Wayne Newton is an American singer and entertainer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He performed over 30,000 solo shows in Las Vegas over a period of over 40 years, earning him the nicknames The Midnight Idol, Mr. Las Vegas and Mr. Entertainment...
.
None of Negativ’s Tersk-bred daughters had a significant influence on the Tersk program.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Tersk imported a few stallions from Poland: Arax in 1958, Semen in 1962, and Elfur (a full brother to *El Paso) in 1972. Of these stallions, Arax had the greatest impact on Tersk’s program, siring the influential stallion Nabeg and a number of quality daughters.
Nabeg's most influential daughters include the U.S. National Top Ten Mare *Poznan, and Pesnianka, a dam of race and show champions in Europe.
Nabeg’s sons include the stallions *Menes, *Pesniar, and *Nariadni, all three imported to the U.S. Peleng, another son, was sold for $3.2 million but tested positive for piroplasmosis (Equine babesiosis
Babesiosis
Babesiosis is a malaria-like parasitic disease caused by infection with Babesia, a genus of protozoal piroplasms. After trypanosomes, Babesia are thought to be the second most common blood parasites of mammals and they can have a major impact on health of domestic animals in areas without severe...
) and was never permitted to enter the U.S. Nabeg can also be found in Trakehner
Trakehner
Trakehner is a light warmblood breed of horse, originally developed at the East Prussian state stud farm in the town of Trakehnen from which the breed takes its name...
pedigrees through some of his sons and daughters. Unfortunately Nabeg died young, having left only eight foal crops.
In 1958, the Sid Abouhom son Nil (named Azmy in Egypt) was a gift to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
from Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in appreciation for the USSR’s assistance in funding the Aswan Dam
Aswan Dam
The Aswan Dam is an embankment dam situated across the Nile River in Aswan, Egypt. Since the 1950s, the name commonly refers to the High Dam, which is larger and newer than the Aswan Low Dam, which was first completed in 1902...
. Nil sired only 16 foals before his untimely death in 1960, but still left a lasting impression on the Tersk program. His loss was unfortunate because, based on his structure and brief siring record, Nil could have been as significant to Tersk as his successor. In 1963, the Egyptian government gave another stallion to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, Raafat by Nazeer, who was renamed Aswan by the Soviets in honor of the dam project.
Aswan (horse)
Aswan , originally named Raafat in Egypt. Aswan was a highly influential grey Egyptian-bred Arabian stallion who stood at the Tersk Stud in Russia...
had a profound influence on the Tersk breeding program. As a whole, the broodmare band at Tersk had generally good structure but lacked some elements of Arabian type. Aswan introduced a more extreme dished head with large nostrils, large expressive eye, long level croup, and high tail carriage. He also had obvious faults, such as offset front knees, post-legged back legs, a long low back
Back (horse)
The back describes the area of horse anatomy where the saddle goes, and in popular usage extends to include the loin or lumbar region behind the thoracic vertebrae that also is crucial to a horse's weight-carrying ability. These two sections of the vertebral column beginning at the withers, the...
, a "wasp-waist," and a thick neck and throatlatch. But because Aswan’s faults were different than the Tersk mares’ faults, they often complemented each other well.
Aswan sired 299 offspring over 20 seasons at Tersk, more than any other stallion in the stud’s history. Some of Aswan’s best-known sons included Palas (out of a daughter of Nil, the first stallion given to the USSR by Egypt), who was exported to Poland and became a head sire at Janow Podlaski for many years; Kilimanjaro, a German National Reserve Champion who sired champions in North America and Europe; Patron, who sired the U.S. and Canadian National Champion Stallion *Padron
Padrón
Padrón is a concello in the Province of A Coruña, in Galicia within the comarca of O Sar. It covers an area of 48.4 km², is 95 km from A Coruña and, , had a population of 8968 according to the INE....
before his untimely death; and Plakat, a European champion who sired many champions himself.
Aswan excelled at siring broodmares
Mare (horse)
A mare is an adult female horse or other equine.In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse age three and younger. However, in Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four years old; in harness racing a mare is a...
. Examples include Pesnia, the dam of *Pesniar, who was purchased for $1 million and imported to the U.S. in 1981; Molva, called Aswan’s most beautiful and best-producing daughter by former Tersk director Alexander Ponomarev and the dam of Wympel; and Karinka, a full sister to Kilimanjaro, an accomplished race mare and the dam of Russian Derby winner and European Champion Stallion Drug.
The *Menes son Balaton, out of the Aswan daughter Panagia, was foaled in 1982 at Tersk and was immediately identified as the stud’s next great hope. Balaton became one of the youngest stallions to become a head sire at Tersk at just three years of age, and Tersk Director Alexander Ponomarev called him "the horse of the century at Tersk" after his first foal crop arrived.
The Balaton son Kubinec, out of the *Muscat daughter Kosmetika, was foaled at Tersk in 1987. A chestnut
Chestnut (coat)
Chestnut is a hair coat color of horses consisting of a reddish-to-brown coat with a mane and tail the same or lighter in color than the coat. Genetically and visually, chestnut is characterized by the absolute absence of true black hairs...
with a wide blaze going all the way over his nose and lips, Kubinec’s white markings
Horse markings
Markings on horses usually are distinctive white areas on an otherwise dark base coat color. Most horses have some markings, and they help to identify the horse as a unique individual. Markings are present at birth and do not change over the course of the horse's life...
weren't considered acceptable in the Tersk breeding program. According to Dr. O.A. Balakshin of the All Russian Research Institute of Horse Breeding, “Too many horses now have white markings on their head and legs. This is undesirable and should be eliminated by selection.”. Kubinec was sold in 1991 and began making his mark in European show rings. He was named German National, European, and World Champion Stallion as well as European Conference of Arab Horse Organizations (ECAHO) "Five Star Stallion" and his offspring are desirable around the world today.
In the mid-1980s, Tersk Stud introduced a few different outcross stallions, such as the Polish imports Gvizd ("Gwizd" in Poland) and Harfiaj ("Harfiarz" in Poland) and the English-bred pure Spanish Esplendor. Gvizd, Harfiaj, and Esplendor left Tersk but some of their descendants were used in the Tersk breeding program. Of the three outcross stallions, Gvizd had the greatest influence through a few of his daughters and his son, Negasimyi, who later became a sire of racehorses at Tersk in the mid-1990s. Gvizd's daughter Purga produced the stallion Padishah (by race winner Drug), who won several halter championships in Europe in the early 2000s. Gvizd also sired Pogojii, winner of four stakes races in Russia.
Post-1991 stud history
The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 brought Tersk's future into question.Influence of American buyers
By the mid-1980s, Russian Arabians were viewed as an exotic and profitable business in the U.S. Notable examples include *Pesniar, who was purchased from Tersk in 1981 for $1 million, and Peleng, who was purchased for "well in excess of $3 million" in 1985. Before American-purchased Tersk Arabians were eligible for registration in the U.S., Howard F. Kale traded two Standardbred stallions worth $1 million each to Tersk Stud for the stallion *Muscat.Russian horses also retained their value within the U.S. A half-interest in the aged broodmare *Nariadnaia was sold at auction in the U.S. for $580,000 in 1983 and the stallion *Abdullahhh was sold for $3.2 million at a U.S. auction in 1984. The Soviets noticed the inflated prices that westerners were willing to pay for their horses and accordingly set high reserves on their auction lots.
Prices began to come down at the annual Tersk auction starting in 1985 and the values of all big-investment Arabian horses dropped dramatically after the U.S. tax laws were changed in 1986. After that point, breeding "straight Russian" Arabians, or horses that were descended only from Tersk-bred horses, was not as common in the U.S. Some American breeders increasingly crossed Russian-bred horses with other lines to produce more exotic type and movement, while Arabian sport horse
Sport horse
Sport horse, or Sporthorse, is a term used to describe a type of horse, rather than any particular breed. The term generally refers to horses bred for the traditional Olympic equestrian sporting events of dressage, eventing, show jumping, and combined driving. The precise definition varies...
breeders outcrossed to Russian lines for their athletic ability.
Acceptance by the American Arabian registry
The Arabian Horse Registry of America (AHRA) did not approve the Russian Stud Book until 1978, meaning any Arabians imported to the U.S. directly from Tersk Stud were not permitted to be registered. The reason given by the Registry in a letter to Mr. Ed Tweed was “we mustn’t deal with the Russians” after Tweed attempted to register the Tersk-bred mares *Napaika and *Palmira and the stallion *Park in 1963. Tweed argued that the Tersk-bred *Naborr was registered by AHRA that same year with no problems, to which the registry replied that a Russian-bred horse may be registered by AHRA as long as the horse was owned in England or Poland for several years before its sale to the U.S. (*Naborr was sold by Tersk to Poland and used there for a number of years before he was imported to the U.S.) “We (Americans) are not as intimately acquainted with the Russians as the Poles and British, and we need not deal with them.”AHRA eventually accepted and approved the registering of Arabians imported directly from the Soviet Union in 1978, and *Napaika and *Palmira were registered that same year.
Tersk environment
Tersk Stud is located in the Caucasus Mountains in southern European Russia. The nearby town, Mineralnye VodyMineralnye Vody
Mineralnye Vody is a town in Stavropol Krai, Russia, which lies along the Kuma River and the main rail line between Rostov-on-Don and Baku . Population:...
, means "mineral waters" and is renowned as a spa town. The abundant natural mineral springs and beautiful scenery draw visitors from around the world. The weather is mild, ranging from 40 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter to nearly 80 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer.
While the weather is not harsh, the mares and foals at Tersk Stud live a rugged life outdoors most of the time. There are no fences around the stud, so mounted watchmen follow and monitor the herds night and day. The horses are brought into the barn twice each day to be fed and checked, but otherwise they are free to enjoy the open spaces.
Breeding operations
Tersk is best known for its purebred Arabian horseArabian horse
The Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses...
s, but it has also hosted breeding programs for Akhal-Teke
Akhal-Teke
The Akhal-Teke is a horse breed from Turkmenistan, where they are a national emblem. They are noted for their speed and for endurance on long marches. These "golden-horses" are adapted to severe climatic conditions and are thought to be one of the oldest surviving horse breeds...
s, Terskys, Kabardins, and Dons
Russian Don
The Russian Don is a breed of horse developed in and named after the steppes region of Russia where the Don River flows. Utilized originally as cavalry horses for the Cossacks, they are currently used for under-saddle work and driving.-Characteristics:...
. All Terskys were transferred to nearby Stavropol
Stavropol
-International relations:-Twin towns/sister cities:Stavropol is twinned with: Des Moines, United States Béziers, France Pazardzhik, Bulgaria-External links:* **...
Stud in 1945 to continue the development of the new breed.
From the beginning of its history, the stud has tested its horses on the racetrack
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
. Tersk Arabians are sent to the Pyatigorsk
Pyatigorsk
Pyatigorsk is a city in Stavropol Krai on the Podkumok River, about from Mineralnye Vody. Since January 19, 2010 it has been the administrative center of the North Caucasian Federal District of Russia...
racetrack at the age of two and may race one or two seasons. The best performers race on Sundays, with two-year-olds running 1,400 meters and older horses running 1,600 and 1,800 meters. The top individuals may be used for breeding
Horse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
at Tersk or return to the racetrack for another season. Many others will be sold at the age of three.
While race records are important to the Tersk breeding program, Dr. Balakshin stated “…good racing results are not the only criterion for selecting young stock for breeding purposes. Excellent runners which deviate from breed type may be used for limited breeding or else they are eliminated from selection.”
Any horse used for breeding at Tersk is required to be rated “Elite” or “Grade I” in the Russian Stud Book. Horses that receive lower grades are sent to other studs or sold.
The current stud director is Vladimir Tolmachyov.
See also
- Arabian horseArabian horseThe Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses...
- horse breedingHorse breedingHorse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
- stud farmStud farmA stud farm or stud in animal husbandry, is an establishment for selective breeding of livestock. The word "stud" comes from the Old English stod meaning "herd of horses, place where horses are kept for breeding" Historically, documentation of the breedings that occur on a stud farm leads to the...
- Crabbet Arabian StudCrabbet Arabian StudThe Crabbet Arabian Stud, also known as the Crabbet Park Stud, was a horse breeding farm established on 2 July 1878 when the first Arabian horses brought to England by Wilfrid Scawen Blunt and Lady Anne Blunt arrived at Crabbet Park, their estate in Sussex...
- Horse racingHorse racingHorse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...