My interest in Spanish Arabians began with my first view of a Galero Stallion called Makor in 1980. He was a drier horse than the UK traditional Arabian, and appeared to be more dramatic in presence, with more leg, neck, and light under the body.

In the south of Spain, horses are bred amongst the small hills of ploughed white earth
that meet the blue sky without even a bush to interrupt the simplicity of that view.
On the top of one of those small hills, half a mile away would be a white square hacienda shaded by ten or so trees from the Spanish sun. A vulnerable tiny oasis holding out the heat of the day, where the surrounding fields wait for rain and the planting of young vines.

In my childhood, my parents had often taken me to Spain where the thrill of a trip to the dry sands of their beaches, the views of their little white haciendas set in the small rocky cliffs 10 or so feet above the sea was enthralling. To a small boy even the oak smells borne on the dry air made it all excitingly different.

Our first introduction to Spanish breeders were made through the courtesy of a school friend of my wife who knew the Valdes, who’s family have bred Arabians for generations.  Their stud, Valhuenete, which I first visited in 1982. is located south of Madrid, where the horses enjoy the freedom of a massive “range” on which to graze.

The Duke of Vergua, (Christina Valdes great grandfather) was killed in his house during the Franco Spanish revolution and has left his love of horses to his heirs.

In 1980 I asked Christina Valdes for the pedigrees of Cartama, Galero, and Jacio, from the Spanish Arab Horse Association. She very kindly sent us these. Coincidently, we aquired Don Deigo in 1984, who is by Galero out of a Jacio, Cartama mare.

In 1983 we bought back two fillies, a 2 year old called Yumana, and a bay yearling called Semiha. And a start was made to breed Spanish Arabians.

Years later we met the Hoyts at the Domecques villa in Jerez.  Both families were, and still are very powerful supporters of the Spanish Arabian horse. Tom Hoyt subsequently sold us the Stallion Don Diego.  A few years later we bought a bay Spanish mare called Jaffar from Tom, and finally, after Tom’s death (due to crashing his jet into the Sandias above the Rio Grande), we were left Orla II.  Our stud’s Spanish bred stock source, is now divided evenly between the Spanish Studs of Aldara (Mr. Diego Mendez), Casajera (Mr. Lois Yabarra), Valhuenete (Ms. Christina Valdes) and the Yueda Militaire of Spain (Jerez) Who had Orla II, Galero, Jacio, etc.