With the iconic Australasian Arabian International Championships just three weeks away, we focus on the Australasian Arabian Breeders Coalition. Founded in 2022, the Coalition has the singular purpose of promoting the breeding of purebred Arabian horses throughout Australasia. Since its inauguration, the AABC has grown exponentially, bringing the Australasian Arabian closer to the rest of the world. This year sees their second year of hosting the Emirates Arabian Horse Global Cup Australasian Championship, and their first of being affiliated to ECAHO.
Celebrating a long and successful history with the Arabian horse since the early 19th century, Australia and New Zealand have both been pioneers for the breed in the South Pacific, establishing an indelible foothold for the world’s oldest equine breed far from the Arabian homeland of antiquity. Perfectly suited to the challenging climate and conditions of both young countries, the Australasian Arabian horse has evolved into one of both supreme beauty and utility, celebrated both on the global stage as well as found in the pedigrees as essential ancestors of the breed’s most accomplished athletes and icons in absolutely every discipline and endeavour in which the Arabian horse competes worldwide.
Moving into 2025, the Coalition is excited to run their marquee event, the International Championships, partnered for the second time with the Emirates Global Arabian Cup. Held 31 January to 2 February, the third running of the Championships will once again bring together some of the very best horses from across the continent to take part in both halter and performance classes. Held at the incredible Willinga Park, just metres from the South Pacific Ocean on the celebrated South Coast in New South Wales, the world-class amenities for both horses and exhibitors as well as the spectacular natural backdrop and resort feel of the facility, create an atmosphere of enthusiasm, camaraderie, and uncompromising enjoyment unsurpassed at any other event in the region.
For the second consecutive year, the AABC is honoured to partner with the Emirates Arabian Horse Society and ECAHO to host the Emirates Arabian Horse Global Cup – Australasian Championship (EAHGC-AC). This innovative, truly global recognition programme has been designed to both promote small breeders worldwide and to reward owners and breeders on every continent with significant prize money totalling millions of euros annually. The Emirates Arabian Horse Global Cup is comprised of ten prestigious events each calendar year, including shows in Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America and Australasia, with a grand final in the Middle East at the conclusion of each season. The AABC is proud and privileged to host the inaugural event of the Emirates Arabian Horse Global Cup in conjunction with the Australasian Arabian International Championships, and to share the richest prize money programme in Australia and New Zealand with the visionary breeders of our region. The Committee is most grateful to His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his patronage of the Emirates Arabian Horse Global Cup initiative and his generous support of prize money for small Arabian horse breeders all around the world.
In addition to this, the Championships are, for the first time, affiliated to ECAHO as an International C Show. Proving to be another ‘first’ for the AABC, this qualification underlines the Coalition’s commitment to celebrating the Arabian breed in this part of the world.
This year, our international judges are Klaus Beste from Germany, Ted Carson from the United States, Magda Helak-Kulczyńska from Poland, and Joanne Lowe from the United Kingdom. They will be joined by esteemed Australian judges, Kristian Dymond and Debra Watson, both from Queesnland. The full programme will see them judge performance classes from ridden to native costume, as well as halter including the division purely for straight Egyptian Arabians, part of the Championships since the very beginning in a continental first.
F1 Arabian Derivatives – Arabian related horses with at least one registered purebred parent – will join purebred Arabians, making for a stellar weekend of the highest quality.
An indisputable highlight of the Championships is the AABC Legacy Awards Gala Dinner, held on the Saturday evening. Since its inauguration, the AABC has honoured five iconic breeding programmes and their breeders into the Australasian Arabian Breeders Hall of Fame: Ron and Val Males of Ralvon Stud; Peter and Vivienne Hall of Fairview Arabian Stud; the Toft Family of Bremervale Arabians; Sue Spratt and Bev Jones of Gerzanne Arabian Stud; and Pam and Bob Morris of Avondale Arabians. Joining them this year are The Sharman family of Jangharm Arabians along with Alan and Cheryl Skinner of El Kheir Arabians.
Running alongside are the lifetime Breeding Achievement Awards, so far presented to Marion Richmond of Simeon Stud, the Farrell family of Mulawa Arabian Stud, and the Wall family of Noran Arabian Stud. Jim and Mary Triggs of Aloha Arabian Stud are being honoured this year. The Coalition also honours individuals through the Arabian Ambassador Award, and this year Kay Edward will join Leonie Williamson (2024) and Helen Dohan (2023) as a recipient of this illustrious award.
The AABC Legacy Awards Gala Dinner sees all honourees celebrated with tribute videos documenting their invaluable and enduring contribution to the breed, with framed awards presented to close out an unforgettable evening of commemoration and community. It is a true highlight of the year, and a chance for us to honour those who have contributed so much to the Australasian Arabian world.
At the Celebration, a special book will be released, the first edition of the AABC’s Australasian Arabian Breeders Directory. This special directory features the current generation of wonderful Arabian horses being bred on both sides of the Tasman Sea and will be available in both digital and physical format.
The AABC has achieved so much since its founding in 2022 – none of which would be possible without the vision of our founding members, who made the Australasian Arabian Breeders’ Coalition come to life.
With so much to look forward to in the months and years ahead, including the return of the Arabian Breeders Celebration in 2025, the Australasian Arabian Breeders Coalition remains committed to providing leadership, mentorship and abundant opportunity for its members, breeders, and owners, and to celebrating the Arabian excellence wherever it may be found in the world.
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