First published in The Arabian Breeders’ Magazine Volume I Issue III March 2017.
Celebrating the Champions – Roseglen Ooh La La
It took a long time to find the right horse after losing my colt, Aratahnes Election (Aratahnes Deliverance x Aratahnes Allayna), a couple of years before in tragic circumstances. Although I had been showing horses for other people, I still was not ready to find ‘the one’ for myself.
I came across Roseglen Ooh La La (JSS Cream Em Kid x Lindall Ladeedah), a weanling palomino Qarab, shown to me by my friend, Rebekah Alkozai. She tagged me on ‘Lala’s sale advert on Facebook, and immediately I was floored. She was beautiful, absolutely stunning. I think I fell in love that very first moment that I saw her.
I hesitated in purchasing her for a couple of months, as I really didn’t think that I was ready for another horse, but ‘Lala’ was just so beautiful. I already knew that my next horse would have to be something extra special – and she definitely was that. I also surprised myself as I bought her unseen, relying purely on photographs. She was in Queensland with her breeder, Sharon Blums, and I was in New South Wales and unable to organise a visit to see her. My faith in her has been rewarded time and time again.
I had always had part-bred Arabians at my Ashwood Park Arabians; with Lala being a Quarab, I thought that would be something different, and that we could have a lot of fun together. She arrived with me in April last year, and we moved on to a great, 55 acre property in Ellalong, New South Wales, just after she arrived.
Since then, Ooh La La has definitely gone above and beyond my expectations! She has won numerous championships, including Supreme All Breeds and Supreme Coloured. However, the icing on the cake came this season when she was named National Champion Quarab Mare/Filly, East Coast Champion Quarab Mare/Filly, the current Champion of Champions Quarab, and most recently, she was sashed Australian Gold Champion Qaurab, winning by 20 points. All this from just being shown a limited number of times! It has been a truly amazing run, and all these wins are first time for me with my own horse.
Roseglen Ooh La La. Credit Glenys Lilley.
I honestly never thought that I would have another good horse, so for Lala, who is only two years old, to really step up and fill the big shoes she had to fill has made so many dreams come true for me. With this as her first show season, I believe that she has a huge future ahead of her.
Lala is a funny filly… She only really particularly likes me if she has to, and she will tolerate other people, so it’s mostly just myself who works with her as her attitude can be quiet quirky at times. I think that makes it all the more rewarding when she does well in the show-ring.
I will have had Lala for a full year in April, and I cannot believe all that we have achieved. I am really looking forward to next show season with her as she’s off to be backed over winter. Hopefully, we will be on track for the young horse classes next year. I can’t wait to see what she does next! She is just so special to me and every day, I am so glad that I made the decision to buy her.
Words by ShayLeigh Riddle
First printed in The Arabian Breeders’ Magazine Volume I Issue III March 2017. To enjoy further content such as this, please visit The Arabian Magazine Shop.
