The line up of exceptional young stallions proudly stands for the final judges' inspection under the hot Sydney sun. A superlative collection, with winners of the highest accolades from around Australia and the US. At the end of the line, side by side, are two magnificent young stallions owned by one stud. The bronzed chestnut, Eklipse, represents three generations of the stud's carefully considered breeding programme and the iridescent bay next to him, Azteq LBA (US) represents the future – the colt selected in the US at four months of age after a three year search, with the pedigree and type selected specifically to breed into the family of the chestnut. Both young stallions are already major Champions, but this is the big one – the title of Australian National Champion Junior Stallion. The tension is palpable as the score cards are tallied. So much love and sheer hard work has led up this day to ensure these horses look as wonderful as they do. The announcement comes – Eklipse is Australian Reserve National Champion! A shout of delight and we wait for the final announcement..... Azteq LBA is Australian National Champion! It sounds like a fairytale but it is the very nicest kind of fairytale as every word is absolutely true. A moment that will stay with me for a very, very long time. Earlier in the day, Mahvella, who also represents three generations of Syrah breeding, and like Eklipse is by Valor, was awarded Australian Reserve Champion 2 Year Old filly in a class filled with exquisite young fillies. Another very special moment! |
||
 |
Above - Azteq LBA |
|
 |
Above - Jason Hodgins, Mahvella and Vanessa |
|
2010 East Coast Championships The East Coast Championships was a triumph for Syrah's young stallion Valor. We showed two of his progeny, Eklipse (from Tarlea Ellabrandi) and Mahvella (from Mahdiaa). It was Mahvella's fourth show and her first big trip. Both did us proud, with Eklipse being awarded Reserve Champion Junior Stallion and Mahvella being awarded Top 5 2 year old filly. |
||
Congratulations... to the new owners of some wonderful Syrah Arabians following our Silent Auction Reduction Sale:
From the reports from their new homes, all the horses are using their charms and winning over lots of new fans. |
|||||||||||||||
Mahvella debuts with a Supreme The beautiful Mahvella (Valor - Mahdiaa) debuted at the Crabbett 20th Anniversary A Class in October. It was quite a debut, with Mahvella being awarded Champion Filly and Supreme Purebred. Photo Delwyn Moss |
 |
||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||
|
Azteq LBA (US) and Valouria – In the early hours of 18 October 2009 we were blessed with the arrival of a truly exceptional colt, Vesuvio, by Azteq LBA (US) from Valouria. He has the most exquisite dishy head coupled with an amazing front, great body and attitude to burn. This colt is incredible and shows what a great sire Azteq will be. |
||||||||||||||
Eklipse's first foal – Sunday morning 13 September dawned with the arrival of Eklipse's first foal, Zariya, from Elmridge Stud's Zahrah. Zariya is every bit as beautiful as you would expect
|
 |
Our first foal of the year – and the first foal for Azteq LBA (US) It seems like a such a long time ago that we aquired Azteq, waited for him to mature and waited for his first foal to be born. The beautiful Azmara was born on 28 August and has fully justified our expectations of Azteq as a sire. She has everything, great type, gorgeous eyes, body, movement, a wonderful front and tons of charisma. Her future is very bright! |
|
 |
 |
 Shafiq |
 Vanessa, Shafiq and Wade Bailey - photo Derek OLeary |
| Syrah had a great 2009 Australian National Championships, with all the horses excelling in their classes, for the following results: | |
Shafiq Varaz Azteq LBA (US) |
Aviva Eklipse Zihayr |
 Varaz |
 Zihayr |
Woranora Genevieve Ascot Porcelain Doll Congratulations to Amanda McHugh from Rocking M Performance Horses with: Congratulations also to Michelle Cranston of Southern Cross Arabians on achieving Australian National Top Ten 3 and 4 Year Old Gelding with Shahzar, bred by Syrah Arabians. |
|
 Woronora Genevieve and Wade Bailey |
 Evan, Genevieve and Vanessa |
Arabian Feature Show 2009 The Arabian Feature Show is always a wonderful show to exhibit at. Unfortunately no one can control the weather and the temperatures were in the high 40s but despite this, we had a very successful show. Azteq LBA (US) was Supreme Junior Arabian exhibit and Supreme Arabian Entire. Shafiq was Champion Junior Gelding, exhibiting his trademark flamboyant action despite the heat Shahrak, owned by Amanda McHugh was Champion Junior Colt Exotika, Varaz and Zihayr all won their classes. |
|
|
Following on from our successful Diamond Showcase, we made the long trip to Sydney to the 2008 National Arabian Stud Horse Show to exhibit against the best horses on the East Coast under the Las Vegas scoring system. Our two exhibits did us proud, Zihayr being awarded Top 5 Yearling Gelding at his second Show (third on points) and our wonderful Eklipse being awarded Champion Two Year Old Colt with a massive 554 points and then following up with the award of Supreme Junior Colt. Congratulations also to Rhianna Wynn with her Syrah bred Mazhar taking out Top 5 Senior Gelding 4 to 9 years, again third on points. |
 Photo Stuart Vesty |
| Our team of 7 had a great 2008 Diamond Showcase, judged by Scott Benjamin of Canada, with the following awards:
|
|
 Shafiq with Scott Benjamin and Wade Bailey - photo Stuart Vesty |
 Zihayr's first show - photo Stuart Vesty |
This was the first show for Zihayr who is proving to be a sensational showhorse and Azteq also showed he has the right stuff, powering into the ring with a "20" trot. Shafiq is proving to be one of the best young geldings around, as he was also Junior Champion Gelding a week earlier at SEAHAC under Janice McCrae Wight, and Exotika was also Reserve Champion Filly. |
|
|
|
| After the Diamond Showcase, we had the pleasure of a visit from Scott Benjamin and Stuart Vesty and they were very impressed with the Syrah horses – in particular that they have beauty, structure and movement in one package. Stuart Vesty also took some lovely photos for us. | |
 Valentia (Antaarez-Valouria) - photo Stuart Vesty |
 Eklipse - photo Stuart Vesty |
|
The first day of November 2008 marked the return of Eklipse to the show ring as a two year old under the Egyptian judge Ali Shaawari. The judge was hugely impressed with him and Eklipse was awarded Supreme two year old. Also starring were Ascot Porcelain Doll who was Champion Arabian Riding Pony Mare both in halter and under saddle, Shafiq with Reserve Champion two year old gelding, and Antaarez with Reserve Champion Bridle Path Hack Entire.
|
 Photo Nicole Emmanuel |
Foals, foals, foals! |
|
|
The end of November 2008 brought a flush of foaling at Syrah. First, on 23 November, our Octagonal daughter Affiliate produced a beautiful refined filly by Madaan, Seventh Heaven. Heaven is the first Anglo we have produced, and we couldn't be happier with her. Then, on 24 November, our wonderful Salida produced a stunning tall colt by Antaarez, Salizaar. Followed on 27 November, by Mahdiaa with a very exotic colt by Valor, Makar. |
 Salizaar |
 Makar |
|
|
 |
 |
Keeping it in the family – a brotherly affair The show season has continued to be successful, with Shahrak, owned by Amanda McHugh being awarded Champion Colt and Shafiq being awarded Champion Gelding at the Crabbet A Class in October 2008. This shows enormous consistency from the judge, Robyn Parker, as these two are full brothers, by Sarezin from Shakeelah. Three quarter brother, Antaarez, at his first indoor show was first in his Intermediate Ridden Class, showing the enormous promise that he has. |
|
US Nationals – a family affair for Azteq LBA (US)
Azteq would like to congratulate his family on their successes at the US Nationals. In particular,
These results show the strength of Azteq's pedigree on both dam and sire side.
|
31 October 2008 marked the arrival of the latest masterpiece for Valor and Tarlea Ellabrandi, the gorgeous colt, Exalt. Exalt, a full brother to Eklipse interestingly is marked uncannily like his great great grandsire Muscat. |
|
 |
 |
|
Antaarez – named for a star and a star he is! Antaarez was named for the red star and that is exactly what he is proving to be. A halter star as a colt, he was broken in in May this year to try his hand at the young horse saddle classes. At Carabi in September, his first show under saddle, he won his Novice Class and was Champion Ridden Entire (All Breeds). His second show was the Goulburn Valley A Class in October 2008, where he won his Newcomer class, Intermediate Class and was Reserve Champion Intermediate as well as third in his Open. Judges are consistent in describing him as a horse with a huge future. Not content with excelling only at halter and under saddle he is also proving to be a superb sire. He has sired two divine fillies for us this year, the supremely elegant grey Mahina from Cherox Miguela and the utterly divine Valentia, from Australian National Champion, Valouria. |
|
|
 Mahina |
 Valentia |
 Valentia |
Valor – a super sire |
|
 Aviva awarded Supreme |
|
 Alinah |
 Zaafir |
...and more Goulburn Valley Congratulations to Amanda McHugh on the Reserve Champion Colt won by her yearling Shahrak at his debut. We were also very proud of our Arabian Riding Pony, Ascot Porcelain Doll, who won her Open Saddle Class and was Runner Up in the hotly contested Senior Premier Challenge. At right, Ascot Porcelain Doll (Poppy) and Wade |
 |
Our first foal for 2008 The early hours of 24 August saw the arrival of the lovely Alinah, by Valor from Azima. As in this picture at less than 12 hours old with Evan and Spencer, Alinah (named by Spencer), is already displaying some of the "in your tent"
sociability so evident in her dam. |
 |
|
|
|
Thank you to Zoe Phillips for these wonderful pictures of her two year old Syrah bred gelding Zakir (Sarezin - Misaka) and his best buddy, the Clydesdale Briggallo. A typical Syrah gelding – beautiful, tall and easy to get along with! |
 |
 |
|
| |
|
|
The Diamond Showcase was held over the Easter weekend of 21 to 24 March 2008. Our congratulations to the organisers for putting on such a successful show with a high quality entry in the aftermath of Equine Influenza. Judges were HRH Princess Alia Al Hussein Al Salah of Jordan for the purebreds, Phil Ryan for the derivatives and Kerry Rogers for the ridden. Syrah had a fantastic show. We took 7 horses for the following results:
We were delighted to have a visit from Princess Alia Al Hussein Al Salah (pictured below at Syrah) on Tuesday following the Show, to view our breeding programme. She was a delightful and knowledgeable guest and was very complimentary on the type and temperament of our horses. |
|
 Princess Alia Al Hussein Al Salah with Eklipse |
 Princess Alia Al Hussein Al Salah and Vanessa with Aviva |
| |
|
|
Melbourne Summer Royal 2008 was our first outing with the Purebreds post EI and the debut for Eklipse. Eklipse proved to be the star we know he is by being awarded the Rami Sash for Champion Colt. (below left) Aviva was second in her strong class. (photo below right) Woranora Genevieve continued on her winning ways by being awarded Champion Arabian Pony Female and Reserve Champion Ridden Derivative from an entry of over 70. Not bad for a 12 hand tiny tacker against the big Anglo Arabian hacks! Our thanks to Sharon Warke for these photos. |
|
|
 |
| |
|
| |
| Home |
| More about Syrah |
| Breeding philosophy |
| Stallions and colts |
| Mares and fillies |
| Geldings |
| Arabian derivatives |
| New foals |
| For sale |
| News and information |
| Contact details |
| Links |