A few years ago, Norm Dunn (director of the Kellogg Arabian Center for
practically ever, past president of IAHA, judge, etc.) was asked to come
to Saudi Arabia to evaluate the horses at the government-owned EAO and
advise on which horses to keep for breeding, which to sell, etc. Being
the original source, you would think the qulaity of horses there should
be stellar, right? He came saying they got mad at him and very insulted
because after looking at several hundred horses, there were only two
stallions he considered stallion-quality and only thirty mares worth
breeding. Yes, Norm was a show-ring person, but he did have alot of
appreciation for true form-to-function and was one of the driving forces
behind trying to make halter horses worth putting a saddle on again.
He said after coming back that 1) all of the best stock had long since
been sold and exported to Crabbett Park, Poland, Russia, Europe and
America, 2) the breeding directors at EAO had selected so strongly for
extreme heads that they had ignored functional conformation and
therefore had gotten beautiful headed horses on bodies that couldn't get
out of their own way, and 3) for whatever reasons, the management and
veterinary practices were very poor, and many of what might have been
decent horses were either stunted, had crooked legs or were essentially
infertile.
In his opinion, the best Arabians in the world are being bred in Poland
and America and therefore it wasn't surprising that the Arabians would
have to go elsewhere to find quality horses.
Anyway, just passing on what Mr. Dunn said. This was about five years
ago, I think.
Susan Evans