HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani
In 1998, tired of the weaknesses I could see being bred into American show
horses, I traveled to Europe looking for the perfect “new blood”.
I wanted an out-cross stallion that was bay in color with no white
legs (which can break down more easily in Endurance riding).
I wanted a long length of hip with extreme thrust and impulsion in the hock. My goal was to find the most correct legs possible accompanied by short canons and long forearms. I was looking for a 15:3 hh horse, but tall in the correct proportions. In addition I wanted a pretty head, excellent disposition and the drive to be a top athlete.
The last day of my trip I found SAMBIST, HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al-Thani’s great distance racehorse and U.K International Show Liberty Champion who had been purchased from the Russian State stud, Tersk, in 1992 through the famous Kossack Sales in the Netherlands for the record price of $385,00 and had also sired the high-selling yearling colt at Tattersall’s in England.
Through Val Bunting, as agent, I traded 15.3hh Remington Steele*++ frozen semen for 15:3 Sambist frozen semen at Um Qarn, at the time located in the U.K. I subsequently produced two of the best athletes I ever bred both by Sambist out of Monogramm daughters:
** The stallion, II Damb Much, out of II Much Money by Monogramm out of a *Karadjordje/*Serafix mare....who is a supreme athlete and producer of athletes.
** The mare named Epistode II (out of the triple *Bask , Monogramm daughter Trilogii ) who became an incredible Open show jumper. “Epi” won her class and went Res.Champion in Halter and Sport Horse in Hand her first time shown. Now owned by Pat & Pam Livecchi of Desert Rose Arabians in Jupiter, Fla. Epistode II made a name for herself in the open hunting field at Wellington hunting with warm bloods and Thoroughbreds. In her first hunt a wild boar ran out from the underbrush under her legs and “Epi” kicked the pig out of the way without breaking stride or upsetting the field!
We are very thankful to HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al-Thani and Val Bunting for negotiating this trade agreement allowing Phase II–Fast Track to bring this incredible blood to America and beyond!
Sambist was subsequently acquired by my partner in England, Anne Brown of Gadebrook Stud, the internationally respected breeder of World Champion Endurance & Premium Show Arabians, shortly after I took her to see this exceptional stallion.
In 2014 Sambist was named Arab Racehorse Sire of the Year for the 9th time in the United Kingdom shortly before he passed away on Nov 17th, 2014, aged 27. He was acclaimed by all who have seen him in person to be the most “utterly correct Arabian they have seen”, which accounts for the fact that he raced successfully for five years all over Europe and the Middle East retiring 100% sound and 8 lengths ahead of the pack in his retirement race. Shortly after Sambist retired he was named UK International Liberty Champion his only time in the show ring!